Neal McLeod/Gabriel Yahyahkeekoot

Neal McLeod's cultural heritage is Cree and he grew up on the James Smith First Nation. Neal McLeod is a multi- media artist as well as a poet, film maker, painter, performer, curator, writer and teacher. He currently (2007) lives and teaches at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario.

Gabriel Yahyahkeekoot - A Moment of Clarity - 2003 - video 720 x min
Gabriel Yahyahkeekoot is originally from Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation but he grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan. He is a multi-media artist and in this collaboration he displays an example of his video production. He is also a writer who has produced poetry and rap dialogue and published work in major magazines. Much of his work is based on his reactions to the place he lives and he is a leader and a role model for many Aboriginal youth in Regina. .

More information

Neal McLeod’s works grow out of the Cree storytelling tradition and they often speak to the societal injustices towards his people that began back in the times of colonization and continue into the current times. In his artist statement about this work, he states, “The wihtikow is a being within Cree stories which consumes humans, and is similar to a vampire in European culture. The wihtikow's consumption is relentless and without end. As a contemporary Cree painter, I draw upon metaphors and narratives of Cree storytelling in my work. In Wihtikow City, the city of Regina is conceived of as a wihtikow: consuming the life-force and light of Aboriginal people in the massive immigration from reserves in the last forty years." Artist Statement for “That’s My Wonderful Town” Exhibit, 2003, MacKenzie Gallery

Activities

Collaboration and art - Research collaborative art projects and make a collaborative art work with another artist.

Literature/media and art - Research traditional stories, legends and fairy tales. Look in the news for contemporary events which may have metaphorical connections to the story you researched. Make a visual representation to combine the two ideas.

Performance - Work with a group of friends to develop a humorous sketch based on a serious issue. Perform this work in a public forum.

Video production - Make a video to represent your community. Take footage of some of the important people and places. Practice working with the video camera and using a variety of camera angles and shots.

Illustration - Write a poem in response to a story or event. Illustrate the poem.

Questions

Name some ways a city could suck the life force from its inhabitants. Why is it particularly so for some Aboriginal people who come into the city from a reserve? An area in north central Regina was recently reported to be the worst neighbourhood in Canada. Do you think McLeod may be correct in his metaphor of the "wihtikow"?

How can society, as a whole, be like a wihtikow?

As a performer, McLeod is a member of the comic troupe “The Bionic Bannock Boys”. They use humour to discuss and inform their audience about Aboriginal concerns. Why do you think he uses humour in this way?

The wihtikow character, from Cree storytelling, inspired the artist to make an artwork about a particular place he called Wihtikow City. This place takes on human qualities of good and evil. Do you think that good and evil can co-exist in all things? Why do you think he believes Regina has so many evil qualities? Could there be some good? What can be done to improve the situation? Discuss some of the good and the bad qualities about the place where you live.

This painting was part of collaboration with a video artist named Gabriel Yahyahkeekoot. The bottom corner of the painting was left white and Yahyahkeekoot’s video is projected there. The young video artist reinforced the ideas behind McLeod's painting with video images of the places and people from the north central area of Regina. Discuss collaborative art and look for examples of artists using collaboration in their work. Examples could include other artists like Jen Hamilton and Sherry Farrell Racette. What do you think are some of the advantages and disadvantages of working on an art project with another artist?

Curriculum Connections

Arts Education 10, 20, 30

Module 3: Tell It Like It Is!
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/artsed/g10arts_ed/g10m3ae.html

Module 4: Film and Video
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/artsed/g10arts_ed/g10m4ae.html

Visual Art 10, 20, 30

Module 5: Technology and Visual Art
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/artsed/visart102030/vamod5.html

Module 19: Film and Video Studies
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/artsed/visart102030/vamod19.html