I hold differences as sacred and am preoccupied with how individuals operate in society—an interest no doubt born from my isolated upbringing near a small town in the mountains of Vermont. My grandmother lived next door and was Abenaki Indian, a tribe indigenous to the Vermont area. She didn't have running water by choice. She and I were inseparable. The mountains gave one TV station and poor radio reception. We spent our time making and fixing things, playing games, and walking in the woods. We talked throughout all of it for hours and years. I heard stories about my ancestors from St. Francis, now Odanak Reserve, and how anthropologist Gordon Day* spent much time interviewing my grandmother's mother, Elvine Obomsawin. She spoke of the difficulties faced by Indigenous people as well as other minorities. These stories reverberated within me, caught between my Caucasian appearance and the heartbeat my grandmother's lessons awakened within me.

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​​I have spent years reconciling my upbringing with the academic ideologies of my studio practice. The personal nature of this overlap is both liberating and unsettling. As an untribal Abenaki, I've always struggled to discuss my Indigenous identity. I began publicly navigating my contemporary Indigenous existence by welcoming my grandmother's influence into my studio. Materials became an active player in this dialogue. The academic media I had little connection with became superseded by the unlimited availability of numerous material sources. I now allow my new media 'to call to me' as I walk in the woods, down a street, sit at home, or pass them in a store. ​

 

My materials are associated with my physical existence. They have a voice and help direct, even motivate, the imagery and path the work takes, unfolding narratives of personal and social encounters. Whether ripping paper, whittling or carving wood, stitching, beading, or printing, all techniques are meant to emote and provide context to a narrative. The influences of quilts, folk art, woodworking, and crafted objects that were part of my early understanding of creating currently help ground my process. And so, it is no surprise that my work has a similar character, where manual labor and respect for materials are as valued as aesthetic qualities. Additionally, I mean this labor-intensive work alongside my use of multiple materials to embed a spiritual energy and physical presence that declares, "We are here."

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* https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/agents/people/2176