brave tree series – 2005
THE DAY BEFORE THESE IMAGES WERE SHOT, I
MET AN ANISHINABE ELDER.
PRODTHEUS GOODCHILD TALKED ABOUT HOW HIS
PEOPLE HAVE LIVED FOR MANY
CENTURIES WITH THIS LAND. HE TALKED OF THEIR TRADITION, THE CIRCLE OF
LIFE: EAST
REPRESENTED CHILDHOOD, THE PHYSICAL PART
OF LIFE; SOUTH REPRESENTED YOUTH,
THE SOCIAL PART OF LIFE; WEST WAS ADULTHOOD, THE INTELLECTUAL; AND
NORTH THE ELDER, THE SPIRITUAL. THEN HE TALKED OF THE NEWCOMERS TO
THE LAND AND HOW HIS PEOPLE HUNTED FOR THE
NEWCOMERS UNTIL THERE
WERE TOO FEW ANIMALS; HOW THEY WORKED IN
THE MINES
AND IN THE MILLS AND WERE OVERCOME WITH
ALCOHOL.
HE IS NOW AN ELDER AND HAS FOUND HIS
SPIRITUAL FOOTING.
HE HAS NOW SURVIVED ALL THESE
ELEMENTS. HE IS NOW OLD AND WEATHERED
BUT HANDSOME, SOFT SPOKEN AND WISE.
THESE PEOPLE SEEM LIKE THESE TREES.
This series consists of seven images
exposed on 4” x 5” negatives and
printed (archival processes) on 24” x 30”
photographic paper.
Brave tree no. 1
Brave tree no. 2
Brave tree no. 3
Brave tree no. 4
Brave tree no. 5
Brave tree no. 6
Brave tree no. 7