Spirit in the Sky

2016
Lino cut (cut from recycled floor tile), archive quality oil-based ink on archival paper
14” x 28”

As I look to the night sky I often wonder how my ancestors viewed the stars and planets...

Did we have different names and meanings for the constellations?

I know from reading the "Ada Blackjack" auto-biography, the Big Dippe/Ursa Major was referred to as a caribou, and that its position in the sky relates directly to movements within the herds; ie, when calving happened, when was the best time to hunt, etc.

I also look to the stars and wonder if they had an influence on our spiritual beliefs...

In this Lino cut, I depict an angakok (shaman) and his spirit helper, tulugak (raven) in a place that, when the stars are right, when the season is right, caribou may be found here in abundance... this spot is also marked by an inukshuk...

Limited edition series of 10 prints