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Artists

My Artwork is for you.

 

My goal is to bring beautiful Indigenous stories to you, the people.  Through colour,  imagery and form we can share our wonderful stories.  When I create my work there will always be an explanation given why the piece was made and what the images represent.  I want to use colour to heal.  Medicine can come in many forms and MY healing takes place through my work.  I want to help others share their experiences through my work.  I am fortunate to have spirits speaking through me and translating themselves through my work.  I firmly believe that OUR stories will maintain and educate people about Canada's First Nation people's culture and tradition.


I do custom fine art and design with my own personal flare.  I use realism combined with a variation of the Eastern Woodland style of art made famous by such artist as Norval Morisseau and Daphne Odjig.  These inspiring artists have been telling stories for many years and will continue to share them with us long after they are gone from this physical world.  I have been practicing my work for most of the years I have been alive.  I also like to create art from popular culture.  I feel I have a well rounded range of work as well.  I work with paint, ink, wood, clay, leather and stone.  I make anything from Traditional Lacrosse sticks, war clubs, soapstone carving to paintings.  



For the most part I am a self taught artist, although I have gone through Art Fundamentals at Georgian College.  I have also taken several art courses while spending my time at Trent University while earning my Indigenous studies honors degree.  At Trent I learned to fully value and cherish Indigenous culture and tradition, and I now do this by honoring it through my artworks.



I feel I have been gifted by the Creator  with a creative fire that burns in my heart a warm soft heat.  Someday's it burns white hot and I feel as if I have lava flowing through my veins.  I use these strong feelings to forge, create and sculpt images for you.  I work for you.  My artwork is for you.

The story of Otter and the Starwoman.

 

Aanii, Hello.  Negik Ndzhiinikaz, Otter is my name.  I was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  I was adopted by a "non native" family when I was just 10 weeks old.   I am a member of Sheshegwaning First Nation located on Manitoulin Island.  The island of the Great Spirit.  I am going to tell you a story.

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I grew up in a small town called Midland, Ontario.  Our family had a cottage on a small private lake in Muskoka called Clearwater lake.  I spent much of my childhood running around playing in a beautiful forest always surrounded by a loving family.  I have learned much about my own Indigenous culture by my parents.  They always supported me while growing up.  They taught me to value all of the things in my life.  They are much of the inspiration that allows me to create my work, but it doesn't stop there.

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Much of my life I struggled with the idea of being adopted.  There was always a thought in the back of my mind where I wondered who my birth mother was.  Where is she?  Who is she?  Is she still alive.  I used to get super depressed around my birthday.  For most people this is a happy time.  For me it was not (don't worry this story has an awesome good positive ending).  There was a period in my life where I was suffering through terrible depression.  It was so bad and terrible thoughts were passing through my mind.  I decided I needed to get some help.  Coupled with modern medicine I decided to go get help from Native healers.

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Four years earlier during my time at Trent U, I asked an Elder by the name of Edna Manitowabi  for my spirit name and through a traditional naming ceremony, I was given the name Negik, which means Otter.  This important to the story.

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Through those traditional healers I was cleansed.  My aura and colours and spirit were being taken care of by some different medicine.  I never really believed in this type of thing and sort of pushed it away.  Since receiving my spirit name four years earlier and spending much of my time being taught by some of the best educators in the world.  I found myself to be very ill.  The healers helped me.  They cleared me and my thoughts.  It didn't just happen overnight.  I saw eventual changes.  This is where my life changing event happens.  I asked the healer to help me find out my clan.  I have my name, but no clan.  The healer said that he would ask around on Manitoulin Island for me.

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Jake the healer called me back the very next day saying that he knows a guy called Joe who might be able to help me.  I phoned this man around five o'clock that day.  He said, " Yeah, I think I can help you, but I have guests here so call back in an hour".  I am not sure why but this hour seemed to go real slow.  I called him back and he said "I'm not sure about your clan, but I think I can help you find you birth mom...".  My jaw dropped and my heart almost stopped.  We discussed this possibility for about an hour or so.  (tears are forming while I write this)  My mom was sitting in the other room and I asked her for my adoption record.  She brought it to me and Joe and I confirmed that all the names and dates matched up.  I found her.  Through those healers I found her.  This is the moment in my life where I felt the happiest.  My new Mom and I chatted through emails for about a year or so.  I decided that I have to meet her.  My Mom and Dad who raised me got in the car and drove to Manitoulin Island on mothers day that year.  We spent time getting to know each other.  She looks just like me they all said.  I met my new family for the first time and that's where my life got filled with joy.  This is where my creative fire was lit once again, only this time there was something different inside me.

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Remember how I told you that I was named by Edna.  Edna has been honored by Norval Morrisseau in one of his paintings.  Negik is my name.  Otter is my name.  That was four years before I met my Birth Mom.  Well, it turns out that I have a sister who is about five years younger that me and her name is Young Otter Woman.  Things keep falling into place.  

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My name is Negik and as an Otter I have many responsibilities to fulfill.  I am supposed to teach the younger ones about my culture.  I have been educating children for many years at a job being a historical interpreter for many years.  I was a competitive swimmer as a kid and you could never get me out of the water at Clearwater.  My birth Mother's name is Starwoman.  This is where I came up with the name Star Otter.  It is a tribute to happiness and healing.  A tribute to that golden moment that I wish everyone could have.

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Negik.

The way I work and what to expect.

 

If you would like me to start working for you just send me a message or an e-mail with some of your ideas.

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Step 1 - Shoot me a line, msg or e-mail with your story or request and we can discuss my process of creating.

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Step 2 - I will meet with you in person or talk directly to you to find out what we can create together.

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Step 3 - I will create a rough sketch and a "mock up" drawing with the planned composition of our work.  I will also give you an estimated time for completion of your art.

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Step 4 - When you hire me I start to work.

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Step 5 - You will receive progress and updates via Facebook or e-mail.

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Step 6 - Your work is delivered, signed by me and I will explain my design.  You now have your finished Star Otter Art.
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