Wintercount
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Essay by Amy Karlinsky

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Louis Ogemah page

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Neal McLeod, Nimosomipan II My Late Grandfather II


Neal McLeod - Artist Statement

"Nimosômipan II/ My Late Grandfather" II depicts a dream I had many years ago. It was shortly after the death of my Nimosômipan. He came to me and he was dressed in vibrant gold fabrics and told me of what it was like where he was. I depicted this dream metaphorically, with Nimosômipan holding water, reflections of reality, and the possibilities of creation. For me, water represents the organic nature of being, and figures prominently in many Cree stories: when the world was radically changing for Cree people in Saskatchewan in the 1870s and 1880s Old People spoke of how various beings retreated in both the water and the earth. As an image which is part of Wintercount, I see the metaphor of water as symbolic of the ability of people to transform themselves, their lives and the world around them. Furthermore, the image functions both on historical level, with reference to older Cree narratives, and also on personal level, with reference to Nimosômipan.