Shemia Nelson
Future Leaders
Future Leaders by Shemia Nelson will be installed on a series of light boxes as part a new public art initiative created by Visual Art Internship Students and the City of Sault Ste. Marie entitled Bi’Minowaaseyaa - to Bring forth New Light. Future Leaders is Nelson’s solo thesis exhibition presentation for the Algoma University Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. Nelson’s work will be on display throughout the spring and summer of 2022 and a map of the exact locations of the light boxes will be posted here soon.
Aanii/ Hello my name is Shemia Nelson and I am a daughter and granddaughter of Residential School Survivors of the Pelican lake Indian Residential School.
I have always done my work with an awareness of trying to break the cycle of what happened to my father and grandmother while they were in Residential School. I have always expressed my voice through my art work. I am trying to strengthen and show the happiness in us again and to ensure future generations grow up strong and healthy with our culture.
For this project I am making digital drawings of my son and my niece and nephew showing the strong resilient kids they are and continue to be. I will be showing our strong children being raised up with their culture. Back in the days, when my father and grandmother were young, practicing our culture was against the law and was torn away from us in the Residential Schools. My hope is for my artwork to impact other Anishinaabe children having hard times; whether from not self identifying with the culture, struggling in schools, those who have been Christianized, or those harmed by the intergenerational impacts of residential schools. Often in our past, our people didn’t want to say who we are, out of fear, or imposed shame, or because we were forced to be raised in a white way rather than our own. For myself, I had a hard time self identifying due to hearing my fathers stories; as I grew and thought these things would happen again and that was terrifying. I want to ensure that my children and my nieces and nephews and all other Anishinaabe children do not have to face that same fear.
I want to bring our culture back that is rightfully ours, to finally be ourselves and to always be ourselves. I want my images to help bring happiness back to our children; they are going to know their grandparents were survivors. I want the children to know they don’t have to hide or be scared of who they are.
More text about Bi’minowaaseyaa Lightbox Project
Concept image of Shemia’s drawing installed in a Lightbox in downtown Baawaating /Sault Ste. Marie