By no means, one could ignore the composition One Mind, One Heart by Ian Reid. Strategically located in the Multiversity Gallery of the Museum of Anthropology (MOA), it is one of those pieces that catch the attention of the viewer immediately, even if surrounded by many other remarkable artworks. It features a big mask in the centre, painted and carved precisely, surrounded by photos of the Heiltsuk community members and a declaration against the Enbridge Pipeline Project and the oil tanker traffic in their territory. The mask is a portrayal of the ancient sea spirit ’Yágis, which is represented protecting the sacred waters of the First Nations, swallowing a super tank. The exhibition also contains an interactive component: a tablet full of videos, documents, photos, and even letters from the people in the Heiltsuk community.
The entire art piece carries deep meaning and vigorous criticism, moreover, it is precisely calculated for western people to see it. The installation’s ambition is to protest against the pipeline and the oil tanks, but much more than that, it is a “no!” to the contemporary colonization and the abuse of the First Nation’s territory. In the Museum of Anthropology, the dominance is not in the hands of the indigenous peoples, it is a westernized place, controlled by non-native authorities with an essentially non-native public. As a result, First Nations artists, find themselves in a place of duality between vulnerability and power, being able to expose their pieces and forcing the audience to see through a different perspective, however, at the same time, still being categorized and controlled by outsiders. (Kramer, 173) Ian Reid, in this context, fits Robert Houle’s definition of an artist warrior. By meaningfully choosing to display his work in the MOA, he is teaching the western community by provoking “reaction and acknowledgement”, it is an action towards social change. When he shows the point of view of not only the Heiltsuk community but the whole aboriginal nations on the pipeline project and oil traffic, it is also a way to earn repatriation, so that messages of native control and ownership can be heard, seen and witnessed by non-native people. (Kramer, 164)
Last but not least, I believe that the audience should have some knowledge in order to deeply understand how the conflicts with pipelines and oil traffic have been affecting indigenous peoples throughout the years. On the other hand, especially because it is a current news topic, I expect people to know, even if little, about it. However, even to a complete layperson, the composition is very much explanatory and exquisitely built.
Citations
Kramer, J. (2004). Figurative Repatriation: First Nations ‘Artist-Warriors’ Recover, Reclaim, and Return Cultural Property through Self-Definition. Journal of Material Culture, 9(2), 161–182. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359183504044370.
Bonar, Thane. “One Mind, One Heart exhibit at MOA” December 14, 2012 – April 28, 2013, Multiversity Galleries, Exhibit Case 23. Museum of Anthropology Web. 21 Jan. 2019.
Reid, Ian. “One Mind, One Heart”. 2012, Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver, BC.