Tansi!
My name is Meghan Weeks my pronouns are her/hers/she. I am Nehiyaw/ English iskwew. In the English language translates to Cree/English woman. My maternal side is Cree from Treaty 8 territory and paternal side from England. I am a proud member of Sucker Cree First Nations and honored to live and work on the unceded traditional territories of the of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.
My work reflects teachings from the matriarchs in my family, childhood memories, Cree humour and my continued healing journey to stop the cycle of intergenerational trauma.
My Kookum, as short her physical presence was in our lives, played a large part in my growing up. I have fond memories of her watching me while my mom worked. She would make blankets, watch her stories and The Price is Right, my uncles would come visit and they would sit and speak Cree. She would feed me kâhkêwak (dried meat) with butter, we would take her to Bingo and she would always have Wriggly spearmint gum and sometimes, if I was lucky, Juicy Fruit. My family is resilient and very strong. My mother, aunts and uncles are residential school survivors. This horrible colonialized system made it so I didn’t grow up with my cultural teachings. However, for the past 20 years, I have been using my artwork to reclaim my indigenous identity, continually learning my culture and participating in ceremony, which has lead me down a path that finally feels like me. I finally feel like I am home and breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma, through healing myself. Some pieces in my collection honors my Aunty Darlene, a respected elder who works with community, youth and is a language keeper. I live far away from my family but am constantly grateful for whom I have become because of my Aunties and my Mom.
Thank-you for taking the time to browse my work and ka wapamitin asumena (I’ll see you again).