Cheyenne Rain LeGrande ᑭᒥᐊᐧᐣ

Nehiyaw Isko

Translated by Cikwes (Connie LeGrande)

Mihkwaw astaw wiyaw Wiyaw nistotam Mihkwaw ekwa Mihkwaw ekwa Mihkwaw ekwa Mihkwaw Isko wiyaw mihkwayek kayasih mihkwaw Mihkawa wisakitowin Moya miywasin mihkwaw Mihkawa taskoc mihko Mihkawa kanawimkon Nikawiwa nikamostamakot ekwa waskowiwak Wiyaw nistotam nikawiwawa ohkamwina Ekwa waskonew

Mihcit waskowiwak cipayak Asinowak, kayas, wisakitamowin, mihko, kanawimkon Ekwi ponahk mihko wiya Ekwi ponahk pakotokosiwin Ekwi ponahk Mikwac kaki pikskwatam Mamaskatam ehimihkowitat wapskayek Waskowew ita katwayek Mamaskatam aywac ekwa aywac wapskayek Moya iki ehew Mihkwew Nontinkew Mahtonapi pahkihtina Aski pahkihtinah Mahtonapi pakitinah Kikway ospayek Kikway waskopayek Kaskitew weyawemakan ohtonihk Akam ehew waskowo omamawa ehwin

Omamwa weyawew potatam ehwin Wapskak mihkwaw mihcapayo wiyaw Askiy pahkitin Kota nakatam sipwimohte

She slowly applies red to her body As its read to her body

One red line, after One red line, after One red line, after One red line Until her body is covered Red as race Red as history Red as pain Red as trauma Red as blood Red as protection

Her mother sings to her and together they flow. Her mother's sounds are read to her body, she moves with them. There are many that move with them.

Race, history, pain, trauma, blood, protection

She aggressively tries to rub the redness off her body She aggressively tries to rub the racism off her body She aggressively tries to rub the trauma off her body

For now generationally she can express it She is again engulfed by the white walls, stained red

She moves within the space She begins to become more and more engulfed by the white

She cant breathe She grunts She fights

Tears begin to fall They hit the ground With tears come a release Something is lifted Something has shifted Blackness flows out of her mouth

She continues to breathe and move with her mothers breath With her mothers exhale The white, stained red that surrounds her gently slides off her body It hits the ground She leaves it there and walks away

Maskekewapoy ᒪᐢᑫᑫᐊᐧᐳᕀ

Nanâskotam wikih the territories of the Musquem, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations where this work was created. When creating this piece I was thinking through my relation to land and a territory that is not mine. For me, connection to the land was brought through the sharing of knowledge. The sharing of traditional medicines. In this performance I move through the space allowing my body to respond to the land. The generosity, gentleness and love brought by Nicole Preissl, through her teaching and sharing of ts’ex̱ts’íx̱, nitataminan. Têniki, Ya’Ya Heit for sharing the beautiful knowledge and teachings of Ha Ums, the crown I wear is what remained of the medicine. Both teachings have brought me so much healing and light, nitataminan.

Mîkisistikwân ᒦᑭᓯᐢᑎᑳᐧᐣ

Nisimis, my sibling. I am thankful for you. In these times I am thankful to be living with my brother. I am thankful to have the opportunity to create together.

They wear beads on their head.

Beads as protection.

Makeup as protection.

Expressing a current moment within.

It is both expression and protection.