There Were Trees There
Once There Were Trees There
2024, acrylic on canvas, 152.4 x 121.9 cm, 60 x 48 in
I share concern over incessant development and mourn the loss of treed spaces within our communities. Filled with beautiful trees, a gorgeous lot next to my home was a beloved resting place, not only for local wildlife, but also for the gaze of weary travellers heading home. It stood as a remembrance of what our living spaces were like once upon a time.
When the land changed hands, potential buyers intent on stewardship lost out to those with plans for development and profit. The trees were cut down. Now we will tell our grandchildren Once There Were Trees There.
I see the parallels to colonialism, as a person of settler ancestry. The interests of those with greater power win, not the greater good, not the earth.
We live within the traditional territory of the Wolasotqey Nation, the unceded ancestral homelands of the Wolastoqiyik. Our relationship and our privilege to live on this territory was agreed upon in the Peace and Friendship Treaties of 1725-1779. Because of this treaty relationship, it is to be acknowledged that we are all Treaty People and have a responsibility to respect this territory.