dukʷibəł swatixʷtəd: Changer’s Land
2018
Tracy Rector’s work stems from her interest in the relationship between identity and the natural world, rooted in Indigenous rights, social justice, and collaborative storytelling. Clearwater: People of the Salish Sea began in 2010 as a discovery project with Suquamish high school students as they explored the effects of ocean acidification on the peoples of the Salish Sea. It became clear that the work could also tell the deeper story about tribal relationships to water. Reflecting on the interconnectedness of identity and environment inspired the creation of art that engendered love of the water as a means of protecting future generations. Clearwater: People of the Salish Sea is a multimedia project which includes elements from the natural world, experimental film, short documentary portraits, virtual reality, generative art, and a feature film. Supported by the Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Lummi, Muckleshoot, Puyallup and Squaxin Island tribes, this story explores the inherent relationship between the Coast Salish people and the waters of the Pacific Northwest.
Join us as we are enveloped by tribal protocol on a grand scale. Welcoming us to shore as guests and stewards of the land, we then move from the "place of clear salt water" to the shores of Bella Bella, British Columbia, during the 2014 Canoe Journey. It is in these waters and the adjacent shores—past, present and future—that the Coast Salish people live on the lands of their ancestors and great-great-grandchildren.
HD video with sound
Ancient and Native American Art Acquisition Fund
2020.24.3
Provenance: The artist; purchased from artist by Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2020
still taken from video
