Valerie Kinistino |
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Valerie hails from the Ochapowace First Nation in southeastern Saskatchewan, which is part of the Treaty Four Tribal Council. Her kokum Liza who was a midwife delivered her and welcomed her into this world. Val recalls the "Sugar Shack" where she was born and raised, which was built by her dad Lawrence, mom Rosalie and many uncles. Being a homegrown girl from the "rez" has been the base of her path into the creative and inspiring place of becoming an artist. Valerie spent seven years in Ontario learning and experiencing the "Teachings from the Midewin Lodge". It was there where she first started exploring painting, inspired by the Great Mystery and a great list of many beautiful people from the Ojibwa Nation. She will always have the greatest respect for her Uncle Jim Dumont, who put her out on her first four day fast, she always remembers his famous word "Looks like it's just you and me kid." Upon Val's return to the prairies as a single mother of five beautiful children, she decided it was time to study Indian Fine Arts at SIFC, now known as the First Nations University of Canada. She has lived and worked in the Regina community for the past twenty years. Valerie and Mark Dieter collaborated on a Common Weal Community Arts pilot project as one of the first aboriginal youth theatre groups (4DYTG) in Regina. She also worked for the Mackenzie Art Gallery for two years before working in the film industry in 2001. Currently, Val is working on an installation piece that will be part of a Sâkêwêwak project entitled, "The Contested Histories". "As the multidisciplinary artist, I am committed to employ all my professional survival skills to inspire and motivate our future generations, be it through performance art, sculpture, set design, painting, theatre, film and video, or dance and music. It's our arsenal. It's our insurance that our future generations will survive post contact!" |
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