This thesis presents a self-reflection on personal narratives and artistic
production that focuses upon the clash of North American settlement and
colonialism on Indigenous identity and creative production. The prevalence of the
post-contact image of the “Imaginary Indian” within popular culture and mass
media illustrates the evolving trajectory of impact upon Indigenous identity as
posited by western theorists Frantz Fanon, and Indigenous philosophers Vine
Deloria Jr., Leroy Little Bear, Anne Waters, and Marie Battiste. My studio work
investigates the iconic Indian Head Test Pattern, the Baird Tartan and the Cree
Star Blanket. Through their deconstruction and reconstruction, I question and
redefine personal cultural markers central to the formation of my identity and my
art practice. Symbols, patterns and colours coalesce to disrupt stereotypical
perceptions of my mixed-race ancestry while digital technologies are utilized
toward engaging a synthesis. Within these interventions, a self-defined dialogue
emerges that reflects my lived experience.