Indoctrination, 2020
65 x 58.5 inches. Acrylic, collage, oil, and oil paintstik on canvas.

K ukstumkacw, thanks, to Levi Nelson for permission to share his recent work, Indoctrination.

The title refers to “the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.”

As more and more people I know are exploring home schooling or what the fall might look like, and how they might empower themselves, or insulate their chidren from more pandemic-related upheaval, it feels important to hold this idea in our hearts… We have all been indoctrinated by our own educations, upbringings, cultural influences… and education goes both ways – it can be a weapon to reinforce beliefs or it can be a tool to critically unpack and reconsider them… It has also been used as a weapon to damage and destroy culture.

I love Levi’s words on this particular exploration, and invite you to meditate on this amazing art work. And particular his words: Learning where my prejudices come from, I can actively change for the better.

“As I continue my exploration of stereotypes and how the media portrays Indigenous people, I was reminded of earlier avenues and first impressions, and the ideas we develop about each other through societal influences, starting from a very young age. Sports logos, cartoons, books, and history paintings all play into what Marcia Crosby calls the construction of the imaginary indian. I believe we have reached a collective consciousness and a level of awareness as a society, where we are beginning to question, challenge, and dismantle these systems of oppression and inequality. Learning where my prejudices come from I can actively change for the better.” ~ Levi Nelson