We were guests of the lodge on the reserve at St. Eugene Mission and were treated to a beautiful sunset behind two teepees. I thought of the ingenuity of the people there and how they turned something positive from a negative by converting the old residential school to a gold resort.

The two teepees reminded me of the men and women and the ancestors who helped in building a legacy for the future of the Ktunaxa nation. The horse and the buffalo are subjects in the decorated teepees, as they are tied to the Kootenay people in my imagination. The woman emerging as smoke reminds me of the pipe and Buffalo Calf Woman who brought the pipe to the people so many years ago. The pipe is still used today in a spiritual way to bring our prayers to the Creator of all.

Other Products Based on This Piece

• Ktunaxa
  Lithograph