Wakanim Artist Collaborative-Things Remembered in the Flood

Wakanim Artist Collaborative consists of four carvers enrolled in four tribes with ancestral lineage to the first peoples of Oregon with cultural traditions/ functions that historically relied on canoes. “Wakanim” translates to “Many Canoes” in Chinuk Wawa, a language used in the Pacific Northwest to facilitate trade and fellowship amongst Tribes, whose respective dominant languages were vastly different from each other. It doubles as a playful combination of words in Ta Reo Maori, “Waka” and in Chinuk Wawa, “Kanim”, both of which mean “canoe”. The artists describe “Wakanim” as highlighting the relationship they have fostered with other Pacific Rim Indigenous cultures, with whom they share similar philosophies and contemporary hardships; and who they paddle with when they travel to each other’s land. “Many Canoes” is a metaphor for the artists and the respective communities, who are “traveling alongside each other” to reach similar goals of health, education, and sovereignty for their people.

Robert M. Horner

Robert M. Horner holds degrees in art, biology, architecture and environmental design. His work accentuates the specific environmental and historic characteristics of a place. He draws parallels between ecological and human rhythmic cycles, encouraging a holistic understanding of the overall balance of life. Learn more about Robert Horner’s The Perseverance of Decay at beav.es/5Jp.