Ally

Giclée

Edition 200

Released March 2018
Primary: Available
A/P: Available
Remarque: Available

I belong to the K’ómoks First Nation and we are deep into the British Columbia treaty process. I truly have mixed feelings about our involvement in this. By choosing to engage in the process, we enter a world of consultants and negotiators and other strange, scary and wonderful creatures. We partake in a world of borrowing and debt; of meetings and fights. We enter without knowing whether we are journeying into the dark side or are on a path towards the light.

What I do know is that under the treaty process, our community has begun to fracture. Our very future as a people is at stake. Will treaty define who we are or will our culture do that? Will treaty lead us to form a “Treaty Empire” or a “Treaty Rebellion”?

When we look around us, we see plenty of people that are opposed to Indigenous peoples taking up their rights. They believe that we “get too much from the government already” or that we’re always “looking for handouts”. They believe that by simply saying that we’re now on an “equal playing field” that somehow we are. We are not…and the modern Treaty system makes sure of that!

What Indigenous people need are allies—individuals who will use their positions of privilege to speak up for Indigenous peoples. Perhaps more importantly, we also need them to listen to what we have to say and not presume that their positions of privilege or authority somehow negate our voice. Indigenous peoples value our allies from all cultures and walks of life and encourage these friends to walk (or roll) together with us into the future.…

“Ally” is a limited edition print using the giclée method of printmaking. This print was released in March of 2018 and printed by Andy Everson at the artist’s own studio in Comox B.C. A total of 241 prints bear the title “Ally” and are signed by Andy Everson: 200 in the primary edition bearing the numbers 1/200 through 200/200; 20 Artist’s Proofs; 20 Remarques and 1 Printer’s Proof. The acid-free 100% cotton rag paper measures about 8.5x11 inches. Image size measures about 7.7x9.7 inches.