KSAHKOMIITAPIIKS (EARTH BEINGS)

Informed by the land and those who have nurtured this earth for millennia, Contemporary Calgary launches a holistic artist residency led by Indigenous mentors. 

“This residency is mentored by the land itself; your art is being led by your relationship with the land, or the relationship you hope to have with the land.” - Faye Heavyshield 

About Ksahkomiitapiiks (Earth Beings)

Ksahkomiitapiiks is an annual residency of dynamic public programs and responsive art works that interrogate and nurture our relationships with the land.

Ksahkomiitapiiks, interpreted in English as “Earth Beings,” is an inclusive term serving as both a noun and a verb; embodying who we are and what we create as guests on this earth. An invocation for a blessing whenever spoken – a call for prayer, witness and inspiration, we are Ksahkomiitapiiks. This series is an introspection on our ever-evolving languages and ordnance of how we choose to honour the land we occupy, as well as our ancestral custodians. 

Ksahkomiitapiiks is developed in consultation with an Advisory Committee of Indigenous Community Members and Elders. This year’s Advisory Committee consisted of Faye HeavyShield, Clarence Wolfleg Sr., Adrian Stimson, and Star Crop Eared Wolf.

Faye HeavyShield was the mentor of this year’s edition of the residency.