SOFT RIOTS

Protect the Caribou

My heart can’t take the hurt, the anger, so I practice Soft Riots. Soft material and sculptures that calm my spirit and raise awareness of an imminent threat. As an empath my protest cannot be violent because the feeling flows through me and causes devastation as I see our kinship’s survival on the line.

We have stories shared in my community of the pact we as Gwich’in people have  with the caribou, they sustain us and we care for them. Our hearts are half Caribou half Gwich’in because of how strong our bond is with them. They are our kin. 

I utilize every part of the caribou I am gifted  to create. I rarely have the privilege to eat their meat these days, as we are seeing the population decline drastically in the region. We now have to save the meat for elders and pregnant mothers so whenever I get to have some, it's the biggest treat for my body. I will savour each bite, feeling the life force in me. 

Sustainability has many facets. I create soft sculptures, I create tools that you can adorn yourself with, I create shields to protect yourself. All these pieces are created with animal byproducts because wasting is not honoring. You will see the work created includes moose as well as muskox. All these materials were gifted or traded. My occupation is one that brings awareness and appreciation for the process. What you will miss out on is the sensory experience: the earthy scent of spruce smoke, touching a freshly softened caribou hide for the first time, and holding a translucent piece of rawhide in your hands. These elements will soften your heart and incite the support we need to fight for survivance in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: the sacred place where life begins.

-Tania Larsson