Rande Cook is a Kwakwaka’wakw multimedia artist born in culture-rich Alert Bay. Rande explores and combines traditional and contemporary styles, and in doing so creates his own unique approach to Indigenous contemporary art. Incorporating science, culture, and his genuine passion for the well-being of old-growth and Mother Earth, Rande examines the current world we live in while preserving ancestral stories through new mediums and materials.

About his territory, Rande writes:

“On the Northeastern coast of Vancouver Island in the Kwakwaka’wakw territory, within the Broughton Archipelago spanning into the Great Bear Rain Forest resides the shimmering reflection of a rich history that once stood before. Along the shoreline’s you’ll see midden shell of where old historical village sites once lived, along with debris and hints of a thriving culture. Those echoes of laughter and joy have since been silenced, and now the sound of heavy machinery consumes the air and land. Since the beginning of colonization in Canada, along the coast Industry has consumed much of the old growth forests, and today, the First Peoples are still fighting to protect what is left, so they may reconnect with the lands they have occupied from time immemorial.”

About his intention, Rande writes:

“My objective as an artist is draw attention to the lands’ needs in this time. I draw reference to old Kwakwaka’wakw relationships by researching and listening to old stories of the elders, stories of a time when they were children and what they remembered before being pulled away from their families and forced into Residential Schools. Through, much of the knowledge I have acquired today from listening to these stories, it has become very clear the governments’ objective from the start was about extracting the rich resources of these lands. The extraction of old growth from these rich landscapes has left the Kwakwaka’wakw peoples today to live in fear; fear of disconnect, loss of language, and a separation of ancient values and rituals from not being on the land. The land carries the knowledge, the medicine to heal, and overall is a reset for the consciousness. With no connection to the land our wellbeing is at harm as a human species and has severe impacts on biodiversity.

 Where does this leave us today when seeking to reconcile and reconnect with land? As an artist I feel we can create new paths forward that can bring new perspectives, new ontologies celebrated by diverse knowledge holders as we find new ways forward as a collective. These ecosystems are complex and deserve time to heal and be understood. As Kwakwaka’wakw we learned from the forests and understood harming it would have detrimental impacts on our wellbeing, and the future generations.

I had an interview with Chief Ol’ Sewid during my research who reiterated a story he heard from his great uncle Charlie Dawson; “When my uncle was a little boy, he said his father took him into the forest to teach him to fall a tree for cultural purposes. He said as he watched the tree fall, he was so excited, and when it hit the ground he wanted to run over and jump on it in excitement, but his father held him back and told him to wait, he said ‘the tree is still breathing son and we need to give it some time.’ So, his father began to sing a song of gratitude, he thanked the tree for its life and what it was about to bring to the people as materials to build a house and carve a totem.” The Kwakwaka’wakw see the forests as a living being, where all species are alive and belong to societies, much like our societies today. Through rituals the Kwakwaka’wakw can tap into the energy and vibration of the plants and trees and converse, and the gift one leaves with is a song, or a dance, or instructions on how to prepare medicines. To understand the Kwakwaka’wakw peoples is to understand the relationship with the natural environment, and to heal in this understanding is to take time to be present.”

The project

Rande’s project involved encouraging and supporting a the first gathering of his people to connect with the land on the Ma’amtagila territory in 150 years. Over 250 Elders, community, and youth gathered in the traditional Big House in the ‘Namgis First Nation, on Cormorant Island, off the coast of Vancouver Island in August 2023.

The workshop

During the feast and ceremonies, Rande writes, “We shared stories, shared and connected in a spiritual healing circle. spoke of personal trauma from residential schools and disconnection from land, and on how the land has also been in mourning because of disconnection and cultivation practices while resource extraction has continued and still continues. We shared in song and dance, and talked about the land and its current state, and worked to find solutions to preserve and protect remaining ecosystems.”

The reach

For Rande, the feast and gathering was a form of reconciliation:

“We can come together to share in our values when talking about Mother Earth. We are in a time where we need to come together, to unify so we can find solutions forward that can help heal the land, in turn healing us… I would like to bridge conversations between science and Indigenous knowledge to create new pathways for the general public and future generations.”