Lana Whiskeyjack facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lana Whiskeyjack
Nationality	Cree
Alma mater	Carleton University, University nuhelotʼįne thaiyotsʼį nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills
Known for	Art activist and educator

Lana Whiskeyjack is a talented artist, writer, and researcher. She is known for her art that explores what it means to be Cree in today's world. You can also see her in the documentary film Lana Gets Her Talk.

Early Life and Learning

Lana Whiskeyjack is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta, Canada. She grew up mostly with her grandmother. Both her grandmother and mother attended residential schools. These schools tried to make Indigenous children forget their culture.

Lana often says that learning traditional arts from her mother and grandmother was very important. She learned things like quilting and singing. These skills helped shape her artistic journey.

Lana started her higher education studying art. She went to Red Deer College and the University of Alberta. Later, she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in arts from Carleton University in Ottawa. In 2000, she even studied environmental sculpture in France.

In 2017, Lana earned her doctorate degree. She studied at University nuhelotʼįne thaiyotsʼį nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills. This school was once a residential school. But now, it is the first school in Canada run by Indigenous peoples. Both Lana's mother and grandmother went to this school when it was a residential school.

Her Amazing Art

Lana Whiskeyjack's art often shows what it's like to be a Cree woman in the modern world. Her work is about "reclaiming, re-gathering, and remembering" the strength of her ancestors.

In 2017, Canada celebrated its 150th birthday. Lana and filmmaker Beth Wishart MacKenzie received a special grant. They toured the country with an art show called pîkiskwe-speak.

This show included Lana's multimedia project Lost My Talk. It also featured Beth MacKenzie's film. The film showed how Lana created her artwork. Lost My Talk is a triptych, which means it has three parts. The film focuses on Lana creating the middle part. This part is a sculpture of her uncle's face.

The pîkiskwe-speak tour visited many Canadian cities. These included Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver.

Lana has also received funding from the Canada Council. This was part of a special project called the {Re}conciliation Initiative. It helps bring people together.

In June 2020, one of Lana's artworks was stolen. It was taken from a new art gallery in Edmonton. The artwork was a beautiful beaded medallion. It was made with deer lace and rabbit fur. It was called Three Generations of nitêh (my heart). The gallery was having its grand opening show. This show was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition finally opened in September 2020.

Research and Writing

Lana Whiskeyjack is also a dedicated researcher. At the University nuhelotʼįne thaiyotsʼį nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills, she studied important topics. She explored the well-being and financial security of Indigenous women. This research took place in several First Nations and Métis communities in Alberta.

Lana was an assistant professor at the University of Alberta. In 2020, she joined the Women and Gender Studies program full-time. She works on many research projects with Indigenous communities. One project is called "Reconnecting to the Spirit of Language." It uses talking circles to help bring back the Cree language.

She is also helping to create community programs. These programs are for Indigenous Two Spirit youth. Lana continues to research women's health as well.

Lana represents the University of Alberta on a special committee. This committee is called RESOLVE. It helps coordinate research on violence against women and girls. This work covers Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

Lana Whiskeyjack is also an author. She wrote a children's book called Nimiywêyihtên: "I Feel Great." Her daughter, Serina Follette, drew the pictures for the book.