Visual Arts
Peter Pelchat
We are not hares

This one also deals with identity. As a cree today, it is hard to simply live a normal life because we are always seen as different and even 'exotic' to non-natives. And with the Oka crisis and other sad events we are sometimes seen as trouble makers and as a spoiled people. Sometimes I see us the crees as hares (rabbits) walking straight into snares (traps) that will strangles us to death. Hydro-Quebec constantly wants pieces of our land and wants to make golf courses with it as well. We are trapped as a people because we are never left alone in peace.
We are not hares
Peter Pelchat, 2002
Mixed media/collage on paper, 24 x 45"
Thumbnail of Children at her Feet Thumbnail of Crisis Thumbnail of Generations of bingo players Thumbnail of We are not hares Thumbnail of Family Reliquary Thumbnail of Family Reliquary
Thumbnail of Chisasibi under a low sky Thumbnail of Dark cloud, red cloud Thumbnail of This is Me Thumbnail of Woman napping Thumbnail of Family Reliquary Thumbnail of Family Reliquary

We are not hares

“This is a message for our people warning them not to be fooled by what the white man is constantly offering us for a piece of our treasured land. the land that we depend on in order to survive as we are at the moment: strong, proud, and free using the land solely to survive and not destroying it. Unfortunately we given up some of our land in order to receive much needed money. The rabbit snare represents the offers that the quebec government and others are offering us for land, and sadly, just like hares we walk into the trap and pay the price.(loss of land, drugs and alcohol abuse, etc.) The painting shows that the wooden barrier can be overcome if we simply follow another direction meaning that there are other ways for us to survive besides giving up more precious land for money.”

P. Pelchat