Nits'iits'im-Simgan (Grandmother Cedar) - Limited Edition Print
Nits'iits'im-Simgan (Grandmother Cedar) - Limited Edition Print
15" x 22"
"Cedar trees, our ancient ones. We sit amongst our Ancestors when we are in their presence. I like to think of our cedar forests as our grandmothers standing tall and grounded. They are still and quiet, but they are strong. Just as we love, care, and protect our Nits'iits' (grandmother), we must also take good care to feed and nourish our Nits'iits'im-Simg̱an. Every living being is our family; every creature, every plant, every waterway that flows through these lands, and every spot of our Ts'eets'iks (the land; soil and rock) that has created our home. When our rivers are threatened, the ecosystems that our salmon rely upon, it threatens the very existence of all Mother Earth’s children. Spawning salmon keep our soils rich with nutrients, and feeds our Nits'iits'im-Simg̱an with an abundance of love so that she may continue to provide us with the necessary gifts that she generously shares with us. Just as we reciprocate the love and protection our aging grandparents gave us, we must begin to see the “grandmother in the cedars” that surround us and provide them with the deserving love and protection necessary for their survival."
– Told by Erica Davis
Erica Davis
Nisga'a/Heiltsuk
BORN:
July 3, 1980
BIRTHPLACE:
Bella Bella, BC
Erica is a Nisga’a artist with paternal ties to the Heiltsuk Nation. In 2023, she began training at the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art. She had the opportunity to do a six-week formline course with Arlene Ness in 2019, offered through Coast Mountain College. Erica brings life to her creations as an act of resilience and expression of strength to encourage others as we walk the road of reconciliation. She hopes to focus on carving and sculpture in the near future.
