Andy Everson, Consultant
Andy Everson
1972-
K’ómoks/Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw
Date
2018
Medium Specific
Giclee
Edition / State
148/200
Classification
Print
Dimensions
9 11/16 x 7 11/16 in. (24.6 x 19.5 cm)Sheet: 8 1/2 x 11 in. (21.6 x 27.9 cm)
Accession Number
2019.25.20.52
Memo / Artist Statement
There is an industry in this province that doesn’t rely on natural resources. It doesn’t rely on the market economy and it doesn’t rely on tourism. It is self-sustaining and self-preserving. It manages to produce reams of legal documents, yet fails to produce anything tangible for our communities. It is driven by the glut of the legal, academic and Band systems. The real meetings take place over cocktails or on golf courses, in hotels or in resorts. It is fueled by money that comes in the form of loans taken on the backs of First Nation communities. It is the treaty industry.
In this industry, consultants swoop into our villages like vultures looking to rip the least piece of meat off of our dying carcass. Succeed or fail in their bid for treaty settlement, it doesn’t matter. They will move on to the next village with money. Bounty hunters, hired guns--they will work for whoever is willing to pay their exorbitant fees. As long as the taps to the money keg remain open, the consultants will be on your side....
In this industry, consultants swoop into our villages like vultures looking to rip the least piece of meat off of our dying carcass. Succeed or fail in their bid for treaty settlement, it doesn’t matter. They will move on to the next village with money. Bounty hunters, hired guns--they will work for whoever is willing to pay their exorbitant fees. As long as the taps to the money keg remain open, the consultants will be on your side....
Biography
Andy Everson was born in Comox, BC in 1972 and named Na̱gedzi after his grandfather, the late Chief Andy Frank of the K’ómoks First Nation. Andy has also had the honour of being seated with the ‘Na̱mg̱is T̓sit̓sa̱ł'walag̱a̱me' name of Ḵ̓wa̱mxa̱laga̱lis I'nis. Influenced heavily by his grandmother, he has always been driven to uphold the traditions of both the K’ómoks and Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw First Nations. In this regard, Andy has pursued avenues where he can sing traditional songs and perform ceremonial dances at potlatches and in a number of different dance groups, most notably the Le-La-La Dancers, the Gwa'wina Dancers and the K’umugwe Dancers.
Pursuing other areas of traditional culture has also led Andy to complete a Master’s degree in anthropology. Because the K’ómoks First Nation lies on the border between the larger Salish and Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw realms, his thesis focused on notions and expressions of contemporary Comox identity. His work in anthropology provided him with a background in linguistics which subsequently inspired him to create a company, Copper Canoe, Inc, that specialized in the creation of Aboriginal language media.
Andy feels that his artwork stands on par with these other accomplishments. Although he began drawing Northwest Coast art at an early age, Andy's first serious attempt wasn’t until 1990 when he started designing and painting chilkat-style blankets for use in potlatch dancing. From these early self-taught lessons, he has tried to follow in the footsteps of his Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw relatives in creating bold and unique representations that remain rooted in the age-old traditions of his ancestors. The ability to create and print most of his own work has allowed Andy to explore and express his ancestral artwork in a number of contemporary ways.
http://www.andyeverson.com
Pursuing other areas of traditional culture has also led Andy to complete a Master’s degree in anthropology. Because the K’ómoks First Nation lies on the border between the larger Salish and Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw realms, his thesis focused on notions and expressions of contemporary Comox identity. His work in anthropology provided him with a background in linguistics which subsequently inspired him to create a company, Copper Canoe, Inc, that specialized in the creation of Aboriginal language media.
Andy feels that his artwork stands on par with these other accomplishments. Although he began drawing Northwest Coast art at an early age, Andy's first serious attempt wasn’t until 1990 when he started designing and painting chilkat-style blankets for use in potlatch dancing. From these early self-taught lessons, he has tried to follow in the footsteps of his Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw relatives in creating bold and unique representations that remain rooted in the age-old traditions of his ancestors. The ability to create and print most of his own work has allowed Andy to explore and express his ancestral artwork in a number of contemporary ways.
http://www.andyeverson.com
Date of Bio