Ceilidh is a Mi’kmaw Two-Spirit woman. Residing in Cape Breton Nova Scotia in her community of Wagmatcook. She is about to complete her undergraduate degree at Trent University for Indigenous Studies. Her next plans are to continue to do her Masters’s and Ph.D so she can continue to connect with students at all different levels. As she grew up around strong supports and community, she wants to ensure the youth around her are receiving the same grace. Ceilidh is extremely passionate about working with the youth, healthy futurisms and connecting with our natural world relationships.
Her poetry and artistic expressions honour her homelands, along with the eastern water bodies. The stories of the land fuel her purpose to create not only for herself but for her loved ones in past and present. It is important for her to explore different variations, and blur western lines to make room for traditional knowledge and principles. She likes to challenge colonial thought to create pieces that invoke feelings and experiences. She uses symbols, shapes, swirls and repetitive characters to develop detailed stories in hopes it connects with a few hearts. Ceilidh believes her artwork is fully alive. The people within the creations teach her how to live with the land in a reciprocal way. She believes their personalities manifest themselves in many ways within her art pieces and carry reminders we all need at times.
With this, she has fun playing around with thoughts and metaphors. She often demonstrates important land responsibilities like fire keeping, water protecting, ceremony conducting, dancing, singing, communicating etc. She uses art to branch her ideas, her generational teachings along her futurisms. Ceilidh finds peace knowing that we are the creators of our journeys and we are the creators of our babies’ journeys. We have the power to make it comfortable, safe and encouraging. The best part is, it is all about fun, finding ways to honour our inner spirits.
Ceilidh believes, as long as she can demonstrate how interconnected we all are, she is happy. Culture, communities, languages, ceremonies, and brilliance keep us alive, growing and flowing. These sacred aspects of life deserve space & honour.