'MY ART HAS CONNECTED ME TO MY CULTURE'

KEITH GATTIE HAS LEARNED IN LAST DECADE OF HIS INDIGENOUS HERITAGE AND INTERGENERATIONAL FAMILY TRAUMA

In celebration of National Indigenous History Month, Metroland introduces readers to 30 Indigenous people who are making a difference.

Keith Gattie is a Newmarket artist, who only learned during the last decade of his Indigenous roots and the intergenerational trauma his family endured.

His father, Joseph, and four of his six siblings of the Wikwemikong Nation were taken from their homes and placed in separate foster homes.

Gattie's mother is from M'chigeeng Nation.

Gattie's calling is his artwork, a passion that brings him peace. He feels honoured knowing people bring his paintings full of vibrant colour into their spaces because the art inspires joy.

In addition to using paper and canvases, he paints on surfaces such as birch bark, paddles, drums, hand saws, walls, wooden chests and whiskey barrels.

Gattie is thrilled his art links him with his Indigenous lineage.

"I am driven by the fact that my art has connected me to my culture, people and ancestors. Through my art, I express my thoughts, dreams, ideas and visions," he said.

"I have had so many incredible experiences and I credit my art for these. I've made many new friends, visited new places, including my ancestral lands on

Manitoulin Island, have shared my craft with students, both presenting and teaching, have joined in many cultural events and all of these opportunities have allowed me to learn so much about, in particular, about my native culture as I learned to embrace who I am. I look forward to learning more about my heritage and give credit to my gift of art for helping me on my journey."

The best advice Gattie received came from his parents.

"They told me not to dwell on the negative words or actions of others. Instead, ignore them, hold my head up high and have pride in myself. This advice resonates with me because when I was young, I was not small. By the time I was 10, I was wearing men's size 12 shoes and I was six feet tall," he said.

"So, as you can imagine, I've always stood out. I'm six feet, nine inches now with size 17 shoes, and I embrace that I'm unique and that is true of my art as well. I have my own style for sure. I take pride in standing out in a crowd and love hearing my art described as one of a kind as well."

If non-indigenous Canadians gain one thing during National Indigenous History Month, Gattie wants them to focus on learning.

"My thought would be take some time and educate yourself about Indigenous people, their culture and beliefs," he said.

"There are so many things I've learned myself. I'm in my 50s, and I am on my own journey still learning about my family and heritage."