Mapping series
Courtesy of Mitra Samavaki
This work focuses on the language of maps, and contrasts the visual and textual information of government land documents with personal stories and images based on Kiona and her family's lived experience on the land scrip they received through enfranchisement. The work explores tensions between the rigid grid structure that is imposed on the land as part of ongoing colonization, with text, drawings, and digital prints reflecting how she knows that land; bringing personal stories and landmarks of her family's home forward instead.
The maps detail the enfranchisement that took place, land surrenders, and land scrip issued.
All the prints sewn on top of these map print-outs are memories of the farm (the land moshom cares for) which is the land scrip he received and helped raise us on. The printed envelopes are scans from notes, cards, and gifts he left for us while we lived with him at our places at the table, and ones he slid across the table to us in person when we moved away. Or cab money to go visit kokum Edith at the care centre close by. He always draws a stamp in the corner (a cowboy, tractor, xoxo, the dogs). And at the time that I made this, I really wanted to show how I know that land, and how my moshom has taught me (still teaches me) about it, instead of how it’s colonially recorded.









