A few years ago my street artist pal Posterchild had a website where he posted his stencil work. I hosted it for him and acted in some ways as his public face, since he had to stay anonymous.
In 2009, he did a series of images of native astronauts, challenging the hurtful and racist assumption you too often see, where the First Nations are considered to a people of the past who don’t have a role in modern society. That’s obviously bullshit, and he was trying to express that. After they went up he got this email from Jenwa:
I watched your talk with some art students recently and I really enjoyed it. I go to your site because you show me some things I can’t find in Winnipeg. I like to ‘watch’ graffiti and yours is pretty interesting. I always liked your series of astronauts and especially the Native American ones. I even got the hoody and I think I sent you an e-mail about how pleased I was with it.
Anyways, while I thought the series was awesome I never really knew there were as much to them as you described in your lecture. I figured you had some meaning behind them but you talked about it exceptionally well in this instance. I guess what you had to say revealed a few insights of my own and now I have a deeper connection with the series.
As a Métis person who aspires to be a doctor, I feel about as ridiculous as your native astronaut. In fact, I don’t talk about this goal with people I know anymore because they feel the same way and feel I’m wasting my time.
Maybe thankfully, I’m very fair despite being Chilean and native. In a sense, I’m granted a sort of anonymity so long as people aren’t aware of my heritage. I could be Italian… Some people think I’m Asian. I’m still confused as to if I should stop representing myself as my heritage couldn’t and let people assume or if I should stay firm.
In any event, I have a new way to approach this. So, there is my personal connection to this. I was hoping to send something to you though. I work in a perfumery where we make a blend of sacred essential oils called Ishi. It’s inspired by the last Indian named Ishi and I would say it is like the rain that takes off my helmet. I was hoping to share it with you and send you a vial as thanks for giving me this realization.
Post wrote back:
I’m very glad you connected to the astronaut images and the talk I gave about them. For what it’s worth, I found your story inspiring. I do get alot of emails, and I rarely answer quickly, but I try to answer them all, and I read them all right away.
As soon as I read your email a few days ago, I began thinking of images! I decided on combining the “native” costumes available with the doctor costumes I could find. Not surprisingly, I only found 3 doctors costumes for women! The rest were nurses.
So I’m going to make all three. I’ve attached a photo of the drawing (on the right, the one on the left is something else) of the only female doctor costume that wasn’t “sexy”. I haven’t yet had time to draw or cut the others. But with your blessing, I’d like to publish your great email on my site when I do put these up.
I hope you’re willing, and I hope your well!
She was down, they exchanged gifts, and when Post cut that stencil and put it up in Toronto…
It’s been 7 years since Posterchild made me this painting. Next Spring, I get my MD. Just an update.
That was last year, and in a little over an hour, Jenwa’s graduating. She’s becoming a family medicine doctor. I’m going to watch, and you can too: they’re streaming it online.
You guys, I know Posterchild only had the tiniest role in this. And my role was even tinier. But to see art touch someone like this, to watch anyone set a goal so hard and realize it so expertly… I’ve got tears in my eyes.
You cannot ground DIO 