Athabasca University hosts renowned artist

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On Dec. 12, the Centre for World Indigenous Knowledge and Research at Athabasca University in Edmonton presented an afternoon with Jane Ash Poitras, who presented information on the topic of shamanism and the arts.

The noon-hour presentation was attended by about 30 people, including artist Allan Sapp.

Priscilla Campeau is the program administrator for the centre.

"These presentations are held around every solstice, every three months, about four times a year. The title is The Four Seasons," she said of the ongoing commitment the university has made to exploring the Indigenous world view.

Over the two year history of the program, prominent figures from the art, literary and political worlds have been invited to speak. The notables have included Dr. Harold Cardinal, playwright Drew Hayden Taylor, author Gregory Scofield and author Maria Campbell.

Poitras' presentation examined the differing views and customs surrounding shamanism of several tribes across North America. She said shamanism is a gift that allows people to enter into an altered state of consciousness. Sometimes this altered state was brought about by the use of hallucinagens. Then the medicine man or woman is able to identify problems or illnesses in a person's body.

Ancient people's were so impressed with the shaman's powers that they depicted them in their artwork, or pictographs, discovered on the sides of caves and done hundreds of years ago.

Poitras then explained how her paintings take shape.

She said her interest in spiritualism began at an early age.

"I think that I've been on a spiritual path all my life. I was raised with older people, so it is just something I was familiar with."

She explained the various parts of her work and what the symbols in them mean. Different colors symbolize different feelings or emotions. She talked about where her ideas for her work came from. For example the suffering that residential schools caused Aboriginal people inspires some of her creativity.

Poitras is a lecturer at the University of Alberta and teaches a summer course on shamanism and the arts, but her early days as an artist were filled with struggle.

She said she was often broke and couldn't pay her rent, but her art always helped her through the tough times.