C̓eʔ xʔe he nscəwmekst!

Keʔ k swiktxʷ he nscuw? have you seen my work?
ʔex nukʷ (hanging) wuł NVIT. It is hanging in NVIT.
Nesweʔ meł ʔeł k̓ʷen̓ete.  If you please, go and have a look at it in real life.
Nikne ł sil, ʔeł ƛ̓q̓uʔtene ł nscəwmekst. I cut the cloth, and I’ve sewn my handiwork.
K̓ʷmimimeʔ teʔe he nscew. This, my work is very tiny in details.
Nceweʔ c̓oqtene ł spilpiplexm nʔeye te snetene he nsƛq̓uʔm. I wrote a little story here to name aspects of meaning in what I have sewn

On the theme of Women and Strength -and in relation to women's art of the First Nations- here is what my creation [quilt block] represents. 

The main thing that comes to mind as I think about what I have made is the aspect of Women's Strength as the continuance of our art forms.

• I created the child in the cradle board and the grandmother in her regalia to further communicate that continuation.  I envisioned all that has been passed on to me from previous generations and also wanted to add others that have survived through women and being strong in traditions. [I actually knitted with toothpicks... of all things :P]

• Womens' art I chose to represent are cradle making, regalia as fashion and bead work, tanning of hides, and cedar art is represented as a hat [woven with ribbon, not real cedar :/ -and in need of repair :S].  Weaving and sewing are things that through the strength of the female ancestors continues.

• The circle also represents continuance, I chose to alter my medicine wheel to show shifts and innovation that doesn't make the art any less traditional and is symbolic of all that our art has went through and still denotes the original product from our ancestors.  Of all the peoples that have come to influence our ways there is still the stability in these arts (The Red, Yellow, White, Black, & other people).

• Dance is another area I wanted to depict through the free flowing movement of the fringe on the elder's regalia.  This is another form of strength altogether for a woman.  Then dancer is clean and sober, as well as prayerful.  

teʔe k sxəkstene kenm us nke teʔe k sʔessk̓ʷƛ̓usc ł seytknmx. I don’t understand whats the matter with/why the people don’t have any faces.
ʔex nke teʔe k swet, I guess they could be nobody.
ʔeł ƛ̓uʔ ʔex nke tekm k swet I guess they could be anybody.

Kʷukʷscemxʷ ł nskʷuleyt tes n̓tes he scewkt Thanks to our professor for giving us this assignment.
cutem tekm nmimł he y̓e tk scəwkt All of us, we did good work.
c̓eʔ xʔe nmimł he scəwkt This is all of our work together.

 nexʷum̓ y̓e xʔe It’s really good!
Cunwen̓tem We did it!
y̓eminne I like it!