T’leeuh Antone

Biography

Skeg Tash, my name is T’leeuh Antone. I am a proud member of the Akimel O’odham Tribe. I moved to Washington in 2014. Prior to moving here, I practiced in my community as an educator and cultural resource since 2003. In my tribal community it started as reclaiming my Indigenous language which set me on a path the use language and culture as a way of installing self-determination in youth. In Seattle/ Occupied Duwamish land where I am a guest now holding this responsibility is also an interdisciplinary practice. It’s the way I paint drums to send to the front lines of water and land protectors in H’diwashkia, it’s the way I screen print Land Back poetry at Earth Day events and in the way I design zines weaving in music and poetry and artwork into zines about reclaiming my tribes ancestrall dying practices after compleating my death doula program.

In our Indigenous ways of learning and being are non-linear. My art has always been apart of my education and career. My self-portrait titled “Indigenize Mascama” was the capstone to my study abroad in Aotearoa (New Zealand) understanding language immersion in Kohanga Reo (language nests). In the linocut I am depict myself as a cultural facilitator and knowledge keeper seen with one of our traditional baskets with books on my head with the title “Indigenize Mascama” meaning “Indigenize Education” and from that place that my drive as an Indigenous educator to make culture accessible to native people which began as, and will always be using art as \vector.

Artist Statement

I rarely go seeking inspiration. Typically I am propositioned with a topic, a need or an ask from my community- sometimes an elder, sometimes one of our local organizations but sometimes just the temperature of my Urban Indigenous community. One of this summers earlier projects was a healing ceramony space for Indigenous 2 Spirits and community to gather and create called Indigiqueer, “(Re)creating Indigiqueer: Our Stories”. I designed a screen print to use based off of this orientation for my work. I am creating something new but I am guided and building off of generations of creators, knowledge keepers, story tellers and survivors.

My work draws from cultural values and contemporary indigenous life. I’m the middle child of 8, I’m no stranger to making it work with limited resources. My art skill set is a product of that learned survival and my artwork speaks from the creativity that grows with limited resources and ‘untrained’ skills. I am a self taught Indigenouqueer fumbling through many mediums.

Statement of Intent

Upon moving to Seattle/unceded Duwamish territory, I soon found a home at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center and a position teaching preschool. As I started my searched for artwork and educational posters for my classroom, I had NW Native artist(s), “Slapoo” piece from Louie Gong and T.C Cannon mural lining the halls at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, where my classroom was located. Then every year at some point my walls would be a collage mixed with these artists work and my tiny preschoolers finger paintings and other mediums. Looking back now it all feels so obvious. That need for seeing ourselves. The importance of Indigenous artwork at every corner. I am grateful for this opportunity to sharpen and grow my skills which have always been with me but as an afterthought.

I intend to use this residency to finally dedicate the resources (both financially, logistically, emotionally) to further developing my craft across all the mediums I have endeavored in. And with that to bring more Indigenous art to our communities: educational resources, family engagement opportunities, and to create materials for death and ceremony.

There is a saying in our culture that it is important that we all learn different skills so we will always need each other. My intent is that what I learn, I will in turn teach. Some will appreciate and hopefully find healing and good medicine in art and others will find access to a new passion. In whatever capacity our stories and culture will continue to thrive in new and old ways.