As a child, Colin played in the forest with his siblings and friends. This was often early in the morning or well into the evening. For Colin it seemed that when plants were bound down, in the quiet dark, slugs seemed to magically appear, stopping him in his tracks. He remembers gently poking them and patiently waiting for them to forget that he was there. The slug would patiently stretch out it's antennas and persevere on it's path- despite the mischief that surrounded it. 

This childhood memory inspired Colin to use a slug as a as metaphor of his practice. Colin wanted an image that represented a notion of holding space for some fun, slowing things down, patiently navigating and deconstructing complex systems, and finding a source of nourishment with a pathway back. 

An Acknowledgement 

Colin respectfully acknowledges the territory of Kwakwaka’wakw people. He raises his hands in gratitude as their footsteps were stepped before his. He has had the privilege of living and raising his children on this sacred ground. He lives on the traditional Kwakiutl territory, in Port Hardy. 

As he is not Indigenous, he understands that he will never fully grasp the complexities of being an indigenous person. He has witnessed how colonialism continues to have a deep impact on indigenous people, involving sustained assaults on their physical, mental and spiritual health. In saying this, he has also experienced how strong and resilient First Nations people are. He continues to learn, collaborate with knowledge keepers and strives to develop his practice in a good way.