Finding a safe space through art - a conversation with Indigenous Veteran and Artist Collette Cullen

In an interview with Two Spirit Advocate and local writer Chevi Rabbit, artist and veteran Collette Cullen shares her story with Edmonton’s arts community, on Indigenous Veteran’s Day (November 8). This article is part of a new blog series at the Edmonton Arts Council, inviting local Indigenous writers to reflect on Indigenous art and artists in Edmonton through guest articles on the YEG Arts blog.

Collette Cullen, whose traditional Indigenous name is Wolfwoman, is a powerful woman who served in the Canadian Military and talks about the vessel of art as a social change agent and the power in safe spaces. 

The mixed Cree, Scottish and Irish artist, who answers to all the pronouns, is a retired Canadian Military Officer and role model for the Two Spirit Community. 

At 55 years old, she has, in her own words, ​“lived a colorful life” and worn many uniforms over the years, including, at one time, a Correctional Service Canada Officer. And as her recent educational endeavors highlight, you’re never too old to return to school. Following a second hip replacement, Cullen decided to explore new ways to express and educate herself in Edmonton’s vibrant arts community. 

Lifelong learning

“I took a MOOC, a free online course at the University of Alberta; it was on Native Studies. I wanted to learn more about what all the hoopla was about,” said Cullen (for those unaware, a MOOC is a free ​“massive open online course” at the University of Alberta).

Cullen completed the popular free online course by the Native Studies Faculty at the University of Alberta. The 12-lesson course explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective, highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler problems. 

This led Cullen down a new educational journey as an Anthropology and Natives Studies student at the University of Alberta. For Cullen, this is an opportunity to ​“take the narrative back.“ 

As she explains, ​“All of our histories, we have white settlers, telling us we don’t exist. We’re still here, regalia are living things, bundles, and all of those things we are trying to repatriate back into our Culture.” 

As a student at the University of Alberta, she sits as an Elder Advisor. 

Military trailblazer

As for her Canadian Army experience, which started at 17 years old, Cullen has trailblazed as an Indigenous LGBTQS2 Canadian and adds to a rich history of Indigenous Canadians who served in the Canadian Military; they are recognized and honored on November 8, National Indigenous Veteran’s Day. 

In total Cullen dedicated 12 years of her life to serving, protecting, and defending Canadian and Indigenous Treaty interests. 

Cullen says, ​“the Canadian Army is a volunteer army. No one is forced to enroll in Canada. I signed on the dotted line, not to kill people, but to protect Canada, Turtle Island, and it was about going to other places in the world that need help.” Cullen served two tours in Bosnia. 

“My best weapon is the paintbrush”

Although she is a trained Canadian Military Veteran, Cullen says, ​“I can hunt, sure, I trap… but my best weapon is the paintbrush.” 

In 2019, she took up painting and found her path in the art world with prominent role models like University of Alberta artist Jane Ash Poitras, a celebrated, outspoken, and fearless artist. Poitras also promotes the healing aspects of art. 

“I took up painting in 2019 after a hip replacement, while I was trapped at home.” 

She says, ​“I took a traditional approach to paint, and listened to what the canvas or paper would tell me.” 

For Cullen, traditional painting is very spiritual and part of being Indigenous. She believes we are naturally gifted artisans as Indigenous peoples, but this art extends to all aspects of our way of life as Cree people. 

She says, ​“I also took up carving a year later; the stone was gifted to me by an Elder… Traditionally speaking, I always feel like my ancestor is walking with me when I create art.” 

Art is not only healing for those who create, but art made with good intentions can be healing and comforting to those who receive the gift of art. As was the case with one of her bear carvings. A local Indigenous Elder made sure she had Cullen’s bear carving with her while she underwent major surgery. 

Part of Cullens’ story includes her role in being a good ancestor. She says, ​“My mother was a residential school survivor and didn’t know how to love how I love my kids; I think it’s important to honour my ancestors, honour myself, to be a good ancestor because we’re all going to be ancestors one day.” 

She aims to reflect on her life choices, mistakes, ideas, creations, rises, and falls. And say, ​“I did okay.” 

“I did my part to be a good ancestor, and if I didn’t, I tried to,” says Cullen. ​“I make mistakes. I fall on my face. But that’s all part of the journey. The Red Road is a hard road to walk and a tough one to be on.” 

Finding your Safe Space

Cullen gives space to others in active addiction and empathy toward those who struggle with trauma. She says, ​“If you’re born Aboriginal, you’re born political, or as Jane Poitras likes to say, if you’re Born Indian, you’re born political, and we have a responsibility.” 

Cullen acknowledges the Indigenous experience over the last 500 years includes racism and apartheid woven directly into our society. But, she says, ​“It doesn’t change unless we have those discourses without anger.” 

For Cullen, those discourses happen through art. But art in safe spaces; conversation in safe spaces. 

“It doesn’t mean protests shouldn’t happen, because they should. There are the water defenders, land defenders, two-spirit defenders, MMIW defenders, and the art defenders.” 

She adds, ​“Less anger, more discourse is what’s needed… and art. Art changes things.” 

Cullen believes that artwork creates a conversation. She explains that as soon as you put a piece out to the public ​“It then becomes subjective and creates those conversations and different viewpoints.” 

Cullen refers to the mastery level of artistry as a tool to create societal changes and invite tough conversations. For some, it’s installation art and mural artistry in public spaces; for others, it’s owning art from Indigenous artisans. 

For Cullen, as an Indigenous artist, societal change starts at home; its starts with a conversation with like-minded individuals who want to create the good they wish to see in the world. It starts in a safe space. It starts with a discussion about a piece of artwork. 

“Silenced no more”

For this interview, Cullen highlighted her artwork, Silenced No More, which she keeps on a mantle in her safe space. 

The painting includes the thirteen poles of the teepee. Her guests ask her why the teepee poles are orange, ​“I tell them it’s directly related to Orange Shirt Day.” 

And further describing her painting Cullen adds that, ​“the white settler hand holds the kids, the globe, they had no voice, but they have one now. So, there is a reason why we started finding them. We all knew they were there. And it took this long for society to get there.” 

She explains her ability to create better discourse at home through the art she creates. As a result, she can convey the impacts Canada’s racist and aggressive assimilative policies have had on her family. 

A story guests can pull from her painting that resonates with many would be how she describes the eagle feather in her image. She says, ​“The eagle feather tells a life story. It starts at the bottom, it’s all-fluffy, as a baby, then adolescent, those feathers up there, there are no colors in them, all the sides are toughed.” 

“Because life is messy.” 

Cullen’s story is empowering. It offers us advice on reinvention, intersectionality on lived experiences, and settler-Indigenous experiences with gender identity. Her story shows the youth and other like-minded people aiming to make the world a better place; the idea of creating safe spaces, advocating for those safe spaces, and protecting those who speak up for those safe spaces. 

Given the state of the world, war, environment, a divided country, and when it all seems so dark and hopeless, art may inspire us. 

Chevi Rabbit is a writer, human rights advocate, artist, film producer, educator, and professional makeup artist. She has been recognized with an Edmonton top 40 under 40 and is the recipient of a Hate Crime Awareness Award from the Alberta Solicitor General.