Celestine Twigg
Program and component
Creating, Knowing and Sharing, Short-Term Projects
Community
Fort Macleod, Alberta
Field of practice
Visual Arts
Grant amount
$49,500
Fiscal year
2020–21
First-time recipient
Shining a New Light on Blackfoot Culture and Language in an Animated Short
Image courtesy of Celestine Twigg
Celestine Twigg, a member of the Blackfoot Kainai Nation, is creating an animated short to share her culture and language with the next generation.
Fulfilling a longtime dream with modern technology
Indigenous artist and Elder Celestine Twigg is ready to take her teachings to the next level. After more than 30 years as a Blackfoot language educator in Alberta, she is creating Poos. The cartoon is about Thumper, a cat whose dream sequence introduces concepts of Blackfoot philosophy and language to children and youth. The animation encourages the preservation, renewal and appreciation of Twigg’s Blackfoot Kainai Nation. This project is an opportunity for her to merge her passion for education, her appreciation for modern technology and her role as a cultural carrier.
Bridging young and old through animation
In the spirit of bridging generations, Twigg is working with her son, Troy Emery Twigg, and young creative collaborators. Together, they have found an inventive and entertaining way to use artwork, colour and imagination that “brings the sounds of the language and the concepts of the culture to life.” The animation also allows her to share the finished video across multiple platforms, including mobile devices.
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