“Our language, when we talk about sharing and learning and teaching, it's a reciprocal word, and land is at the root of it,” shares Joshua Leclair. He lives in Kakabeka Falls, Ontario, near Thunder Bay. He is from Biigtigong Nishnaabeg and his name is Spirit That Watches Over The North. He belongs to the Bear Clan and is a Two Spirit Anishinaabe man. He is a working artisan, painting Woodland art, doing beadwork, making birch bark baskets and he loves to tell stories. He has been painting for over two decades.

“When we talk about the things that we create, we talk about putting our spirit into those things. The things that we make with our hands, our hands were gifts, gifts from the creator, and the things that we make with those are very sacred and special, and our language captures that,” he explains.

Leclair has been sharing his birchbark teachings with other communities and enjoying seeing people reconnect through craftsmanship. He also likes helping groups who are experiencing the wild rice harvest. “I like to say I like to do Anishinaabe things, and it's been pretty inspiring to me to see that it has provided me an avenue or opportunities to meet other people, to share what little knowledge that I carry with others, and hopefully inspire them to carry that,” he beams. In sharing the teachings, he’s also able to support himself and maintain an art studio space.

Something that Leclair struggles with, like many Indigenous people, is the experience he describes as “having your feet in two canoes”, living life in an Indigenous community and Canada. “If you are alive today, my friends, give yourself a pat on the back, because we have so many barriers and obstacles against us that it's very overwhelming!” he exclaims.

For over a decade, Leclair worked as federal public servant for Parks Canada, sharing his knowledge of his people’s history. He loved meeting people and participating in the truth telling of Reconciliation and had over 5000 interactions with park visitors. He also had the chance to build his career at the same time.

In terms of obstacles in his art journey, Leclair’s biggest was himself in terms of being different. Growing up in a Roman Catholic reserve community, he struggled to be accepted for his sexuality in his own community and for his race outside of it. He spoke of surviving the experience and how challenging that was.

“Whatever you pursue, whether it's artistry, academia, athleticism, whatever you're doing, I hope you give yourself grace in everything that you do, don't be hard on yourself. There's going to be plenty of people who are going to be hard on you. Of anybody in your existence, in your journey of life, be kind to yourself. Give yourself grace and there are going to be obstacles throughout life, and seek those tools, how to ground yourself, give yourself strength when those moments happen,” he advises.

Otherwise, the biggest obstacles he faced were the losses of his brother in a tragic accident and the loss of his father. “Grief is a part of life, and from my perspective, I know that hurt, that sadness, is rooted in love, is love. That is what all of that stuff is from. And remember love is the most powerful feeling and emotion and thing in this whole wide universe,” he muses. His community helped him through those hard times which he acknowledges are common in Indigenous communities.

To manage mental health, Leclair encourages expressing, acknowledging and feeding one’s spirit in whatever way that is meaningful, whether that is church, powwow, smudge or sweat lodge. He likes to go to the beach in his community, go for hikes in the bush and be on the land. He warns against the dangers of alcohol and encourages feeling emotions.

When it comes to inspirations growing up, Leclair looks to his father, Byron Leclair, who was an economic development officer and energy site developer. He also looks to his community’s longest running chief, Roy Michano. He was inspired by community leaders, “warriors”, who believed in land rights and inspired him to study political science in university. When he was nine years old, Ovide Mercredi gave a speech that moved him as well.

He has words of inspiration of his own. “There's 8 billion of us and no one's journey is more important than the others. Some of us are more fortunate than the others. Approach everything with kindness, empathy. Be kind to yourself. Remember love is powerful and be safe on your journey. Be safe in your life. So many obstacles will come to you and be kind to yourself. If the waters are rough like Lake Superior in November, it's okay to stay ashore and have a rest and have a break,” he shares in his final words of encouragement.

Once welcoming tourists to national parks, now Joshua Leclair invites people into his world through his art. Weaving baskets, painting and beading, this working artisan is putting his spirit into everything he makes. He loves to do ‘Anishinaabe things’, sharing traditional practices and teaching what he knows to others as best he can.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.