TwoRow II, 2005
Four-channel video with sound 13:05 minutes
108 × 576 inches
A monumental, panoramic video installation of the two banks of the Grand River, which divides Six Nations Reserve from non-native townships in Ontario. The design is a synthesis of two sources: moving panoramas and the Two Row, an historic Iroquois wampum belt. Woven of purple and white shell beads, the belt signified—through two purple rows alternating with three white rows—an early treaty of respectful coexistence between the Natives and Europeans. The rows symbolized the parallel paths of an Iroquois canoe and a European ship, and their respective laws and customs, which were to remain parallel and inviolate. A sound track combining a Canadian cruise boat captain’s official narrative on the river with Native elder narratives complete the work.