E kitsc-kt ne pésellkwe, me7 méllelc-kt. (When we get to the lake, we will rest.) An exploration of reconnection, displacement and animacy.

This thesis explores how my experiences of displacement and reconnection—together with an acknowledgment of the animacy of land, water, and more-than-human beings—can be expressed through installation art (encompassing sound, video, text, and cedar beings) in ways that reshape my sense of belonging. Centered on my relationship with Little Shuswap Lake, this thesis traces a physical and spiritual return to land and water from which I was separated. Three main projects, a feeling of mine (2024), Her Stories Have Always Been a Part of Me (2024), and When we get to the lake, we will rest (2025), chronologically reveal different facets of this journey. I reference writings from Robin Wall Kimmerer and Graham Harvey to ground my understanding in animacy, also drawing on artists Sonny Assu, Rebecca Belmore, Jay White, and Nam June Paik to highlight parallels in longing, site specificity and self-reflection. When we get to the lake, we will rest (2025) seeks to combine each experience and part of this journey into an intimate space that invites others to think of their connection to land, water and story.