Etobicoke artist strives to revive lost Indigenous history – Toronto.com
‘My art is a form of activism,’ says Philip Cote
Philip Cote paints murals of Indigenous history to teach and also to intervene in what he calls “cross-generational colonial bias.”
“My art is a form of activism,” said the Etobicoke artist and young spiritual elder. “I’m able to tell stories in public places. The process itself of doing that is decolonizing. I’m really proud of who I am and where I come from.”
Cote, who is a member of the Moose Deer Point First Nation, has painted more than 20 murals across Toronto, most in schools. His art reflects traditional Indigenous spiritual perspectives.
“Indigenous peoples drew their reality on the path on birchbark,” he said. “The top side is where we are. The spiritual world is the bottom side of the path. There’s ongoing connection between the spiritual world and the real world. That’s the way Indigenous people think about being alive.”
