"As a Waponahki poet and visual artist, I am always seeking paths to new work and striving to convey my perspective on matters that I feel are both culturally relevant and important to our human family and The Mother. Polynesian nations have declared whales as having personhood.
Putep Qotatokot-te elewestaq, "The Whale was Speaking," is a project designed to inspire people about the beauty of our ocean relations and how important they are to the story of Mother Earth. They are ancient and intelligent beings that deserve our respect. I try to include some of my language in my creative work to claim artistic space in a colonized discipline and ensure that non-Indigenous people hear the beauty of our language.
My hope is that this creative expression can do some good in a troubled world. The last whispered phrase translates to “No one knows how old the earth really is.”