Exhibition Information

Josephine Cook, BFA Exhibition: Origin
December 8-14, 2016

In the beginning, there was only water and the world above. This is where the story begins. In the sky world there lived Sky Holder and his pregnant wife Sky Woman. They lived near the great tree of light that Sky Holder cared for. One day, out of curiosity Sky Woman asked her husband to uproot the tree. In doing so Sky Holder opened a hole to the world below. Wanting to see what was below, Sky Woman stepped closer to the hole. The loose soil then crumbled and she slipped. Frantically she tried to grab at the roots of the tree for support but it was too late and into darkness she fell…[2]

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Story telling in Haudenosaunee[3] culture has long been a part of our oral traditions. These legends tell from where we have originated and of the teachings given to us by the Sky world. They are told to remind the people to be thankful for everything that has been provided by mother earth and of our connection to the Sky world.

Of many challenges that the people of the Haudenosaunee face, at the forefront of these is the youth of our communities turning away from traditional ways of thinking. This occurs at a rapid rate in the community on the Onondaga Nation. My intent is to prevent our traditions from diminishing, as countless have in other indigenous societies around the world while educating people of our customs. Through my work, I take on the role of the storyteller, revitalizing the next generation by presenting them with a physical representation of the Creation Story. 

I have presented the creation story at the beginning of the tale when Sky Woman is being rescued by the geese and brought to the world below. This mixed-media installation consists of several fiber weavings depicting water, three metal geese sculptures, a metal turtle sculpture, and the figure of Sky Woman.

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[1] https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/origin

[2] This is a section from the version of the Creation story that was told to me.

[3] Haudenosaunee (Ho-deh-no-shaw-nee): the people of the longhouse.  The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is a league of nations consisting of the Onondaga Nation, Mohawk Nation, Seneca Nation, Cayuga Nation, Oneida Nation, and the later added Tuscarora Nation. These nations were unified under the Hyawentha (Five nations) wampum belt and declared this lasting truce between the nations by burying their war clubs beneath the great tree of peace. This truce has lasted over 500 years since receiving the message of the peacemaker.