CEDAR SCENTED BEREAVEMENT CARDS
CREATED WITH AN INDIGENOUS WORLDVIEW
I created a set of 5 bereavement cards in Ojibwe and Cree created an Indigenous worldview. As you will see, there is an assumed heightened closeness in relationship between the people experiencing lost, and yourself who wishes to express compassion.
My process began with me sitting down over tea personally with Ojibwe, Saulteaux and Nêhiyawak (Cree) Elders and Medicine people. I set out for them what I had in mind, and what words and phrasing I purposed to use. Once consensus was reached, I then created this set of 5 - as noted, in Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe) and Néhiyaw (Cree). [Blackfoot pending
As you can see below, each one comes wrapped in a plastic archive sleeve, packaged with (1) Card, (2) Insert notes so you can write a personal note if you wish, (3) envelope with colour image, (4) a note on why the card smells of cedar, and (5) a note on tobacco 'how and why' use. As I sell them in sets of two (2) they come in a box I designed.
I print them using a 10 colour separation on 140 lb Cold Press Watercolour Paper, and then hand paint iridescent paint highlights (thus, every cards is not identical re the iridescent paint effect). Each card package comes with coloured note inserts, envelope, narrative and tobacco note.
THEY SMELL! YES! I include a small card insert with each card to explain.
HOW MUCH? 'Cards 4 Bereaved', set of 2 minimal order cost $26.00 Canadian plus shipping
[Exchange rates vary - fall of 2022 $19.44 USD, 18.69 EUR, 2705.85 JPY]
Additional single cards are $14.75 Canadian plus shipping
[Exchange rates vary - fall of 2022 $11.00 USD, 10.56 EUR, 1530.38 JPY].
You can review all 4 cards below, and choose 2 of them, or buy more of course.
If interested email to: artbuy@brucebarryart.com
SO THEY ARE SYMPATHY CARDS?
No that would be incorrect. When someone has lost a person or other being they are wilfully enmeshed with, be it Spouse, Parent, Sibling or Friend – they don’t need ‘sympathy’ -- people feeling sad for them, they don’t need ‘feelings of pity’ from others. They need COMPASSION.
In The Essence of the Heart Sutra, His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote: "According to Buddhism, compassion is an aspiration, a state of mind, wanting others to be free from suffering. It's not passive — it's not empathy alone — but rather an empathetic altruism that actively strives to free others from suffering. Genuine compassion must have both wisdom and loving kindness. That is to say, one must understand the nature of the suffering from which we wish to free others (this is wisdom), and one must experience deep intimacy and empathy with other sentient beings (this is loving kindness)." .
WHY IRIDESCENT PAINT HIGHLIGHTS? Iridescent paint highlights are added to each card by hand, making each unique, so by tilting the card, the visual image is slightly TRANSFORMED where the viewer sees the luminous colours changing, like a Raven or Drake where their feathers sheen when viewed from different angles. It is an artistic visual articulation of the transformation that is death, that is walking on from this life to the next. A way to show compassion.
#1: HUMMINGBIRD CARD
#2: GOING HOME CARD
ENVELOPE - Ojibwe & Cree (Néhiyaw)
#3: BLUE JAY CARD
#4: HAWK CARD
#5: HORSE CARD
PAYING FORWARD: 1/3 of my bereavement cards I make, I gift out, give away. Why? To feel the fire . . . there are many people who share and hold the fierce compassion CREATOR gifted all, persons from every creed and origin. Some of them do not have access to these, or any Indigenous worldview cards - and to them it is an honour to be able to share these with them.
ᓴᑲ’ zaka’ < zee cot a’ > (Ojibwe): denotes - "set h/ on fire;light h/ (e.g. a pipe)"
ᐳᓇ pona < poo na’ > (Cree): denotes - "build a fire. add wood to the fire"
I seek to pay forward the many acts of kindness, support and compassion I have recieved from within, and outside, my Ojibwe & Nêhiyawak (Cree) community. One does not need to live this life long before you occasionally get lost in the cold still darkness of the abyss, and are pulled back to the warming light by 'KINDNESS'. Conjointly, I send them to many public officials who need to send out such cards, especially to Indigenous peoples, they ought have the cultural resouces . . . plus it is part of the Indigenous master plan to assimilate all non-Indigenous peoples to walk the Red Road more. These cards are an excellent means of expressing compassion people tell me, and I use the profit from sales of these cards to finance this act of PAYING FORWARD.