Plains Cree Chiefs

Plains Cree, 1995
Eighteen-Colour Serigraph
29” x 22.5”

Edition of 100

This print is published exclusively through Artists For Kids in partnership with Canadian artists in support of students, their art education, and their future.

George Littlechild was born in 1958 in Edmonton. His mother, Rachel Littlechild was a Plains Cree member of the Erminskin Reserve in Hobbema, Alberta and his father, James E. Price was of Scottish and Micmac extraction from New Brunswick. George Littlechild’s interest in his heritage led him to relearn his past and explore many sociopolitical issues related to his people including the Reserve system and Residential schooling.

His art is directed to those who do not understand First Nations culture in an attempt to alleviate prejudice and naïveté. Known for creating culturally rich imagery and his use of high-chroma colour, George Littlechild is recognized as one of the foremost First Nations artists working in Canada today. He is also the author and illustrator of three children’s books including the award-winning publication This Land is My Land. His work is included in several collections, including the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec.

This serigraph has been created in honour of George Littlechild’s ancestors and the Plains Cree people. It is dedicated to the Chiefs’ legacy and stamina in maintaining culture, pride and tradition in a time when old ways were being challenged and replaced by new ones. This careful juxtaposition of ancestral portraits fused with contemporary vivid colours creates a style and a visual impact which is unmistakably Littlechild.