‘Chi-kishkayhitamihk Si Te Li Neu Biizon’ (Education is the New Bison) sculpture, photo provided by Val Vint
The 12-foot sculpture in the shape of a bison is constructed out of 200 steel replicas of books and films by Indigenous authors and allies. In Indigenous cultures, bison once provided everything. Now, we look to education to provide. Unless we understand our history, we can’t understand the problems in society.
Education is the New Bison is the first piece in a series of three artworks commissioned by The Winnipeg Foundation for The Forks.
Year: 2020
Medium: Steel
Location: Niizhoziibean
Read “A Response to ‘Chi-kishkayhitamihk Si Te Li Neu Biizon’ (Education is the New Bison)” by KC Adams.”
FILMS – 100 – 11 = 89
- 3 filmmakers – Marjorie Beaucage, Alanis Obamsawin & Sam Vint each have 3 film titles on one piece. (-6)
- Red – can be omitted (-5)
| AUTHOR | TITLE |
| Dennis Allen | Crazy Water |
| Deborah Anderson | Women of the White Buffalo |
| Christopher Auchter | Now Is the Time |
| Rosie Bonnie Ammaaq | Nowhere Land |
| Asinnajaq | Three Thousand |
| Marie-Eve Aster | Netshishkatutau |
| Sonya Ballantye | Crash Site |
| Myrle Ballard | Flooding Hope |
| Althea Arnaquq-Baril | Lumaajuuq |
| Jeff Barnaby | Rhymes for Young Ghouls |
| Marjorie Beaucage | Metis Rose Land Solidarity Healing Speaking To Their Mother |
| Shane Belcourt | Keeping Quiet |
| Russell Ratt Brascoupe | True Spirit |
| Hyacinthe Combray | Tales of Sand and Snow |
| James Cameron | Avatar Series |
| * Stevie Cameron | On the Farm: > |
| Maria Campbell | Unwanted Women |
| Gil Cardinal | Foster Child |
| Dana Claxton | Bone China |
| David Clement | Woodland Spirits |
| Marie Clements | Red Snow |
| Blake Corbet | Elijah |
| Barbara Cranmer | Our Voices, Our Stories |
| Thirza Cuthand | Just Dandy |
| Faith Decontie | Ni Ka Toten |
| Shaynah Decontie Thusky | Saagihidiwin (Love) |
| Tracey Deer | Mohawk Girls |
| Algonking (Jonas Decoursay) | Aboriginal Individual |
| Neil Diamond | The Last Explorer |
| Willie Dunn | The Ballad of Crowfoot |
| Gwaai Edenshaw | Haidawood |
| The Ephemerals | Maiden Indian |
| Chris Eyre | Smoke Signals |
| Louie Francis | The Legend of Quanja Lake |
| Claude Guilmain | High Wire |
| De´lia Gunn | DeElia 9 to 5 |
| Helen Haig-Brown | My Legacy |
| Bretten Hannam | North Mountain |
| Banch Hanuse | Cry Rock |
| Sterling Harjo | Barking Water |
| Echo Henoche | Shaman |
| Zoe Leigh Hopkins | Button Blanket |
| Tasha Hubbard | Nipawistamasowin |
| Tony Ianzelo, Bruce Richardson | Cree Hunters of Mistassini |
| Sandra Ignagni | Highway to Heaven |
| Nyla Innuksuk | Breaths |
| Elisapie Isaac | If the Weather Permits |
| Magnus Isaacson | Power |
| Lisa Jackson | Savage |
| Kawennahere Devery Jacobs | Stolen |
| Adam Garnet Jones | Fire Song |
| Joseph Lazar | Bat Kidd |
| George W. Lenser | Discard What You Hear |
| Georgina Lightning, Writer | Older Than America |
| Colin Low | Circle of the Sun |
| Trevor Mack | Clouds of Autumn |
| Erika MacPherson & Katherena Vermette | this river |
| Stitch Manitowabi | Shkaabewis (The Helper) |
| Don Marks | They Call Me Chief |
| Shannon Masters | Empire of Dirt |
| Mosha Michael | Natsik Hunting |
| Merata Mita | Patu! |
| Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell | You are on Indian Land |
| Kent Monkman | Sisters & Brothers |
| Gloria Morgan | Coyote’s Canoe |
| Keenan Nakogee | Bully is Dead |
| Darlene Naponse | Falls Around Her |
| Darrly Nepinak | Bannock |
| Doug Nepinak | Cous Cous |
| Dalhya Newashish | The Lost Children (Les Enfants Perdus) |
| Alanis Obamsawin | Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger Trick or Treaty? Rise |
| Kim O’Bomsawin | Skindigenous |
| Kevin Papatie | Kokom |
| Nimki Peltier | Carrying On The Tradition |
| Randy Redroad | Among Ravens |
| David Robertson | When We Were Young |
| Bob Rodgers | The Fiddlers of James Bay |
| Nick Rodgers | The Guest |
| Sara Rogue | Six Miles Deep |
| Baljit Sangra | Because We Are Girls |
| Michelle St. John | Colonization Road |
| Darian Smith | Healing Scars |
| Tony Snowsil | The Man, the Snake and the Fox |
| Madison Thomas | Out of Reach |
| Jackie Traverse | Two Scoops |
| Jay Cardinal Villeneuve | Holy Angels |
| Sam Vint | Run For Your Life Alice & Kevin The Tournament |
| Taika Waititi | Boy |
| Wayne Wapeemukwa | Luk’Luk’l |
| Ariel Waskewitch | Zuya (The Journey) |
| Christine Welsh | Finding Dawn |
| Jesse Wente | Inconvenient Indian |
| Janelle & Jeremie Wookey | Memere Metisse |
BOOKS/PLAYS – 198 (* words after: on website 2nd list)
- Black – included on Sculpture (152)
- The extras – (20)
- Hooves – (8)
- Red – removed from list (46)
| AUTHOR | TITLE |
| Jordan Abel | Un/inhabited |
| KC Adams | Perception |
| * Howard Adams | Prison of Grass: > |
| Freda Ahenakew | Native Voices |
| Sherman Alexie | The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven |
| * Taiaiake Alfred | Peace, Power, Righteousness: > |
| Paula Gunn Allen | The Sacred Hoop |
| Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm | The Stone Collection |
| Jeannette Armstrong | Slash |
| Joanne Arnott | Mother Time Paperback |
| Carleigh Baker | Bad Endings |
| Marie Annharte Baker | Exercises in Lip Pointing |
| Keith Barker | This Is How We Got Here |
| James Bartleman | Seasons of Hope |
| * Cyndy Baskin | Strong Helpers’ Teachings: > |
| * Marie Battiste | Decolonizing Education: > |
| Jan Beaver | The 10 Most Significant Crossroads in Aboriginal History |
| Billy-Ray Belcourt | The Wound is a World |
| Christy Belcourt | Medicines To Help Us |
| Rebecca Belmore | Facing the Monumental |
| * Edward Benton-Benai | The Mishomis Book: > |
| Chief Lady Bird | Nibi’s Water Song by Sunshine Tenasco |
| * Constance Brissenden & Larry Oskiniko | As Long as the Rivers Flow: > |
| Sherwin Bitsui | Floodsong |
| * Cindy Blackstock & Eddy Robinson | Spirit Bear and Children Make History: > |
| * Harry Bone, Dave Courchene, Robert Greene | The Journey of the Spirit of the Red Man: > |
| David Bouchard | Nokum is my Teacher |
| Joseph Boyden | Three Day Road |
| Dee Brown | Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee |
| Constance Brissenden & Larry Loyle | Goodbye Buffalo Bay |
| * Wilfred Buck | Tipiskawi Kisik: > |
| Gregory Cajete | Native Science |
| Maria Campbell | Halfbreed |
| Nicola I. Campbell | Shi-shi-etko |
| Douglas Cardinal and Jeannette Armstrong | The Native Creative Process |
| Harold Cardinal | The Unjust Society |
| Warren Cariou | Lake of the Prairies |
| Dr. Marlene Brant Castellano | Updating Aboriginal Traditions of Knowledge |
| Shirley Cheechoo | Path with No Moccasins |
| Marie Clements | Tombs of the Vanishing Indian |
| Tricia Cooper | Social Studies |
| Michele Corneau | Two Row Wampum |
| Chad Cornell | One True Nature |
| Dave Courchene Jr. | Seven Teachings |
| Mary Crow Dog, Richard Erdoes | Lakota Woman |
| Bert Crowfoot | Windspeaker |
| Beth Cuthand | Voices in the Waterfall |
| Chief Dan George | My Spirit Soars |
| Joseph A. Dandurand | I Want |
| Carol Rose Daniels | Bearskin Diary |
| Danielle Daniel | Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox |
| * Erica Marie Daniels | Run as One > |
| James Daschuk | Clearing The Plains |
| * Robert Davidson | Four Decades: > |
| Rosanna Deerchild | Calling Down the Sky |
| Deborah L. Delaronde | Emma’s Gift |
| * Vine Deloria, Jr. | God is Red: > |
| * Robin Diangelo | White Fragility: > |
| Barbara M. Derrick | Walking in Your Power |
| Cherie Dimaline | The Girl Who Grew a Galaxy |
| * Leah Marie Dorion | Relatives with Roots: > |
| Gord Downie | The Secret Path |
| Elizabeth Doxtater | Art of Peace |
| Alan Duff | Once Were Warriors |
| * Miriam Anne Duff | Playing My Drum: > |
| Dawn Dumont | Nobody Cries at Bingo |
| Marilyn Dumont | The Pemmican Eaters |
| Earl Einarson | The Moccasins |
| Louise Erdrich | The Round House |
| * Nick Estes | Our History is The Future: > |
| Peter Eyvindson | Kookum’s Red Shoes |
| * Chantel Fiola | Rekindling the Sacred Fire: > |
| Leah Fontaine | Spirit Menders |
| Theodore Fontaine | Broken Circle |
| Marvin Francis | City Treaty |
| Andrew Genaille | The Chief and Her Sister |
| Chief Dan George | My Heart Soars |
| * George R. D. Goulet | Louis Hebert and Marie Rollet: > |
| * Marie-Therese Goulet-Courchaine (Manie Tobie) | Manie Tobie: > |
| * Fyre Jean Graveline | Circle Works: > |
| Lynda Gray | First Nations 101 |
| David Groulx | In the Silhouette of Your Silences |
| Louise Bernice Halfe | Blue Marrow |
| * Michael Anthony Hart | Seeking Mino-Pimatisiwin: > |
| Tomson Highway | Kiss of the Fur Queen |
| Tasha Hubbard | Two Worlds Colliding |
| Daniel Hunt & Amands Strong | Awa^sis and the World-Famous Bannock |
| Alootook Ipellie | Arctic Dreams and Nightmares |
| Rita Joe | Lnu and Indians We’re Called |
| Basil H. Johnston | Moose Meat & Wild Rice |
| Falen Johnson | Salt Baby |
| Christy Jordan-Fenton | Not My Girl |
| Julie Flett | Owls See Clearly at Night |
| Daniel Heath Justice | Badger |
| Celina Kalluk | Sweetest Kulu |
| Wayne Keon | Sweetgrass |
| * Robin Wall Kimmerer | Braiding Sweetgrass: > |
| Thomas King | The Inconvenient Indian |
| W. P. Kinsella | The Fencepost Chronicles |
| * Verna J. Kirkness | Creating Space: > |
| Catherine Knutsson | Shadows Cast by Stars |
| * Zacharias Kunuk | Atanarjuat: > |
| Michael Kusugak | A Promise is a Promise |
| Patti Laboucane-Benson | The Outside Circle |
| Adrea Ledding | Pockets of Our Hearts |
| Tracey Lindberg | Birdie |
| * Frank Bird Linderman | Pretty-shield: > |
| Ernie Louttit | Indian Ernie |
| Larry Loyie | Goodbye Buffalo Bay |
| Katherine McCarthy | Invisible Victims |
| Penny Terry Mack | A Circle of Friends |
| Cathy Mattes | Rielisms |
| * Wilma Mankiller & Michael Walls | Mankiller: > |
| Lee Maracle | Ravensong |
| Sylvia McAdam (Saysewahum) | Nationhood Interrupted |
| Joe McLellan & Matrine Theriault | Nanabosho and the Butterflies |
| Duncan Mercredi | Spirit of the Wolf |
| Morningstar Mercredi | Morningstar |
| Ovide Mercredi | My Silent Drum |
| Theresa Meuse | The Sharing Circle |
| Edmund Metatawabin with Alexandra Shimo | Up Ghost River |
| Daniel David Moses | Almighty Voice and His Wife |
| Beatrice (Culleton) Mosionier | In Search of April Raintree |
| Robert Munsch | Blackflies |
| Julie Nagam | Re-Inventing Art Practices |
| John G. Neihardt | Black Elk Speaks |
| Douglas Raymond Nepinak | Coocoosh |
| Patricia Ningewance | Pocket Ojibway |
| Yvette Nolan | Annie Mae’s Movement |
| Gisli P. Norman | Trapping Trip to Indian Lake in 1920 |
| Jay Odjick & Patrick Tenascon | Kagagi |
| Tommy Orange | There There |
| Hidehiro Otake | The Northwoods |
| Aaron Paquette | Lightfinder |
| * Pauktuutit Inuit Women | The Inuit Way: > |
| Daniel N. Paul | We Were Not the Savages |
| * Jeanne Perreault & Sylvia Vance (Editors) | Writing the Circle: > |
| * Evelyn Peters, Matthew Stock, Adrian Werner | Rooster Town: > |
| * Ferguson Plain | Eagle Feather: > |
| Carl Ray and James Stevens | Sacred Legends of the Sandy Lake Cree |
| * Delphine Red Shirt | Bead on an Anthill: > |
| Duke Redbird | Loveshine and Red Wine |
| * Kevin Reed | Aboriginal Peoples: > |
| Brian Rice | Seeing the World with Aboriginal Eyes |
| Waubgeshig Rice | Legacy |
| Louis Riel | The Diaries of Louis Riel |
| David Alexander Robertson | When We Were Alone |
| Joanne Robertson | The Water Walker |
| Robbie Robertson | Hiawatha and The Peacemaker |
| Eden Victoria Lena Robinson | Traplines |
| Janet Rogers | Peace in Duress |
| Ian Ross | Joe from Winnipeg |
| * Rupert Ross | Indigenous Healing: > |
| Sandy Rubinfeld | Robert’s Paintings |
| Armand Garnet Ruffo | Norval Morrisseau |
| George Ryga | The Ecstasy of Rita Joe |
| Dr. Anita Sanchez | The Four Sacred Gifts |
| Cheryl Savageau | Dirt Road Home |
| * Gregory A. Scofield | Wapikwaniy: > |
| Paul Seesequasis | Tobacco Wars |
| Bev Sellars | They Called Me Number One |
| David Seven Deers | Travelling Mother |
| * Steve Sheinkin | Undefeated: > |
| Leanne Simpson | Dancing On Our Turtles Back |
| The Honorable Justice Murray Sinclair (now Senator) | The Truth and Reconciliation Commission |
| Ruby Slipperjack | Little Voice |
| Monique Gray Smith | You Hold Me Up |
| * Chad Solomon | Rabbit and Bear Paws: > |
| Jaques St. Goddard | Tales of the Everyday |
| Shirley Sterling | My Name is Seepeetza |
| * Wendy Stephenson | Idaa Trail: > |
| * Blair Stonechild | The New Buffalo: > |
| Jen Storm | Fire Starters |
| Donna Sutherland | Peguis, A Noble Friend |
| Maurice Switzer | We Are All Treaty People |
| Allan Syliboy | The Thundermaker |
| Tanya Talaga | All Our Relations |
| Drew Hayden Taylor | Futile Observations |
| Sunshine Tenasco | Nibi’s Water Song |
| Sandy Tharpe-Thee | The Apple Tree |
| * Jackie Traverse | Sacred Feminine: > |
| * Joan Turner and Carol Rose | Spider Women: > |
| Richard Van Camp | The Lesser Blessed |
| Katherena Vermette | This River |
| Gerald Vizenor | Chair of Tears |
| Chelsea Vowel | Indigenous Writes |
| Richard Wasagamese | One Native Life |
| Sheila Watt-Cloutier | The Right to Be Cold |
| Jordan Wheeler | Digital Ogichida |
| Tara White | Where I Belong |
| Lisa Bird-Wilson | The Red Files |
| Gerry Williams | The Black Ship |
| Maria Williams | How Raven Stole the Sun |
| * Dr. Shawn Wilson | Research Is Ceremony: > |
| Ronald Wright | Stolen Continents |
| * Geoffery York | The Dispossessed: > |
| Zitkala-Sa | Old Indian Legends |
| * Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobela | Oracles: > |
Val Vint was born in Winnipegosis, Manitoba, where the most meaningful part of her childhood was spent in the bush, chasing foxes and pelicans with her Grandfather, a conservation officer. Drawing from a diverse background encompassing photography, ceramics, painting, engineering, design, theatre, performance art, music, travel, and collaboration with other indigenous peoples, Val’s cultural heritage instills a sense of license to explore all forms of art.
Belonging to the Métis community, known for their fierce independence and versatile culture, Val’s work reflects this spirit, manifesting in a diverse range of mediums. Over the past four decades, her life’s focus has been a blend of power engineering, artistic expression, cultural enrichment, community programming, and personal art practice. Val has conducted workshops across Manitoba, Scotland, and Latin America, contributing to initiatives such as the Indigenous Designers Cooperative and serving as a program coordinator at Art City, projects deeply cherished.
Beyond familial narrative and professional endeavours, Val actively advocates for her community through involvement in women’s organizations and drumming. For 16 years, she has been a member of the Buffalo Gals Drum Circle at the North End Women’s Center. As a multimedia artist, Val’s repertoire spans willow-work, fabric arts, ceramics, traditional tanning methods, watercolour, oil, acrylic, sculpture, public art, acting, photography, video, writing, traditional singing and drumming, and beadwork, reflecting her rich and multifaceted creative journey.
