Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun

Leaving My Reservation to Go to Ottawa and Fight for a New Constitution

In Leaving My Reservation to Go to Ottawa and Fight for a New Constitution (1985), Salish artist Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun uses Northwest Coast imagery (such as ovoids, extended egg-shapes often found on mask carvings and totem poles) to examine the political and economic conditions of Native communities under ongoing settler presence. His dreamlike landscapes subvert the larger history of Surrealist artists taking inspiration from Indigenous art without acknowledging their contributions or accomplishments. The briefcase emblazoned with the words “Indian Government” indicates that the central figure is a Native bureaucrat working within the Canadian government. Yuxweluptun’s protagonist heads to the capitol of Canada with the purpose of upholding Indigenous sovereignty.