By Mira Clark
Acrylic on Canvas
existinspired.com

 “Language is power. Language is the main conduit for culture, our languages connect us to our people, our landscapes, and to each other. We were told the Nisenan Language, ‘was an extinct language,’ but our Elders were still speaking, singing, and telling stories. We have worked to have the language reclassified as a ‘sleeping language,’ we are reclaiming our connections and participating in our culture.
‘Tek Tek’ is the Nisenan word for a red tailed hawk.  Tek Tek watches everything and sees this happening and stands witness to the revival of our past, history and culture.”

-Shelly Covert