This thesis presents a self-reflection on personal narratives and artistic production that focuses upon the clash of North American settlement and colonialism on Indigenous identity and creative production. The prevalence of the post-contact image of the “Imaginary Indian” within popular culture and mass media illustrates the evolving trajectory of impact upon Indigenous identity as posited by western theorists Frantz Fanon, and Indigenous philosophers Vine Deloria Jr., Leroy Little Bear, Anne Waters, and Marie Battiste. My studio work investigates the iconic Indian Head Test Pattern, the Baird Tartan and the Cree Star Blanket. Through their deconstruction and reconstruction, I question and redefine personal cultural markers central to the formation of my identity and my art practice. Symbols, patterns and colours coalesce to disrupt stereotypical
perceptions of my mixed-race ancestry while digital technologies are utilized toward engaging a synthesis. Within these interventions, a self-defined dialogue emerges that reflects my lived experience.