Caribou is a sacred animal to the Innu and, as a form of symbolic exchange, hunters and shamans would wear painted coats made from caribou. The coats were painted by women in the families with designs that came to the hunter in his dreams, visual interpretations in non-figurative forms.
These coats activated bonds between the hunters and the caribou for one hunting season. Afterward, the jackets would be hung outside to thank the Caribou Master for a successful hunt.
The coats are an incredibly important artform that has been lost because of settler influences and forced settlement rendering this integral practice of culture non-vital. This mural is inspired by design elements from the Innu caribou coats.
in progress
mural timelapse