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“WANA-NA-WANG-ONG” – 1991
Through the “megaphone project” Belmore fullyacknowledged the intricate relationship between the language and the landscape, which is the base for cultural identity of the Ojibwa people. With “Wana-na-wang-ong” she further explores this research for the spiritual connection with nature, through the “language of place” (Martin, 1994). Belmore started to discover her identity only in a later period of her life; therefore if she wanted to represent the voice of the First Nations People, first she had to understand their language. But learning the Ojibwa language is only a portion of the complex communication system the Aboriginals use. There is more to a language than words and grammar structure; there is an interaction between the memories of place and the way of expressing them. It is the knowledge of this “language of place” that Belmore wants to
achieve, and the best way of approaching it is to explore and understand the land of her origins. Belmore starts a journey on which she collects the fruits of nature: spruce roots, lichens, peat moss, club moss, etc. She merges them into what she calls “Wana-na-wang-ong” – a dip or course in the land. nThe two panels of interweaved natural materials are suspended on the floor and have a curved shape. The observer can enter into the circular space, formed by the two curves of the panels, and communicate directly with the nature. The suspended elements transmit a sense of freedom from rules that are embedded into our social life, while the use of natural materials points to the vulnerability and fragility of the landscape. It’s by understanding the way her people speak to theland that she gains the awareness of her own identity.
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