Photo credit: Noel Wendt
Micheal Langan is a Saulteaux artist from Cote First Nation, Treaty 4 Territory, who is committed to educating people through creative and haunting renderings of our colonial past.
In Summer 2015 Micheal launched his own skateboard company— Colonialism Skateboards—to draw attention to, and have people engage with, complex and untelling aspects of Indigenous Canadian history and culture. By combining skateboard art with a history lesson of Indigenous culture and colonialism in Canada, Micheal’s innovative approach is leading a conversation about how Canadians, especially youth, can move forward together through truth and reconciliation.
Profoundly influenced by his upbringing and experiences as an intergenerational Residential School survivor, Micheal’s initiative has grown and expanded beyond the realm of skateboarding. He has been invited to school classrooms as well as various community panels across Canada to speak about his company and its mandate.
Recently, Colonialism Skateboards collaborated with Cree artist, Kent Monkman, to highlight colonialism and the Residential School system through his painting, The Scream. The company is very honored to continue collaborating with Kent Monkman on another project, The Four Continents. This skateboard series highlights colonialism, war, indulgence, sexuality, and several cultural and social issues stemming from colonization.
Purchase these skateboards and learn more at http://www.colonialism.ca/