Russell Delaronde

About

Kwe Kwe

My name is Russell Delaronde, my given Kanien’kéha name is Ronwahawíhtha’. I was born and raised in Kahnawà:ke, Kahnawà:ke means "By the Rapids," a Kanien’kehá:ka territory hugging the south side of the Saint Lawrence River just across from Tiohtiá:ke (Montreal).

Dealing with at times a turbulent history, Kahnawà:ke and its people have maintained a strong sense of pride in who we are as a Nation despite the obstacles that come with being so close to one of Canada’s largest cities. How we’ve been able to grapple with the adaptations of the modern world while maintaining a strong sense of nationhood is a question I think I may not ever fully understand, but will forever be a question I ask myself.

Being an artist, my practice is mainly visual. As a self-taught and disciplined painter/carver, I am always learning new things and forever grateful for those who have encouraged me and given me guidance throughout the years. As a child, one of my favourite pastimes was making sketches and doodling in my school books. Little did I know that those simple sketches from my childhood would evolve into creating grandeur works of art that have been recognized in many different forms.

A young artist still, I am not only extremely grateful for the exposure and recognition I've had in this short life, but for the overall support of my family, friends, and community at large. Growing up on old farmland, playing in the bush, going to weekly family potlucks, swimming and fishing in the river, screwing up, falling, and getting back up… These diverse moments of my short life have all contributed to not only my art but my overall worldview as an Onkwehón:we person, and what that means today.

In closing, I think I will always strive for my art to tell my story, and how that story ties to the people, the land, and the memories that have made and continue to make up my life. Good, bad, and ugly. I believe Art has the incredible ability to share aspects of life that sometimes words cannot.

This is my art form, and I am grateful to be able to share it with you.

Niá:wen.

Murals

Kahnawake Survival School

Kahnawake Survival School Mural - View 3

Kahnawake Survival School Mural - View 4

When I was asked to help beautify the halls of KSS, I was no doubt ready and willing. Kahnawa:ke Survival School is where I graduated, it’s where all my sisters graduated and is definitely a place that holds significant importance in who I am today. 3 pieces of art can be found in various common areas within the school, each with its own aura. It was beyond a pleasure to not only have a hand in the creation of these pieces but also having had the opportunity to immerse myself in the everyday lives of the staff and students.
Teaching is difficult, and so is learning. KSS has a unique task unlike any other highschool, it strives to ensure that students can leave with not only a strong base in the ability to read, write, and be capable of critical thinking, but also how one carries themself as a good citizen of the Kanien’keha:ka Nation. With language and culture a vital component to the values of the school, the task at hand isn’t always easy. The survival of a people who are regaining their nationhood with every passing generation is going to be difficult, but that doesn’t mean we stop striving for the best outcome. The three pieces in the school are meant to stand as a reminder of the resilience of not only the school’s founders, but of the current staff and student body. It was a pleasure to create with them.

Kahnawake CrossFit

“Comfort comes as a friends… and departs as the Master”

Inspired by the work of renowned Kanien’kehá:ka philosopher, poet, activist, and artist, Louis Karonhiaktaje Hall, this mural was an honour to have had the opportunity to create. In a busy gym located right in the heart of Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Territory (Kahnawake Crossfit) is where you’ll find this simple, yet stoic rendition of Louis Hall’s famous “Endurance” series. Physical well-being and tenacity are vital to ensuring that a Nation’s citizens can not only lead healthy lives for themselves, but healthy lives for their loved ones and future generations. The modern day Onkwehón:we live a life vastly different from the one of our ancestors. There is no debating that the comforts of western civilization have overtaken our everyday lives, from electricity to the automobile. Still, we today as Onkwehón:we from all different walks of life find ways to push back against the tidal wave that is “modernization” in many different ways.

So when one finds themselves in a gym pushed to their very limit, remember what a comfortable life we live compared to the one of our ancestors who gave their lives to ensure we can still be here today, as Onkwehón:we.