Kaija Heitland

Bio-Nouveau Tattoo Artist - Vancouver Island, Canada

My name is Kaija Heitland and I am a Métis woman living on Vancouver Island, on the traditional lands of the Cowichan tribes. I belong to the Cowichan Valley Métis Community, though am originally from Northern Ontario. The Métis side of my family comes from the Hodgson and Denault lines. My other lineage is Sami, Scandinavian and German. I have been professionally doing graphic design for 10 years, tattooing for over 15, as well as a lifetime pursuing my traditional skills in beadwork and quillwork and the connections that they have to land-based practices. I am also a silversmith and I focus on using teeth and claws, by-products of Indigenous Hunting traditions, to create one-of-a-kind totemic pieces for my clients while highlighting the need for Indigenous voices in the dialogue for conservation and wildlife management and Indigenous food sovereignty.

In all my work, I focus on the need to reconnect to our traditional arts as a method for self-reclamation and strengthening our community bonds. These investigations into ourselves are essential to the preservation and evolution of Metis art and I focus on many different avenues including fabric, ceremonial items, moccasins, jewelry and regalia. I explore animal symbolism, plant medicine, and traditional food plants in my work, as these designs are an important part of our rich Métis culture of storytelling, and the story of our place in the culture of Indigenous British Columbia.