Michael Cywink – “Cy”Artist/Author/Curator
Michael “Cy” Cywink is a band member to the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve on Manitoulin Island, which has been designated as a Cultural Capital in Canada, 1 of 5. He is also an alumnus to the Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Cy is an Independent Curator, previously he was the curator for the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, M'Chigeeng, Manitoulin Island; a First Nations cultural consultant with Walt Disney Imagineering/ Disney's America theme park project, Glendale, California. Throughout the 80's he was a Counsellor/ contract street worker in Toronto working with agencies such as Central Toronto Youth Services, Under 21 Covenant House, The Toronto Boy's Home and Native Men's Residence.
" I am originally out of a small village, one of the main stopping places for the Anishinabe while on their migrations long before contact, this place is now called Whitefish Falls and my father Nick Cywink Sr. was born there into the Cywink/Biidassige Bear Clan. He was a veteran of World War 2. A real warrior on two wheels, "One of the best snipers doing 40 mph", he'd say. He was sixteen when he enlisted into the Canadian Army and began his journey into the spirit world in 1990. I am of Shigwadja/Neganigwane through my mother Eva Neganigwane (Pheasant). She came from the nation's capital of South Bay. Her father, my Mishomis introduced me to the world as Mii Zhen. He held me in his hand and looked at my mother and said, " This is Mii Zhen, He Is Good For You". My mother is still with us.
Writing for me doesn't come as smoothly as coloring. There generates within me a different kind of energy that comes through word art. The Adventures of Crazy Turtle came out over a period of 20 or so years. And what an adventure it is. Crazy Turtle is the basis of my Creation Story. There is no end to a Creation Story, so there is no end to the Adventures of Crazy Turtle.
The concept of having a Turtle as the main character goes back to the times when everything around you is coming down, closing in. So just as a Turtle protects themself, we hide inside our shells, in this case, we hide inside our thoughts and feelings, and we build invisible walls around us to hide and protect our being, our true feelings. But Crazy Turtle goes beyond that, Crazy Turtle brings out a truth in us that we need no longer hide, we need no longer go away and try to run from our inner being. That in-turn everything remains the same and it is our inner awareness and perception on life that evolves around our time while here with Mother Earth.
Each of us as hue-man beings, have our own time here on this earth walk and, within our growing, as an individual we must adhere to the responsibilities of tradition and value, just as our Elders are the caretakers of cultural knowledge. It is truth when said that we are spirit beings living in the psychical gift of Creation, we are not human beings falling to our knees looking for a Spirit.
This is a story for Children of All Ages, It is meant to help one understand the spirit being inside their "shell." Have you lost the child in you?"
In my workshops I discuss "The makings of Crazy Turtle, how the adventure came to be and show accompanying illustrations. The Adventures of Crazy Turtle can be ordered directly through www.rainbooks.com ISBN 13: 978-1-897381-04-5.
Without the Language to be released December 2007
Michael Cywink, PO Box 36 , Whitefish Falls, Ontario, Canada, P0P 2H0
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