Bakwene Makwa, Smokey Bear in Anishinaabemowin, is a two-channel projection made with Blake Angeconeb and commissioned by the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. It answers the rising frequency and intensity of wildfire in Northern Ontario. We took the most familiar fire-prevention mascot in the country and gave him back to the land in Woodland line. Viewers can walk in front of the bear and behind him.

The work premiered in Woodland POP!, which gathered eight artists Indigenizing pop culture across acrylic and digital painting, NFTs and tattoo. The show traced how the internet is fuelling a revitalization of the Woodland style. Bakwene Makwa is now in the gallery's collection.