National Tribute Auction

Artist Statement Roland’s helmet artwork incorporates symbols representing many facets of his identity. The Indigenous Medicine Wheel symbolizes the interconnectedness of all life. An eagle feather, as the eagle is one of the most revered and sacred beings for the Anishinaabe people. The Royal Canadian Legion Poppy and the Canadian flag maple leaf to acknowledge Roland’s time in the Army. The screws have been highlighted in silver, as a nod to Roalnd’s role as a mechanic. The front paw print of a black bear; the bear represents strength and healing in Anishinaabe culture. Bullrushes are a reminder of the connection to the wetlands; the bulbs can be dug up to provide a vital source of sustenance in times of need. Wiikwemkoong is Roland’s family’s home community. Artist Bio Roland was born in Toronto at St. Michaels Hospital to Victoria and Alfonse. Roland was in foster care as a baby before being adopted by Harold and Rita at the age of three. He spent many years living in the Garden River First Nations community of Sault Ste. Marie. Roland is Anishinaabe-Ojibwe. His birth family are from Kaboni, a small community located within the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on the eastern peninsula of Manitoulin Island, Ontario. Roland feels he is still learning about and connecting with his Anishinaabe-Ojibwe culture. Roland joined the Canadian Army at 17. He was a mechanic and driver in the 26th Service Battalion Maintenance Company, spending time based in Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and Camp Borden. He served from 1977 to 1987. Roland has travelled across Canada twice, at times hitchhiking. He has lived in Winnipeg, Churchill, Gatineau, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver but always made his way back to Toronto. Roland worked many physically demanding jobs over the years; tobacco picking in Tillsonburg, tree planting north of Chapleau, working with his brother Glen as an arborist in Sault Ste. Marie, and unloading train boxcars in the Algoma district, a job that allowed him to sometimes eat and sleep on the train. Roland suffered a stroke in 2023 which caused left side paralysis and led him to move to Sunnybrook Veterans Centre in 2024. Roland has dabbled in painting over the years, and since his move to Sunnybrook Veterans Centre has been participating in art therapy regularly, learning to paint with his right hand and trying a variety of different materials. In his younger days, Roland enjoyed playing hockey, biking, fishing, hunting and swimming. Today, Roland still loves to be outside in nature. He is very fond of animals, enjoys watching movies, and loves having coffee with friends.