Coca-Cola art bottles celebrate the Four Host First Nations

Have you seen the giant decorated coke bottles on display at the Four Host First Nations Pavilion and Aboriginal Artisan Market?  The Coca-Cola Company, one of the sponsors of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games selected 15 Frist Nations, Inuit and Metis artists from across the country to participate in a bottle design.  Some of these bottles have been displayed at the Four Host First Nations pavilion market store.  Each of the designs tells a story by the First Nations artists who created them. Metis artist Lisa Shepherd, made a bottle wrapped in a multi-coloured Hudson’s Bay blanket and photographs of her Metis ancestors.  Her bottle is named “The Awakening” because of a quote by Louis Riel, considered by the Metis to be the Father of Confederation, who said “My people will sleep for 100 years and when they awaken, it will be the artists who will give them their spirit back.”

The participation of the Four Host First Nations in these Olympic Games has added an important aspect to the Games, bringing people together and spreading more knowlege to the world about the rich history of our Aboriginal people.

The decorated coke bottles have been auctioned for charity.  “The Awakening” , which was the final design in the national program, was auctioned at the BC Pavilion at the Vancouver Art Gallery.  Tewanee Joseph, chief executive officer of the Four Host First Nations started off the bidding with an offer of $2,500. Proceeds will help support the Vancouver 2010 Aboriginal Youth Legacy Fund.

For information about the auction see here and also here

Four Host First Nations Pavilion:  located at Georgia and Hamilton Streets.

Aboriginal Artisan Market: located at VCC,  Hamilton at Dunsmuir

PHOTOS by W. Ruth Kozak