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Teasing The Fox

Part of Dr. Shirley Cheechoo’s healing process as a residential school survivor was to paint memories of her childhood before she was taken from her parents. Teasing the Fox is one of these poignant personal experiences. As a member of James Bay Cree Nation, at a young age Cheechoo lived on a trapline in Moose Factory, located in Northeastern Ontario. According to the artist, this work depicts the time when Cheechoo and her brother were told to go and check the snares. While doing this they came upon a fox and two rabbits running around in a game of predator versus prey tag. Together Cheechoo and her brother scared away the fox. The rabbits then gave the siblings one last look (perhaps of gratitude) and hopped away.

Painted as a stylized graphic, the strong vertical pattern of the trees, presumably of different species, breaks the dominant white and blue horizon. These elements evoke the calmness and peacefulness of a clear blue winter day. The flatness of the acrylic paint application, the cool palette and linear tree shapes aid in evoking the vastness of the landscape and sky.

The decisive moment of action is front and centre, with the squinting sly fox, front paw raised, appearing to be calculating the next move. The sweet-looking bunnies alternate between being alert, being poised to spring into flight and crouching using its white fur as camouflage in the snow. Wrapped up in their own intense drama, these creatures are oblivious to the observing children.

The uneasy tension embedded in this work is palpable. The viewer does not know the outcome of the story. In addition to the cat-and-mouse dance playing out, both the fox and rabbits are desired targets for the snares. The theme of threat and danger is balanced by the austere and simplified depiction of the scene.

The style of this work has been categorized as the “Woodland School.” Due to the use of strong black outlines and saturated areas of bold colours, this canvas demonstrates evidence of Cheechoo’s instruction in painting by Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation (PNIAI) artists Carl Ray (Cree, 1943–1978) and Daphne Odjig, CM, OBC (Odawa-Potawatomi-English, 1919–2016).

Perhaps more well-known for her work in film and television than visual art, Dr. Shirley Cheechoo is a champion for Indigenous and women’s rights. As founder and artistic director of the Weengushk Film Institute located in M’Chigeeng, on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Cheechoo shared in 2021 that she has dedicated her career to helping youth open doors and “become part of the creative community.”

This work became part of the Senate’s collection through a donation by former senator Nancy Ruth in 2014. Ms. Ruth purchased this work in 1983 and enjoyed it in her personal collection for 20 years. Senator Ruth shares Cheechoo’s values in terms of her work advocating for women’s rights. Her motivation to donate the work to the Senate was for it to be displayed in the Indigenous Peoples Committee Room in Centre Block. This prominent space was also used for several functions in Parliament including hosting conferences, charity events, and school programs until Centre Block’s closure for rehabilitation in 2018.

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Mary Reid is the Director and Curator of the Woodstock Art Gallery in Woodstock, Ontario.