smoke
I think about my Indigenous people and what threatens us on a daily basis. I lay awake thinking about it, and in the morning when I wake, I refer to the dreams and see what the Spirits have offered in how to protect us.
This website is to protect us against Indigenous Identity Fraud, and that means silencing the Inauthentic Voice that seeks to speak for us. It ALSO means the Inauthentic Art, the Inauthentic Visions of Indigeneity that are floating out in cyberspace across social media and digital platforms, telling the world who we are, who we ought to be, and we must apply Indigenous Identity Fraud here, also.
A.I. … IS… Indigenous Identity Fraud.
Artifical Intelligence is not the authentic voice, visions, imagery, sounds or any sort of sensual representation of Indigenous people. It is a very well contructed algorithm.
However, I see so many Red Flags to see what I’ve seen across my online excursions over these last months. I see A.I. generated models (humanoid) of such impossible perfection that I fear for those who will develop body dysmorphia and low self confidence, unable to attain these exacting perfections, proportions - they simply do not exist. I see A.I. generated clothing on these A.I. generated models that were created by A.I. - not from the imagination of the brilliant artisans from my nations along the Kootenay, the Ottawa, from the Yinta, Daki Menan, or any other beautiful place on Turtle Island.
I also see, in not too many years from now, the mass unemployment of talented Indigenous artists, songwriters, scupltors, jewellers, singers, designers, carvers and all other creatives that light up our runways, arbours, schools and spaces. We have been replaced by an algorithm that does everything for FREE - we have already been reduced to sharing the best artists we have made the jump to digital art - for free - across all social media platforms. Buying an original painting is becoming a rare event, and we really have to consider the implications of being fascinated by the artifical things at our fingertips.
“Ask it about the Jingle Dress!” (Chat A.I.)
“A.I. thinks I look like this!” (Lensa A.I., the Mortal Combat Filter etc)
Filter after filter wears away at our sense of self, our IDENTITY, and these are the concepts we have to confront and see past to the FUTURE, to protect our people and our very nationhood.
“It’s harmless. Everyone’s doing it anyway.”
And that’s the problem. The complacency is as widespread as the theft from Indigenous artists.
As a Creative, as an Indigenous Matriarch, the rise of A.I. is 100% Indigneous Identity Fraud and a very real threat to our nationhood and identity. Consider this before choosing what to share digitally, and when leaning in with your phone in the presences of other human beings to show them “Hey, check this out!” You are teaching them what you find fascinating, and this human and other humans… will try to please you in the manner that fascinates you.
Instead of lauding what the algorithm did, be fascinated what the Creator did, instead.
That’s where the Spirits live, in what Creator made.
Crystal Semaganis
