This photo gallery follows Eric G. Martin, an Indigenous artist from Six Nations of the Grand River, and
his return to traditional stone carving as a form of healing and cultural reconnection. After illness
and disability left him unable to work and struggling with depression, Eric returned to carving as a way
to rebuild both body and spirit.
For Eric, stone carving is a relationship rather than a
technique.
Each stone carries memory, and each animal form holds meaning passed down through generations. Through
slow, physical labor, carving reconnects him with his ancestors, restores a sense of purpose, and
sustains cultural continuity. The work presents creation as a process of healing rooted in connection to
land, lineage, and the enduring presence of Indigenous knowledge carried through art.