The new, expanded edition of this truly unique book presents one hundred and twenty-six stunning graphite pencil portraits, rendered with love, respect, and painstaking detail, each accompanied by an intimate profile that tells their stories. Assembled from oral accounts and anecdotes, these offer an incomparable glimpse into the experiences and history of the First Nations and Métis elders within—“the last generation born on the land.” Their poignant facial features, lines, and creases, weathered by the harsh outdoors and a lifetime of challenges, are like badges of their remarkable achievements, sustained resolve, inspired patience, and deep-set defiance to the hardships their people have endured over generations.
The masterful realism of Kuehl’s work helps uncover the tales of these seasoned individuals—their many triumphs and trials—revealing in turn a greater portrait of life in the communities of Northern Canada and the enduring legacy of its peoples.
Portraits of the North
Text and art by Gerald Kuehl