"David General adds contribution to exhibit"

The Medicine Wheel palatte (red, yellow, black and white) is used for The Language Vest. These colours represent the Four Directions and Four Races of Peoples. Although the Medicine Wheel is not part of traditional teachings in every nation or tribe of Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island (North America) - it is respected and held in high regard by all.

The Language Vest is an acknowlefgement of issues and conflicts that test the character of those who take up the challenges of leadership. Regardless of language, we all have words that describe admirable traits and qualities we want our leaders to possess.

"In Iroquoian culture they say, "If you want to be a leader you have to have skin seven layers thick. This work is a representation of that," said General in an interview.

"It's like the saying, I got your back. In this case you can have your own back when you look after the responsibilities of your office. Sometime you have to go out on a limb. You need to be courageous."

As for his career as an artist, it's full steam ahead. General recently installed a new work of sculpture, Turtle Island at the Toronto Zoo.

The work, an assemblage of marble, slate and limestone is fashioned to represent both a continent and an amphibian. The turtle is prominent in creation stories; as a clan symbol; in music; art and as the basis for indigenous lunar calendars. Flat store has been used to simplify the shell on Turtle Island to highlight a thirteen-section pattern - thirteen cycles of the Moon.