Participants in the Braids of Resistance workshops created braids to weave into a larger one, dedicating their portion to someone significant in their life. Ombaasin means “to be lifted by the wind” in Anishinaabemowin. The Ombaasin Collective is a team of word and image warriors which includes, Elwood...
A young Cherokee woman in traditional dress points toward the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, Nov. 30, 1942, which is considered a sacred site by the Cherokees. The unidentified woman is a graduate of a conventional school and the granddaughter of a chief. | Image Source: www.indiancountrytodaymedian...
The passion flower has medicinal uses that Amadahy is learning in her Curanderismo practice | Image source : Zainab Amadahy In Spanish curar means “to heal”. Curanderismo is the art of healing. The practice of the southwest of the US and Mexico has a variety of origins and influences. These in...
Picking out a handmade Iroquoian beaded souvenir at Niagara Falls was all the rage for Victorian ladies in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s.| Image Source: iroquoisbeadwork.blogspot.ca In the crowded pow wow arena – the beadwork of the Haudenosaunee people is unmistakable and instantly recognizable. Deli...
Image Source: Native Drums Website In Native culture, the drum represents the heartbeat of Mother Earth and is used in many spiritual and ceremonial practices. Here are seven captivating videos of Indigenous youth showing us how to rock the hand drum. Miigwetch (thank you) for sharing your powerful voic...
Image Source: Edmonton Journal In 1996 June 21st was declared as National Aboriginal Day in Canada. For generations, on summer solstice many Indigenous cultures have been coming together to celebrate the longest day of light, the summer season, and for people in the Great Lakes region, the strawberry mo...
Images from centuries old book used to teach Cree children english | Image Source: Crystal Sinclair For Crystal Sinclair it was painful to grow up feeling like an outcast in her own land, separated from her family into foster care and then be sent to a residential school – while seeing non-Natives...
There is no better (and fun) time to learn about your culture and identity than in summer. Culture camps offer an encouraging environment to learn about the beauty and worldviews embedded within Indigenous languages, culture, values and traditional teachings. Camps can be a place where Elders and youth...
Mary Lou and Dan Smoke. Photo: DodemKanonhsa.ca I realized that the reason I knew where to get those berries was because of the blood memory from my great-great-great grandmother back in 1542. Being an Elder is not something that people get to decide for themselves. Most often it is through their engage...
