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Hamilton Spectator
02-08-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
ALCLA's conservation work with native plants and reciprocal relationships
(ANNews) – Traditional Indigenous plant medicines are plants that grow locally, also known as native plants. They grow in specific regions without the involvement of human interference. In other words these plants thrive based on their ecosystem that aids them to flourish under the right growing conditions. Native plants can be perennials, annuals, and biennials in their native habitat depending on the plant species. They are low maintenance and are taken care of by all the elements in nature. In each region around the world, native plants exist and come in different varieties of plants, where no two are alike. All our ancestors lived among plants that were native to their homelands, bringing them nourishment in abundance for people to thrive as food, shelter, oxygen, tools, and various creative ways that aided people in good health and well-being. Another important key component with native plants is how they support our ecosystem, especially our pollinator friends that in turn help plants nourish everyone and everything that resides on Mother Earth. One company in Southern Alberta that is helping these native plants thrive is ALCLA Native Plants by engaging in 'ways of seeing how we interact with nature,' said Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed, a team member, botanist and herbalist, for the sole purpose of increasing the biodiversity in native plants that are on the decline. Both Pelletier-Ahmed and her partner at ALCLA Ben Hartney , who holds a Red Seal Certificate in Landscape Horticulture, have been lovers of plants all their lives. So, when the opportunity to purchase ALCLA in 2019 came up, the two made a heartfelt decision to further their 'relationship with plants in a meaningful way,' said Hartney. Through ALCLA's commitment to building sustainable plant relationships in an ethical way, ALCLA also offers educational programs. Topics include: how plants grow, plant relationships with animals and humans, plant identification, horticulture-related subjects, and anything related to how native plants play a role within our ecosystem. 'One native plant makes life thrive, and you can help those tiny beings by being a refuge for them. The life of these native plants can be in abundance, and we all have a responsibility to take part in it,' shared Pelletier-Ahmed on how if everyone grew native plants in their own neighborhoods or helped support native plants to thrive in a meaningful way, we could all be a part of something bigger that supports the longevity of our ecosystems. ALCLA also offers native plants and seeds for purchase on their website. In their plant nursery they specialize in Alberta native plant production and genetics in the Treaty 7 region, including grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs plugs and seeds. Seeds from these native plants germinate according to their life cycle while considering temperature, genetics, and environmental guidance. With the level of habitat loss increasing, ALCLA encourages teachings that were passed on to them from Blackfoot knowledge keepers on how to sustain the life of these traditional plants. Protocol is the fundamental teacher of slowing down to engage in a reciprocal relationship built on learning without taking. Start with honouring the plant; some Indigenous cultural practices include putting tobacco down as a form of good relationships and respect. Tobacco that is used in ceremony is a traditional Indigenous medicine but not native to Canada because it does not have a long and hot enough growing season, and although the plant is used widely in exchange of reciprocal relationships, it is also important to understand the practice of being mindful when engaging in relationships, especially within the plant world. 'Never pick the first plant you see and only pick what you need. You don't know who else has been there to harvest,' said Latifa, because that might be the only plant there is, and although these plants may seem to thrive in abundance, that is not always the case. With larger populations and plant medicines becoming more popular, part of the work that ALCLA does directly relates to how we can sustain the native plants within our ecosystems so there will be enough for future generations to learn from and live among. ALCLA collaborates with numerous organizations including the Alberta Native Bee Council, Alberta Native Plant Council, Bee City Canada, Buffalo Rock Tipi Camp, Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation, Edmonton Native Plant Society, and Grassland Restoration Forum by working together to conserve native plant species. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Author Jessica Johns: How storytelling shaped the way she walks in the world
(ANNews) – 'Storytelling was a big part of my life while growing up in Treaty 8,' author of Bad Cree, Jessica Johns shared. 'I was always surrounded by family telling stories and jokes.' And for Johns, a member of Sucker Creek First Nation, family is everything – especially when it comes to understanding what an auntie means. In nehiyawe, the Cree language, nikawiys (meaning auntie), literally translates as my mother's sister, my second mom, with the understanding of 'we take care of each other, always' – kinship. These memories tied to Johns' childhood were of her own aunties, how they were always together cooking, crafting, organizing – with storytelling being in the center of it all. Johns' family inspired her, where she thought a lot about stories leading her to want to learn how to write and find her voice within her writing. As her writing craft grew, she started to incorporate her craft into her everyday life, like with family, she built a relationship with the ways she walks with storytelling. Finding balance with her writing also became important, with a deep understanding of teachings from the medicine wheel. 'I made sure to take time for my health,' shared Johns. 'For me, writing is part of my mental and spiritual health and also knowing how to find balance when writing. Taking care of my physical health through movement was also something I learned along the way'. Over time, Johns came to know things differently and to understand that 'writing can't happen if you are not in the world experiencing it,' she said. So far, her journey has taught her that developing her craft has been a personal journey of building that relationship with storytelling, that everyone will experience writing and the way they go about writing, differently. 'Being involved in ceremony made my life so much better,' Johns emphasized on how it became an important practice in her life. 'It is a place where I can emotionally and spiritually connect with myself.' In turn, ceremony became an understanding of her relationship to Mother Earth, 'I started to build a deeper relationship with the land and water, and how significant it became for my writing.' All-in-all, for Johns, 'ceremony lead me in a good way, taught me to be more mindful, and had a positive impact on me.' Jessica Johns debut novel, Bad Cree , won the MacEwan Book of the Year award, along with the 2024 Alex Awards; the book was also on the 2024 CBC Canada Reads longlist. When Johns is not writing, she practices her skills as an auntie while working as the Indigenous Initiatives Lead for the FIRE (funding indigenous resurgence in Edmonton) at the Edmonton Heritage Council . Laura Mushumanski is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Wîhkwêntôwin Unveils Mural Celebrating Indigenous Roots and Community Unity in Edmonton
(ANNews) – The Wîhkwêntôwin Community League unveiled a mural painted by a local Indigenous artist on July 12, reflecting the inclusivity behind Edmonton's largest neighbourhood's new Cree name. Kayla Bellerose painted the mural, which is displayed in the tunnel that's shared by a bike path and the High Level Bridge Streetcar tracks, located just north of Constable Ezio Faraone Park. Since the mural sits along two transport networks, an event celebrating the unveiling was held at the park, with live music, vendors, games, and free bannock, tea and ice cream. Volunteers took attendees who wanted to see the mural on a tour every half hour. Bellerose, who is First Nations from Treaty 8 on her mother's side, said her mural was inspired by the river valley. 'The neighbourhood is so close to the river, so I often go on walks to spend time with nature,' she explained to volunteers and dignitaries during the first tour of the day. Bellerose highlighted the pollinators on the mural, including the bumblebee and swallowtail butterfly. 'I don't know about you, but when I go on walks in the river valley, I'm often eating Saskatoons. They're super ripe right now, so I wanted to include plants that I often would see on my walks,' she added. The mural also includes people Bellerose sees on her regular walks, including elderly people on a stroll, a mother walking her baby in a stroller, a couple on a date and a person in a wheelchair wearing an Oilers jersey. She also was sure to include an image of her dog, Willow. There are seven flowers representing seven generations into the future. The words, Together, we are stronger, are written across the mural, a phrase Bellerose said she saw written down during an engagement session at last year's community league BBQ. 'That really stood out to me when I was coming up with the concept of that idea that we are stronger together as a collective. Because right now in society, there's so much division and separation from one another,' the artist said. 'It's not productive. It's not helpful. 'All of us are connected. All of us are related. We're all human beings, living here, sharing this land as Treaty people. Let's respect each other, let's be kind to each other, let's live together as a community.' In January 2024, the community league announced that the neighbourhood formerly known as Oliver would henceforth be known as Wîhkwêntôwin , which translates to 'circle of friends' in Cree. The community's previous namesake—Frank Oliver—was a notorious racist, who advocated for the forced removal of First Nations communities, including the Papaschase band, as a Liberal MP and publisher of the Edmonton Bulletin. The process of renaming the neighbourhood, which sits just west of downtown, began in 2020 with the #UncoverOliver campaign, representing the first instance of a community-led process to rename a neighbourhood that was named after a problematic figure. In attendance at the mural unveiling were Edmonton-Centre MLA David Shepherd and his local NDP caucus colleague Janis Irwin, Ward O-day'min city councillor Anne Stevenson and Edmonton Public School Board trustee Julie Kusiek. 'The man that this community used to be named for, was someone who had a very small vision of what it meant to be Albertan, of who belonged in this community and who belonged in our province, who deserved to have a voice and hold power,' said Shepherd. He praised the 'diligent work' of the community league, which involved 'some great community conversation' with Indigenous, Black and other community leaders, 'to find a new name that truly represented who we are as Albertans now and what this community is.' 'The new name—Wîhkwêntôwin—I think, embraces a much bigger vision of who we are,' Shepherd said, calling Bellerose's mural a 'beautiful representation' of this vision. Coun. Stevenson called the mural a 'lasting gift that Kayla has given to the community.' 'Wîhkwêntôwin is the perfect name for this neighborhood—it is truly a circle of friends,' she said. 'But I also think of the circle of keepers, and those are the volunteers at the community league who make the intentional effort to create spaces for us to come together in community.' Kusiek, whose Ward D includes the newly named Wîhkwêntôwin School, noted that Bellerose's mural 'celebrates every single person in this community.' She said that the process the community league went through in renaming the community 'was so well done' that it made it easy for the public school board to rename the former Oliver School. 'This is the name that best fits this school and school community, and when I look at that mural, we are stronger together,' said Kusiek. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
21-07-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Karen MacKenzie shares her understandings of ‘Wise Practices'
(ANNews) – Since hearing her mother's advice, 'be a good mixer,' Karen MacKenzie, Co-Founder and President of MacKintosh Consulting, an Indigenous owned, international company, has walked with these words of wisdom of how to be in the world. 'I was taught the importance of walking into any space and being able to connect with someone or something is part of being [in good relations],' said MacKenzie. For Karen, her strength comes from knowing how to be self-sufficient and a good mixer – that eventually led her to finding magic in the field of science when studying chemistry. These teachings have shaped how she walks in her current role as a leader, consultant, mentor, and neighbour. MacKenzie's approach to engaging with others is through lateral kindness. Whether she is working with organizations, teams, families, communities, or individuals, she helps them 'move from where they currently are to where they want to be.' 'It is really all about relationships,' said MacKenzie, 'I help connect people in a good way. I am only there as a guide, auntie and kohkom.' 'There are many ways to [get to] where we want to be, through wise practices. There is not only one way of doing things. Everyone comes from a genius—our role is to bring that out,' shared MacKenzie on how she engages with others. She believes that everyone has their own talents and gifts – their own genius. Having a sacred circle is also an important part in engaging in good relations, by building and connecting in harmonious ways, and by lifting each other up. 'In knowing our circles are sacred, it is about ceremony and learning where the magic will happen. In a circle we are looking for diversity—diversity of being and thinking. The role is to try and pull this genius out from inside of us. As Indigenous people, we always had to think outside the box that helped us get to a solution that is unique and simple. Change is our reality—the seasons change, we don't get to decide, we get to respond!' For MacKenzie, it is about looking at community being bigger and wider, and basing it on the ways she was raised from a Cree-Metis perspective of inclusion and abundance. These wise practices come with understanding that, 'Creator made us smart enough to figure it out. If I can't figure it out, then I will find someone that will and [go about it] in a good way.' That understanding gives MacKenzie the confidence to speak up about how Indigenous ways of knowing are very strong and positive and continue to teach her the philosophy of living a good life. 'This can be a wake-up call to do something different, and the core of it is that everything has meaning—it is just up to us [to discover] what that meaning is. And the understanding that we have a relationship. Every morning as the sun rises, 20 little brown birds are waiting for me to come outside and fill the feeder—I honour them, it is a reciprocal relationship. There is so much going on if we open our hearts and our spirits.' Advice MacKenzie would gift to her younger self, 'Find joy wherever you go and know that you are part of a bigger community. Share a language of love and kindness, because when we lift each other up, we start changing the world and ourselves.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Vancouver's Housing Freeze Draws Fire from Indigenous rights advocates
(ANNews) – In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES), Indigenous people make up a disproportionate share of the unhoused population – a direct result of colonial dispossession, poverty, and systemic neglect. Now, a new policy from Mayor Ken Sim's municipal government threatens to deepen this crisis. In February, Vancouver city council voted to freeze the construction of new supportive housing. The decision, led by Sim and his ABC Vancouver party, halts the development of units meant for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Sim argued that Vancouver already provides 77 per cent of Metro Vancouver's supportive services while housing only 25 per cent of the region's population, claiming a pause is needed to 'renew aging stock.' But for many Indigenous advocates and housing organizers, the mayor's math is a smokescreen. The move exposed divisions at city hall. Councillors Pete Fry, Lisa Dominato, and independent Rebecca Bligh opposed the freeze. Bligh, ousted from ABC for resisting similar cuts, had called for provincial consultation – a move many see as clashing with the mayor's top-down style. Adding to concerns is Sim's push to dissolve Vancouver's elected park board – despite ABC's sweep of city council, school board, and park board seats in 2022. Critics see this as a consolidation of power that mirrors his handling of the housing file. Sim insists his government wants to 'address the root causes of homelessness.' Yet his actions suggest otherwise. While invoking provincial and federal responsibility, his policies freeze funding streams and delay badly needed construction – passing the buck in a bureaucratic game of hot potato. As the City of Vancouver halts new supportive housing, Nonprofit-organization is scaling up. CityReach Care Society executive director Simon Gau is leading efforts to prevent homelessness before it begins; prevention, not pause, should be focused. 'We've just entered our second year of federal funding through the Reaching Home initiative – around $400,000 to help prevent homelessness before it starts,' Gau explains. 'Our goal is to reverse-engineer homelessness by identifying individuals and families at risk, building relationships, and giving them tools to remain housed.' Simon shared that CityReach is expanding its services through 'The Hope project' which 'is an extension of our Club Freedom program, which already connects with vulnerable populations by providing hot meals, spiritual care, street outreach, and prison outreach.' The organization plans to demonstrate the impact of its current federal funding by exceeding expectations and using the results to advocate for increased funding and program expansion. But it begs a question, where is the municipal funding if this is a proven effective program that efficiently offloads government responsibility? Echoes of Colonial Urban Policy The freeze comes amid renewed scrutiny of how municipal governments perpetuate the legacy of Indigenous displacement – not just in rural land seizures, but through urban renewal agendas. Jean Barman's seminal article Erasing Indigenous Indigeneity in Vancouver traces how 19-century development efforts targeted Indigenous settlements near False Creek, often under moralizing claims about 'drunkenness' and disorder. Today's language may be less overt, but the message remains. Sim has described DTES single-room occupancy buildings as 'crumbling,' 'unlivable,' and 'infested,' justifying intervention not with compassion but condemnation. Sim's latest proposal – a 're-unification roundtable' to help relocate Indigenous residents to their home nations – is framed as a healing initiative. But Indigenous critics warn it could become a modern rebranding of removal. 'Health outcomes are better when you are in your community,' Sim has said, pledging you don't have to leave if you don't want to; yet, your consent is manufactured. Still, the optics of moving Indigenous people out of a gentrifying urban core ring familiar. As Barman noted, settler officials once rationalized displacement with the belief that Indigenous people could simply be relocated to a 'just as convenient' space. These rationalizations haven't disappeared – they've just changed their packaging. A Haunting Familiar to Alberta The story unfolding in Vancouver resonates deeply with Indigenous communities in Alberta. In Edmonton, urban development has repeatedly clashed with encampments set up by unhoused residents – many of them Indigenous. In Calgary, the Beltline and East Village have seen Indigenous residents pushed out by condo projects and commercial rezoning. Amber Dean, writing in The West and Beyond, calls these areas 'haunted' by colonial logic. The DTES – and by extension, similar districts across the country – are frequently framed as both overcrowded and empty, dangerous yet disposable. This 'frontier logic,' a term coined by legal geographer Nicholas Blomley, equates poverty with waste and vacancy – making removal seem not just rational, but necessary. This language masks the lived realities of Indigenous people who remain rooted in place despite generations of exclusion. It sanitizes policy and rebrands displacement as 'revitalization.' Who Belongs in the City? Sim's approach – pausing housing, sidelining dissent, and floating voluntary relocation – reflects a broader question: who gets to belong in cities like Vancouver, Edmonton, or Calgary? In the past, cities erased Indigenous presence through overt policy. Today, displacement occurs through more subtle tools: rezoning, housing freezes, and political messaging that casts social responsibility as a burden. Unless these policies are challenged, they will continue to treat Indigenous people as temporary guests in their own territories – instead of the permanent, self-determining communities they are. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
