A shift in human/land relationships must be at the root of reconciliation efforts between Indigenous people and the Settler society of Canada. Critical to this renewal of human/land interrelations is the ever-growing climate crisis. The wildfires, heat domes, and atmospheric rivers we have experienced in the Okanagan crystallize the urgency for renewal. The Indigenous term, “all my relations”, extends beyond human interactions into all life-giving forces we share with the land, water, and every other living creature on Mother Earth. Renewed language and perspective can empower the reconciliation efforts required to manage the global climate crisis at the local level. This Meadowlark event aims to empower a shift in human/land reconciliation through creative dialogue. We welcome beginner and experienced artists/writers with a desire to participate in an innovative process that empowers a renewed shift in human/land relations. Participants should come prepared to engage in a creative writing or a visual art project.

Join Indigenous storyteller Henry Michel and Settler writer Don Gayton as we initiate this dialogue. We will go out onto the land, and start with a ceremonial welcome and introductions. Then we will write, sketch or both. In the in the afternoon we will gather in a sharing circle to present our creations and stories, and support each other’s creative work.