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Join LIFE as Medicine: Circle of Indigenous Healing Art for our upcoming virtual series, starting January 2025
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WINTER'S GREETINGS - PEACE ON EARTH
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Winter Solstice is a time to recognize natural cycles of Mother Earth, and to reflect and replenish our Spirits. If you feel moved to do so, please consider making a donation and supporting our work and play.
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Register now for upcoming InterDependence Series
First Session January 11, 2025
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Are you inSpired to deepen your knowledge about Indigenous Healing Wisdoms and Practices for working, playing and praying with Indigenous Peoples? Are you on a Healing Journey and would appreciate support with integrating holistic, strength-oriented, creative, and collaborative practices offered by skilled and knowledgeable Indigenous Teachers and Healers? What do Our Ancestors/Descendants wish to Share with us? We will be flowing with in two well-loved Indigenous Healing Practices: the Medicine Wheel and the Sharing Circle. First session begins January 11, 2025.
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Sixties Scoop: Stories of Hope and Resilience
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LIFE as Medicine is honoured to announce that we have recently received funding through a grant from The National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation to provide opportunities to bring healing to Sixties Scoop Survivors, descendants, and family members in Mi’kma’ki.
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We held a special gathering to Launch on Sept 23, 2024 at Camp Kidston, NS, and several additional events and offerings since. We have plans for several more Healing Opportunities in 2025.
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All Healing Opportunities have Opening Ceremonies, cultural support and healing arts, and provides times and spaces to connect with other Survivors and members of the LIFE as Medicine Leadership and Support Team.
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Upcoming Sixties Scoop Healing Offerings -
Weekly Grounding and Relaxation Sessions
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“We all carry the seeds of trauma, yet we all carry the medicine to heal.” Richard Wagamese Embers: One Ojibway’s Meditations.
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Please join us for our new Grounding Relaxation and Support weekly group hosted by Dr Fyre Jean Graveline, Lynn Fraser, and other LIFE as Medicine collaborators.
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We open with a smudge then go into a grounding and relaxation practice to help calm anxiety, regulate our nervous system, and build resilience and strength.
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Trauma is stored in our body and causes us to disconnect from ourselves, our sense of value, and the present moment. Intergenerational trauma, and the trauma of everyday life activates our nervous system, and it can take patience and support to recover and heal.
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“Along with building new empowered neural networks, neurodecolonization activities are aimed at deactivating old,
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ineffective brain networks that support destructive thoughts, emotions, memories and behaviours, particularly, past and contemporary oppressions associated with colonialism.” Michael Yellow Bird, MSW, PhD
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Somatic mindfulness (awareness in our body) helps us to build the strength and resilience we need to heal trauma and be connected in our daily life. In these practices, we use our eyes to locate ourselves in this time and space. We breathe to signal safety to our nervous system through a smooth continuous flow of air. We allow our muscles to soften and our body to be supported by the Earth. We gradually experience more comfort in being present with the sensations and energies in our body and have increasing confidence in the power of these practices and tools.
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Sixties Scoop Gathering at the Halifax Library
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On December 2, LIFE as Medicine, the Sixties Scoop Survivors First Voice Leadership team and their families and supporters gathered at the Halifax Central Library to come together in Kjipuktuk to acknowledge the Sixties Scoop survivors and to celebrate the book launch of Finding Otipemisiwak: The People Who Own Themselves, written by Andrea Currie.
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Pictured above is Darlene Gilbert part of our courageous First Voice Leadership Team, along with five other survivors who centre Voices of those whose lives have been forever altered because of the Sixties Scoop practices.
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Afterwords
Literary Festival
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In November LIFE as Medicine were honoured to attend a wonderful event hosted by AfterWords Literary Festival at the Black Cultural Centre in Dartmouth. We were treated to book readings from young poet Atharv Mahajan, Saulteaux Métis writer, healer and activist Andrea Currie, and Charlene Carr, author of We Rip the World Apart.
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Join us May 2025 Me as Tree: We as Forest
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Want to Deepen your Rootedness? Expand your Reach towards Sky Energies? Share your Blossoms, Fruits, Seeds and Nuts in an OpenHearted Community?
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Consider Joining LIFE as Medicine for a fun-filled land based Eco-Arts Healing Retreat.
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We Deepen our Healing processes through collaborating on We as Forest coCreations and sharing our Curiosities and Inspirations through Song, Dance and Spoken Word. We close our Sacred Space in Ceremony to Bless Trees and Honor We as Forest.
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Photos taken Fall 2024 Camp Kidston
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Upcoming ReMatriating Our Bodies May 2025
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JOIN US in May 2025 for a Land Based Arts Based Healing Journey to acknowledge and appreciate our Diverse Bodies and all the ways in which We can All engage in Mothering as a LIFE revering ReMatriating practice. Experience Arts Based, Land Based Healing inspired by Indigenous Matriarchs, GrandMothers and Wisdom Weavers.
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Through ReMatriating Practices We seek to Honor and reCreate PeaceFull, SustainAble and Inclusive Indigenist Knowledges: We Honor our Gender Fluid and Earth Loving Ancestral
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Connections. We know: Resisting All Forms of Domination is Necessary for our Collective emPowerment. For more details contact info@lifeasmedicine.ca
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Pictured below a cocreated Eco Nest
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We were honoured to attend Dreamers' Gala
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Pictured above LIFE as Medicine Collaborators Lynn Fraser, Fyre Jean Graveline, Liliami Maney, and Nukumi Selina White Buffalo Star Woman.
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Thanks to a generous donation LIFE as Medicine joined Ulnooweg for the Dreamers’ Gala fundraising event of the season on December 12th, 2024 and enjoyed Alan Syliboy & the Thundermakers, and Samaqani Cocahq featuring The Hello Crows. We celebrated Indigenous-led initiatives in land-based learning and contributed to the efforts being made to heal the hemlocks at Asitu’lisk.
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We Attended a Local Mi'kmaq Production: Winter Moons
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LIFE as Medicine attended Winter Moons at the Neptune Theatre. Winter Moons was directed by shalan joudry (Koqm), the story follows the teachings of L'nu (Mi'kmaw) fire keepers carrying an ember through the three moons of winter. Using the backdrop of a harsh winter being a catalyst for profound transformation, Winter Moons weave legends, star stories, and contemporary dance to express the realities of living off the land in a long ago Mi'kma'ki winter.
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We Offer Tips for a More Sustainable 2025
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