Featured Artists
Sandra Lamouche ·
Sandra Lamouche is a nehiyaw iskwew (Cree Woman) from the Bigstone Cree Nation in Northern Alberta. Sandra is a Women’s Champion hoop dancer, an award-winning Indigenous education leader, TEDx Speaker, award winning children’s author, transdisciplinary artist and choreographer. She received her B.A. in Native American Studies from the University of Lethbridge. She has a Master’s degree in Indigenous Studies from Trent University, on Indigenous Dance and Well-being. She uses the multidisciplinary nature of Indigenous Studies in her work, from women’s studies to Indigenous law courses and beyond. She has over thirty years of experience as a dancer. Having trained in ten international styles of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, powwow styles, and the hoop dance. She has gained most recognition as a Hoop Dancer and has been showcased and performed internationally. The hoop dance and its teachings of unity, balance, equality and interconnectedness of creation to inform her practices. This often includes land-based practices, environmental and climate related topics as well as, social justice issues.
Out of Wounds
Out of Wounds (21 min.) is born from the sensory experience of dealing with anxiety. During a time of heightened anxiety, I started craving the scent of wagimauskigan, the diamond willow fungus. My mother and her father, Nimosom, my grandfather, used to burn the fungus for smudge and prayer and I found that it calmed me when I meditated. I started carrying it with me and got curious about the teachings, meaning and traditional uses of diamond willow. I learned that the fungus was valued for its scent among Cree people. Cree women carved the fungus, fashioning beads for necklaces from it for spiritual protection. Sometimes, they even made necklaces for the horses. I found photos of Cree men clad in robes (blankets) with the fungus sewn into the shoulders. Discovering that Cree people had worn it at one time, like I had been doing, I felt like a blood memory had been activated. I was able to uncover 'knew knowledge' and revive old practices mostly forgotten. Then as I continued to learn about the diamond willow from a scientific stand point, I learned that the fungus grows out of the wounds of trees. I was blown away as my own discovery of the diamond willow and practices that literally grew from my own woundedness of growing through the difficulties of anxiety and trauma. I was able to create medicine out of my own wounds, just like the diamond willow. This concept, growing out of wounds, compelled me to explore more through movement and embody this journey of awakening, transformation, healing and resilience.
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ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ
nehiyawewin (7 min.)
This performance is inspired by the cree language in relations to my family and I. I was first inspired while learning Cree with my mom and writing syllabics. I saw the movement within them as if they came to life as little spirits and dance across the page.
I asked my mom to translate some phrases that were related to my experiences of my mosom only speaking Cree, a dream I had where I could understand Cree.
I told her that my heart aches to speak Cree. She paused and thought for a moment. She said she wouldn’t say it that way. She would say, in my heart I love Cree. Tears welled up in my eyes. What a beautiful way to express this feeling. Turning loss into love and healing.
I am learning Cree.
emaci nehiyaweyan.
ᐁᒪᒋ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᔭᐣ