Carrying Tradition Forward

This piece is inspired by one of the first times I went sage picking with my uncle. On that day, he shared teachings with me about sage, proper picking protocols, stories connected to the land, reciprocity and how to speak to the medicines we take. This piece depicts a hand holding a bundle of sage against the backdrop of Nose Hill, a site where sage grows abundantly in Calgary. I chose this landscape because of its significance in my own experiences, and because it represents a place where knowledge, medicine, and story live.

In this piece, the sage represents a future grounded in traditional knowledge, ceremony, and land-based practices. Traditional medicines are not of the past, they are sacred “technologies” of care, connection, and cultural longevity. They are part of how we move forward.

The hand holding the sage symbolizes the act of carrying and sharing these teachings into future generations, continuing protocols, responsibilities, and ways of being that have sustained our communities since time immemorial. Much like how my uncle passed on the knowledge with me this summer. The loose representation of Nose Hill behind the bundle, and the hand blending into the ground below serves as a reminder that the land itself is a provider and teacher. It has always provided what we need, and it will continue to guide us if we maintain reciprocal relationships grounded in respect.

For Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples alike, the future depends on reconnecting to the land, honouring traditional methods and medicines. The future I imagine is one where we understand these practices not as “old ways,” but as pathways toward well-being, community, and relational kinship.

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