The Land Speaks

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Mol'farka's Apprentice: I am re-member-ing myself. Early in life, I worked as a professional artist. I became a mom at age 21 and again at 22. By 23 I let go of aspirations to live and work as an artist. However, art did not let go of me. I continued to paint and craft. I knew I would eventually return full time. At 45, the land became my teacher. In patient and sometimes harsh lessons, curtains were peeled from my heart to reveal privilege and blindness to my responsibility to the land, spirits, ancestors, and the People’s whose lands I live upon. Reorienting myself has been uncomfortably slow and humbling, with a lot of ass-backward learning. At 51, I dove into the traditional folk practices of my Ukrainian ancestors, exploring the question: How do Ukrainian Canadians root their sacred healing knowledge and traditions in a land where they are (invited/ uninvited) guests? Seasonal & life rites, folk healing, and traditional handwork inform my teaching and professional art & craft practice. Whether mentoring or creating, I work in ceremony, with prayer and intention to inspire relational living – to the land; to each other; and to spirits, ancestors, and traditions.

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