HSFM | Land Blessing to Welcome New Season

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Land Blessing to Welcome New Season of Farmers’ Market

Photo courtesy of @alphahousecalgary

Originally posted to the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association blog on June 21st in collaboration with the HS Farmers’ Market.

A land blessing was held at the HSCA prior to opening the 2021 Outdoor Season. As farmers and food producers, we are deeply connected to the Land. Our relationship to the Land supports our families and communities. We acknowledge and honour those who have been and continue to be stewards of these Lands since time immemorial. The intention of this blessing is to hold space and build bridges with our Indigenous community members; this is the first of many upcoming opportunities to listen, to share, and to foster new connections.  

The Blessing began with a smudge, then Elder Earnest Poundmaker gave thanks to the land and the peoples whose traditional territories on which we stand. These Lands hold the histories of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations; the Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley First Nations, and the Tsuut'ina Nation families and Ancestors, and the Métis community, specifically the Métis Nation Region Three. Elder Poundmaker then offered a prayer in Cree language inviting others to participate in prayer however they choose to pray. 

The singers from Stoney, Blood, and Cree Nations continued to offer prayer through four songs; one song to honour each of the four directions. During these songs, a crow crossed behind the singers. Wade Maude shared teachings about the significance of the crow: 

The crow spirit is the embodiment of creator, keeper of natural law, and symbol of rebirth and change. This crow coming to join in song is a physical manifestation that creator is happy with what we are doing. The crow gives guidance from creator to indicate that we are on the right path.

Strengthening relationships with Indigenous community members and knowledge holders is essential to building resilient communities and food systems. Building bridges and relationships will revitalize our communities and is important to our social, environmental, and economic wellbeing. It is our collective responsibility to continue stewardship of this Land for our communities and future generations. 

In honour of Indigenous Heritage Month, we call on our communities to reflect on the teachings of this Blessing and engage in meaningful conversations. We invite you to share in the comments, or send your thoughts to Stephanie.c@hsca.ca

RESOURCES

HSFM | Vendor Feature: Mary Lamola

The following was originally posted to Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids blog on March 30 in collaboration with the HS Farmers’ Market.

“Mary is a member of the BB4CK delivery driver team – she has been volunteering since September 2020!

A delivery day for Mary starts by heading to the kitchen, picking up her route schedule, and the food that she needs to deliver. “[The route] is already planned and the way it is set up is good,” says Mary, so she starts from the first school and finishes up with the last delivery on the list.

Mary loves anything to do with food and helping out; she notes "with my nursing background, I also know the importance of nutrition in promoting good health. Food plays a big role in healing - from a simple gesture such as making a cup of tea for comfort to making a well-balanced meal to share with friends and family."

When her kids were little, she knew of folks that were volunteering but she didn’t have the opportunity to volunteer herself. When she was speaking with her children about wanting to volunteer, one told her about BB4CK, so she applied and then joined the BB4CK volunteer community shortly after that.

Mary’s love for connecting food and community is highlighted as Mary is also a weekly vendor at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association (HSCA) Farmers’ Market! Mary’s cooking is authentic East African cuisine and her presence at the market is so welcoming and generous.

Seeing the vendors and community members build relationships over food is one of the best things about the farmer’s market. Mary is always open to sharing cuisine and stories with the community. Find Mary’s delicious creations at the HSCA Farmers’ Market every Saturday from 12-4PM. Mary’s Mandazi (African doughnuts) are a must try! 

Mary likes to help the community; “I didn’t get a chance to do that when my kids were little. We know that kids are the base of the community, and we need to feed them. I thought, this is my chance to help out the children in our community.”

When she drops off the bins of lunches at each school, she is always happy to see the kids who are in the school going about their routine (from a distance of course) knowing that she is helping them out and ensuring that the kids in that school are fed.

On her first day of driving, she said, “the first day you’re always worried, just like the first day of work or school, you’re nervous!” Although that first shift may have taken a bit longer with a couple of bumps in the road, Mary is now a seasoned professional and we are so grateful for her efforts to ensure that each lunch made with love gets to the child who needs it.

Mary really enjoys her volunteer role as a delivery driver, and when things start going back to normal, she is interested in spending more time in the kitchen and learning about the processes there. For now, she’ll continue to support BB4CK’s delivery efforts out in the Calgary community. Thank you, Mary, for all that you do!”

Mary’s Jikoni: Instagram: @marys_jikoni Facebook: Mary’s Jikoni

BB4CK: Instagram @bb4ck Facebook: Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids