Workshop – Plants vital to cultural knowledge

In many ways, plants are a foundation for ecological systems. In reality, they are the basis for so much more. This workshop will be hosted by a valued Knowledge Holder of the Métis Nation of Alberta. An explanation of a few chosen plants vital to the cultural knowledge of the Métis will be shared alongside a simple workshop demonstrating how to create a sage bundle. This cultural knowledge will be shared and participants will leave having the ability to identify a handful of plants important to Indigenous Knowledge. They may also leave gaining a general understanding of the creation of a culturally important tool and the impacts industry development may have on the ongoing vitality of vegetation and Indigenous Knowledge as a whole.

This workshop is the beginning of what we hope will be a series of workshops focused on sharing Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom. This series aims to provide wildlife professionals, students, and enthusiasts the opportunity to examine the Alberta landscape more holistically and work collaboratively with Indigenous Peoples to weave Indigenous Ways of Knowing with Western Science to move our profession forward.

In the spirit of respect, reciprocity and truth, the ACTWS honours and acknowledges Alberta and the Traditional Territories of Treaties 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10, as well as the Métis Nation of Alberta. We acknowledge all Nations who live, work, play, and steward this land and honour and celebrate this territory. We are grateful for the many generations of stewards of Alberta lands and wildlife.

This workshop is supported by our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee and the generous financial sponsorship of Al-Pac Forest Products, Fuse Consulting Ltd., and Ducks Unlimited.

Our Speaker

Jessica Emmott

Jessica Emmott comes to us as a valued knowledge holder of Region 2 of the Metis Nation of Alberta. She has always enjoyed the outdoors and growing up could be found outside playing with her horses or with family, fishing, berry picking or having fun on the farm. Her post secondary adventures lead to her attending Olds College where she excelled in Environmental Sciences, majoring in land reclamation and minoring in conservation biology. It was at Olds that she discovered her love for wildlife, plants and grazing. Growing up with numerous farms in her family’s background she left the reclamation direction and decided to finish off with a degree at the University of Alberta; majoring in Wildlife and Rangeland Sciences. This degree allowed her to utilize both her knowledge in environmental sciences as well as immerse herself back into her roots in agriculture. Her greatest accomplishment in her post secondary career was getting to compete on the University Range Team in Texas. Upon graduation she began teaching Range and Forage sciences in the Agricultural Sciences department at Lakeland College where she taught for five years. She now is enjoying her days raising two amazing children, helping her husband on their mixed farm, hunting, gathering or enjoying nature. Her most recent adventure has been helping Region 2 of the Metis Nation as a knowledge holder this past year and getting to share her knowledge not just of harvesting and ecology, but as well as her culture as an Albertan Metis.

Tickets:

$25 (non-members); $10 (members); $5 (students)

This workshop will be recorded and posted in our members’ area along with other previous workshops and webinars.

Thank you to our sponsors for our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work, including this workshop.