Sweetgrass and CFWE news briefs - Dec. 4, 2015

Youth leader recognized with award

December 4, 2015. Cory Nicotine, 26, is one of three 2015 Everyday Political Citizens. He was selected from 300 nominations by Samara Canada, a non-partisan charity that aims to increase civic engagement and make political discourse more inclusive and diverse. Nicotine, a Cree from Saddle Lake, spearheaded iHuman Youth Society’s Knowledge is Powwow events, which were meaningful conversations between young people, Elders and community leaders in Edmonton through mutual sharing of food, stories and personal experiences. They talked about issues such as voting, religious pluralism and diversity. He’s now working on a potluck event to raise awareness about xenophobia and Islamophobia. Nicotine was nominated by Brianna Olson, a social worker at iHuman Youth Society. It’s the third year Samara Canada has handed out the award.

Charity Checkstop raises funds, food for worthy causes

December 3, 2015. The 9th annual Charity Checkstop in Okotoks raised $6,500 and one truck load of toys for Rowan House Emergency Shelter, and 5.5 truck loads of food for the Okotoks food bank. Members of Okotoks RCMP, Okotoks municipal enforcement, Okotoks Fire, EMS, MD Foothills Patrol  and volunteers from the Okotoks food bank, Rowan House emergency shelter, Foothills Regional Victim Services, and Alberta Treasury Branch  were on Milligan Drive for two hours collecting donations for local charities.

Tomlinson makes history winning Lubicon Lake Nation by-election

December 3, 2015.

A by-election for the Lubicon Lake Nation council led by Chief Bernard Ominayak has resulted in the election of the first woman. "I'm blown away by my family and community's belief and faith in me. It still seems a little unreal," said new councillor Cynthia Tomlinson. The by-election came about with the unexpected passing of Councillor Alphonse Ominayak this summer. Tomlinson brings previous experience in Lubicon governance as former president of the Lubicon Lake Nation Youth Council and lands and negotiation advisor to the governing council. Tomlinson earned her bachelor's degree in Native American studies at the University of Lethbridge in 2010. She is also a local business owner
and serves as a director of a non-profit cultural society dedicated to the preservation of Cree culture.

#YEGCANVAS places art around Edmonton

December 3, 2015.

From December 2015 to May 2016, LRT posters and billboards around the city will feature artwork by Edmonton’s emerging, multicultural, and Indigenous artists and artisans. #yegcanvas will launch at noon on Dec. 8 at TIX on the Square with a meet and greet featuring some of the artists. Developed by the Edmonton Arts Council in partnership with Pattison Outdoor Advertising, #yegcanvas features 45 artworks by 32 Edmonton-based artists. Among the Indigenous artists to have their work displayed will be Dale Badger, Brandon Atkinson, and MJ Belcourt Moses. The pieces span a diversity of genres and disciplines including digital media, photography, watercolour, acrylic, drawing, and fine craft. Artworks were chosen from more than 80 submissions. Over the next six months, the artworks will be displayed on 10 billboards, located throughout the city, and on 15 LRT station posters along the Capital Line. The art will be rotated every two months. The Edmonton Arts Council has developed an interactive map featuring the artworks and their locations, as well as limited edition art trading cards. This transitory project is an entry point for artists who have not had the opportunity to participate in public art or exhibit in the Edmonton area, and is one of the largest campaigns in Pattison Outdoor Advertising’s history.