Artist Statement
Birth sovereignty inspired me to reimagine wellness and connect gardening to the roots of Indigenous crop harvesting traditions. It is not about replicating the past but returning to the reclaimable customs and sources of Indigenous women’s knowledge that enrich our cultural foundations. The sunflower is particularly inspiring and attention to its contour and form remind me of a placenta. To harvest “good medicine” is to reseed these sources of inspiration and build on land-based approaches to wellness. This image is part of a Photovoice series called Lifelines that connects my birth experiences with the fibres of my ancestral narratives.

Biography
Vanda is a Métis woman from the prairies of western Manitoba and her ancestral homelands extend from Red River throughout the Assiniboine valley. Family relationships and a rural upbringing cultivated a pull towards stories embedded in land and memory. Vanda’s storywork approach blends Indigenous voices and community narratives and the lens of empowerment makes this work meaningful. Her photographs of Birtle Residential School appeared in Locale: Bringing Heritage to Life, the magazine of the National Trust for Canada. Vanda’s greatest sources of inspiration are her three children and the stories of her ancestors.