Sweet Grass - Wiingash (2017)

ARTIST

Jackie Traverse is an Indigenous Canadian artist from Lake St. Martin, currently working out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  She attended the School of Fine Arts at the University of Manitoba and graduated in 2009.  Jackie Traverse is a multi-disciplined artist that works in several mediums from oil and acrylic paintings to mixed media, stop-motion animation and sculpture. Jackie draws her inspiration from her indigenous culture and her experiences as a native woman living in Winnipeg.

LOCATION

141 Sherbrook St.
Winnipeg, MB
West Broadway

ABOUT / ARTIST STATEMENT

Sweet grass is a gift from Mother Earth. It is said to be part of her hair and the use of sweet grass promotes strength and kindness. When braiding sweet grass each strand of the braid represents mind, body and spirit. It is also important to remember the teaching of the sweet grass braid and walk that way when wearing a braid in our own hair.

Smudging: The aroma of burning sweet grass has a calming effect and thus promotes kind thoughts. When smudging with sweet grass it is important to honor the hair of mother earth by smudging our own hair with the smoke.

Prayer and Ceremony: Since sweet grass promotes strength and kindness it is often used in healing circles and during ceremony to allow positive energy, kind thoughts and kind feelings to surface through any pain and suffering.

Courtesy of Anishinaabe Bimaadiziwin an Ojibwe people's resource. My Mother Earth is under the ground surrounded by rocks also known as the grandfathers her hair is growing through the surface in for of sweet grass and is medicine and a gift for the people. Take what you need only before picking sweetgrass offer Mother Earth Tobacco in appreciation for the gifts she gives to us all


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