Photography by Kat

The system has always been broken. My ancestors were given land as settlers, land that belonged to another nation, and in that process of fleeing lands from religious persecution and economic hardship someone else lost their home and native land. Ohéthi Šakówi, Anishinabewaki, Michif Piyii were made to live elsewhere. My ancestors harvested the trees on the lands of the Anishinabewaki, Odawa and Mississauga. The land I live on once belonged to the Haudenosaunee, Anishinab...ewaki, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Mississauga. Eventually the children of these nations were made to live away from their families and elders in residential schools. Here they were stripped of their culture, identities, language, traditions, and beliefs; re-educated they were mistreated, abused or neglected by those tasked with caring for them. I was a teenager in high school when the last residential school was closed in Canada. This history happened during my life time. The ramifications are still very much being felt by Indigenous communities today. And the travesties continue. At any given time, some 100 First Nations in Canada are under water advisories. The missing and murdered First Nations women, children and twospirited is a Canadian national crisis... the genocide happening on our watch needs to be stopped. #orangeshirtday

National son’s day. Not to brag but I have the best son ever. He picks flowers for the ladies in his life all the time. Entertains us with stories from when he lived in Cape Breton in the 40s with Joey Beaton (if you know you know and it’s weird somedays), loves his @joyfullyorganicfarm carrots and will eat any vegetable if it’s Farmer Liz,’ sings Northwest Passage any old time and has a special eye for our neighbour’s pickup. Collects pink rocks for his daddy and swims a pretty strong big arm for a four year old. Oh and he gives the best hugs. #nationalsonsday

I asked for help choosing our family portrait in my stories and that hilarious thing happened where you start to realize all the reasons you like one photo more than the others: okay, mom liked this one... but hubby is really too far away from the rest of us. OR you KNOW the lighting in this one is top notch... just recrop it so you love it. And that’s how we landed on this picture being the right one for the wall. Swipe for our last family portrait that I shot in 2017 on the other side of that tree line. Anyone up for a sunset family portrait session while the fall colours are ? Send me a DM and let’s get you some new portraits.

Dancer in the goldenrod. Chasing the evening light is always fun but it’s even more fun when Ellen is there with her beautiful dancer’s pose. Can’t we just rewind the magic hour one more time so we can keep shooting?

Fall. I love you.

My writing course launches in a week. Tuesday, September 29 at 7:30am to be exact. 8 sessions that will get you closer to writing and sounding like the savvy business woman that you are. Early Bird Rate goes up on Tuesday to $380. So snag your spot while it’s still $350.00... Send me a DM and include your email address. An email money transfer for the prearranged amount guarantees your secured spot. #wellspokencreative #businesswritingforcreatives #zoomworkshop