©Aiyanna Terry
Photography, interviewing and digital story telling are core part of the “Preparing our Home” program. Including photography as part of the program allows for a creative way to incorporate mapping (e.g. hazards and assets). Training in photography, interviewing and video-making allows to effectively communicate stories of preparedness and vulnerability to peers and community by documenting personal, household and community preparedness measures. Where possible every community workshop culminated in a community event, a celebration and feast with an exhibit of youth’s printed photographs and presentations of youth-action plans.
Learning about photography and digital story telling from award-winning First Nations photographers (for example, Melody Charlie) also allowed for participants to gain transferrable skills and empowers them to tell their stories.
In addition to community and regional exhibits, participant’s images are also used as part of a national social media campaign to raise awareness about emergency preparedness in Indigenous communities.
From February 26th to March 2nd 2018 the first annual Preparing Our Home gathering took place on the beautiful lands of the Osoyoos Indian Band. We had an absolutely exceptional gathering with youth and community resilience leaders from Coast to Coast sharing their lessons and experiences with emergency management and disaster resilience.
This was a truly amazing week of learning, openness, and togetherness; a ‘life changing’ experience, as a participant from the Interlake Reserves Tribal Council put it. A participant from Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq said that “I was very blessed to come to your conference and I felt such a connection with everyone and the lands”.
As part of the conference we did media and communications training given its importance for emergency management and empowerment.
Here are some photos from the event and one of the ‘assignments’ where the participants were asked to share the atmosphere of the week. Click here or on picture for more information.
Collage by Matthew McCorrister
