Saturday, Nov. 4 – Augustana Campus, Camrose
Afternoon keynote / Schedule here
Sylvia McAdam opened the first Spirit of the Land conference in 2013. Since then, she hasn’t missed a beat. Sylvia published Nationhood Interrupted, a grounding breaking book that shared nêhiyaw (Cree) legal traditions in print for the first time.
As an educator with degrees in law and human justice, Sylvia is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between Cree oral teachings and western law (interview here). But she is not content merely to write.
Most recently, Sylvia launched “One House, Many Nations,” a project aimed at addressing housing challenges in First Nations communities.
The project arises from Sylvia’s experiences in her own community. During a door-to-door campaign, Sylvia came across a man living in conditions she describes as inhumane. “It’s against my people’s laws to leave someone in that kind of condition so I promised him that I would do something.”
One House, Many Nations was born a short while later. After a successful fundraising campaign, a tiny home was delivered in early 2016. Opaskweyak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba is the site for the next phase.
Most recently, Sylvia was awarded the 2016 Margolese National Design for Living Prize in Vancouver.
For more information about the event:
Email Raj: spiritoftheland1@gmail.com
Call Diane: (780) 679-1146
