(United Way of Lethbridge & South Western Alberta)

By Justin Goulet

Winners announced in #YQL Expressions of Reconciliation contest

Dec 2, 2020 | 9:22 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Indigenous plants and medicines were in focus as the theme for this year’s #YQL Expressions of Reconciliation art and media contest.

The United Way of Lethbridge & South Western Alberta has announced the winners for the third edition of the contest. A judging panel determined the first, second and third place winners, while a social media vote helped determine the People’s Choice winner.

The winners list is as follows:

• First place and People’s Choice ($350 and $100, sponsored by Reconciliation Lethbridge and United Way) – Star Crop Eared Wolf for the work titled ‘Matapi’, an arrangement of pressed flowers and plants.
• Second place ($200, sponsored by United Way) – Chataya Holy Singer for ‘Blackfoot Paradigm’, a pen and ink design.
• Third place ($150, sponsored by the Lethbridge Indigenous Sharing Network) – Maura Hanrahan for ‘The Scent of Sage’, a non-fiction written piece.

In addition to the cash prizes for the top three finishers, each submitting artist received a one-year membership to the Southern Alberta Art Gallery.

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Contest winner Star Crop Eared Wolf said she was inspired to create her piece through her work at Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, where she had been collecting flowers and plants for education programs.

“These were all plants traditionally used by the Blackfoot,” she said.

“I collected them from the plains area and the mountains to put together the shape of the Blackfoot person – the Matapi.”

Star Crop Eared Wolf (United Way of Lethbridge & South Western Alberta)

Her work was in line with the theme of the contest this year – Indigenous plants and medicines. This coincided with the United nations declaration of 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health.

Second place finisher Chataya Holy Singer’s pen and ink design was also featured on t-shirts made available for Reconciliation Week in September.

“There were people who didn’t get a shirt in September, so it’s nice that they can see it here,” she said.

“It’s great to be recognized as an emerging Blackfoot artist in the community.”

Marketing and communications coordinator at United Way, Connolly Tate-Mitchell said many events have been modified or cancelled this year due to COVID-19, but it’s important to continue raising awareness.

“Reconciliation is a really important topic that we all need to be focusing on,” she told LNN.

“Reconciliation Week in Lethbridge happens in September, but we wanted to be able to carry on conversations beyond just that one week and remind people throughout the year that it’s an important topic to focus on.”

All of the contest’s six submissions will be on display in The Gallery at CASA in Lethbridge through December.