Stories are Medicine at ᐋᒋᒧᐃᐧᐣ âcimowin

âcimowin carries the essence of story in the Cree language — what does this word mean to you, and how does the series embody the celebration of Indigenous art, history, and storytelling?

MJ: To me, âcimowin is more than “story” — it’s living knowledge carried through voice, breath, humour, memory, and spirit. It’s the energy of those who share and the presence of those who listen.  

This shared experience of âcimowin reminds me that stories are medicine: they teach, comfort, warn, and help us remember who we are and where we come from. That’s because stories don’t belong to one moment; they travel across generations. âcimowin sustains our valuable connection to our ancestors so we may learn from their lives and bring their wisdom into the new world.  

This series embodies âcimowin and all of medicine and wisdom of Indigenous storytelling by making space for our own voices, on our own terms not as a “feature,” but as a foundation. By centering Indigenous ways of telling, seeing, and remembering, the series honours storytelling as an Indigenous art form that is contemporary and ancestral at the same time.  

Photography by Marc J Chalifoux

As curator, how did you select the storytellers featured this season, and what excites you about the work they are sharing with the Audience?

MJ: I selected storytellers based on integrity of voice, relationship to community, and their ability to share stories that are both personal and culturally grounded. Perhaps, most importantly, I prioritized Artists who understand story as responsibility — what we share, how we share it, and what it leaves behind. For me, that sense of responsibility is what turns storytelling into a practice of wisdom and a means of connection, rather than just simple content or entertainment.

I also looked for a mix of perspectives so the series could reflect a wider constellation of Indigenous experience. We have everyone from Elders/Knowledge Keepers to emerging voices. What excites me most is how each storyteller brings something unique: language, rhythm, theatre, lived experience, and teachings that meet people right where they are. Their stories have humour and tenderness, hard truths and hope. There is so much to gain and to move between.

I’m excited for Audiences to feel the full range: laughter, reflection, belonging, and connection.

This gathering brings Audiences together in circle during the winter season. What do you hope people will carry with them after experiencing this evening of stories? 

MJ: I have many hopes for the Audience that will embrace âcimowin and join us: 

I hope people leave feeling warmed from the inside — like they’ve been invited into a circle with care and respect, held in a space where they can simply arrive as they are.  

I hope they carry a deeper understanding that Indigenous stories are not only about the past — they are present and future, alive and evolving, shaping how we relate to each other in this very moment and the moments yet to come.  

I hope they leave with something to reflect on: a teaching, an image, a line that stays with them. 

I hope it strengthens community — that people feel less alone, and more connected to each other and the land they’re on. 

Most of all, I hope they carry the reminder that story is a way we survive, heal, and celebrate. 

Photography by Marc J Chalifoux