Vines had three trips planned for Spring, Summer and Fall of 2020. Organized by Jaz Whitford, Valeen Jules, Senaqwila Wyss and Heather Lamoureux we were meant to travel to communities which we have existing relationships with and create a performance in each community with the youth that live there. This is an opportunity for Urban Indigenous artists to be with their communities and share our work.

Due to COVID restrictions we had to transform these trips into care packages we created 150 packages and delivered them to friends in three nations, St’at’imc (Ulluilsc), Lil’Wat (Health and Healing), Secwepmec (Tiny House Warriors and Chase). There were elders packages, mother packages, kids crafts packages and land protector packages.

An exciting part of these packages is night shift poetry – a poetry collection curated by Valeen Jules and Jaz Whitford with with 17 BIPOC contributors.

We are sad to have not travelled, learned from the land, feasted and shared laughs with communities but we know we will in the future!

Thank you to all that contributed to the packages

Cease Wyss, Shane Sable, Leona Brown, Jolene Andrews, Haisla Collins, Suna Galay, Jabob Phillip McKay, Valeen and Selina Jules, Claudia Segovia, Keely O’Brien, Anne Montgomery, Dawn Livera, Sharon Kallis, Nihan

Nightshift Poetry:

Aya Clappis, Valeen Jules, Jane Shi, Crystal Smith, Shauntelle Charleson, Jaz Whitford, Suna Galay, Jotika Chaudhary, Sydney Frances Pickering, Jayda Marley, Mahmood Hussain], Justin Ducharme, Redsun, Satsi Naziel, Kallfümalen – Sussan Yáñez, Mika Pierre, Curated by: Estiqw and Valeen, Graphic Design: Ivan So