Burrard Marina Field House

1655 Whyte Avenue

Join CAG, Burrard Marina Field House
artist-in-residence Keg de Souza for an urban foraging expedition culminating
in a jam making session, experimental mapping and a discussion exploring local
foods, cultural preservation and the continuing effects of colonization in contemporary
Vancouver.

The event features two local guest
collaborators working with de Souza; Lori Snyder, who is an Indigenous Herbalist
specializing in urban foraging for wild, edible and medicinal plants.  She
has been researching native foods and teaches how to identify, when best to
harvest and what medicines can be made and Lori’s partner Steve Snyder who loves
to harvest wild berries and is a master jam maker for the last 15
years, His specialty is Salmonberry jam.

This two-day event begins with a special
introductory talk led by Lori Snyder focussing on the native blackberry, introduced
blackberry and other native plants. Participants will then forage on the banks surrounding the Field House
which are covered with wild Himalayan Blackberries – an invasive, “colonizing”,
non-nxative species in Vancouver.

On the second day, local master jam maker,
Steve Synder, is our special guest for the jam making session. While communally
making the jam, discussion will focus on the act of
preserving these locally dominant berries, questioning whose culture is in fact
preserved and how this is linked to colonial narratives. This discussion will
culminate into an experimental mapping of our dialogue.

The event will take place
on unceded Indigenous land belonging to the Coast Salish peoples,
including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish),Stó:lō  and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh)
Nations.

Participants
are encouraged to share their recipes, stories and knowledge with the group and
to bring along jam jars and baskets for collecting berries.

Please RSVP to learning@contemporaryartgallery.ca to
reserve your place and for more details.