FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Indigenous Arts Collective Launches The Ohné:ka Healing Project on World Water Day

In celebration of World Water Day, the Indigenous Arts Collective (IAC) is proud to announce the launch of its latest initiative: The Ohné:ka Healing Project.

Developed in collaboration with Haudenosaunee educators, artists, and environmental knowledge holders, the project brings forward a Haudenosaunee Water and Environment Curriculum designed to reconnect youth and communities with traditional teachings and the sacred responsibility to Water. The Ohné:ka Healing Project includes the launch of a new digital platform featuring educational resources, environmental tools, and a space for sharing Indigenous knowledge about environmental stewardship. Over the past couple of months, IAC has delivered workshops, educational activities, and on-the-water experiences to local schools across Tyendinaga, Kingston, and Gananoque — all led from a Haudenosaunee perspective.

This summer, the Collective invites the community to join a public exhibit of the art murals created by youth and artists at the Princess Street Promenade Festival in Kingston on Indigenous People’s Day (June 21st), Saturday August 3rd, and Saturday, September 13th, featuring speakers, vendors, workshops, and more!

“We are honoured to share this project with our communities,” said a spokesperson from the IAC. “With the wisdom of educators like Abraham Francis and Dr. Sarah Konwahahawi Rourke, we are weaving together traditional knowledge, environmental science, and art to inspire the next generation to act as stewards of our precious Waters.” Rooted in the Haudenosaunee Creation Story — where Water was the first element of Earth — the Ohné:ka Healing Project emphasizes the sacred relationship between humans and Water. By combining ancestral knowledge with contemporary environmental education, the project encourages youth to think critically, act mindfully, and advocate for the protection of the natural world

Much gratitude to Canada Council for the Arts and Heritage Canada