Caption: Lottie Johnson, bottom centre, with Dream Walker Vision participants.
June 25, 2024
Over 20 years ago, a vision of a tipi came to Lottie Johnson. She knew in her heart she was meant to use one to pass on her traditional Mi’kmaw knowledge to First Nations people living in Unama'kik (the Mi’kmaw word for Cape Breton).
Johnson, an Elder from Eskasoni First Nation, wanted to make her vision a reality after a life-threatening experience with COVID-19 in 2022. She partnered with Wapna'kikewi'skwaq - Women of First Light, a non-profit group of Indigenous women, and applied for funding from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia. Soon after, Johnson and her collaborators brought their “teaching tipi” to communities across Unama’kik to celebrate the power of cultural connection.
“Women of First Light have been modelling the way for Indigenous women in the Atlantic area to heal our communities, families, and society by remembering and returning to the traditional ways of our ancestors,” says Ishbel Munro with Women of First Light. “Lottie’s idea was a perfect fit.”
They called the project Dream Walkers Vision and designed it to give community members an opportunity to reclaim a sense of belonging through traditional ways of seeing, knowing, and listening.
“We wanted to help people revitalize their internal spirit of growth to overcome adversity,” says Munro.
As a residential school survivor, Johnson was forced to separate her identity from her cultural roots. She became estranged from her family and turned to substance use. Fortunately, she reconnected with them years later, relearned her ancestors’ traditional ways, and found the strength to heal. She attended university and eventually became a certified addictions counsellor.
“Through cultural renewal and embracing my spirituality and resiliency, I’ve gained the ability to heal and reconstruct my life,” says Johnson. “In my work, I shared the many teachings, wisdom and understanding that I achieved on my own healing journey. I’m now retired, but I continue to share wisdom, guidance, and the traditional ways of healing to support others in need.”
Dream Walkers Vision participants were welcomed into the teaching tipi for naming ceremonies, medicine wheel teachings, smudging, and crafting events. After making a dreamcatcher and learning about its teachings, one participant felt empowered to move forward with intention.
“I heard dreamcatchers were about keeping nightmares away, but there’s much more to it. Dreams hold sacred messages,” said the participant. “The dreamcatcher helps me unravel dreams. If you can dream it, you can make it happen. [Learning this] helped me to act upon my own dreams to manifest the actions I want to have in my life.”
Starr Cunningham, the President and CEO of the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, says it’s vital to fund culturally relevant mental health projects like Dream Walkers Vision.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to improving mental health, living with mental illness, or overcoming addiction,” says Cunningham. “Community-minded organizations like Women of First Light use their unique insight, traditional knowledge, lived experience, and compassion to develop initiatives that will resonate with the people they serve. We’re proud to support their work.”