Personal Information
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Given name: Becca









Surname: Taylor









Email: becca.taylor.e@gmail.com









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Your contribution
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Title: Carriers: Indigenous vessels, food sovereignty and ancestral connections









Format: Experimental format (4)









Main language: English









Abstract:
Indigenous vessels carry teachings about nourishment, memory, and the relationships that sustain life. This proposal explores pottery as a site where food sovereignty, water teachings, ancestral connection, and land-based knowledge intersect. Grounded in Indigenous methodologies, the session invites participants into a shared space where clay becomes a starting point for reflecting on how cultural practices support community well-being and self-determination. Rather than focusing on a single technique or outcome, the gathering emphasizes relational engagement, attending to the origins of materials, the stories they hold, and the responsibilities that come with creating forms meant to sustain life. Through collective conversation and gentle interaction with clay, participants consider how vessels embody governance, kinship, and continuity, and how contemporary Indigenous artists and communities are renewing clay-based practices through cultural resurgence. The session offers an opportunity to think with clay, with each other, and with the teachings carried forward through generations, opening dialogue about the future of Indigenous food sovereignty and the role of material culture in supporting it.










Image: https://test.sar2026.ie/system/files/webform/submit_contribution/427/Clay-vessel-copyCMYK.jpg









Short biographies of the presenter(s):
- Becca Taylor is an artist and curator of Cree, Irish and Scottish descent based in amiskwacîwâskahikan/Edmonton, AB. She is a registered member of Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba. Her practice involves investigations of community building and Indigenous placemaking, through hosting and gathering practices. Becca has curated and exhibited in various exhibitions across Turtle Island. Notably, Becca co-curated níchiwamiskwém | nimidet | my sister | ma sœur (BACA 2018) and co-led land-based residency, Common Opulence (2018), in Northern Alberta. In 2024, Becca’s public artwork Vessels, was unveiled in Edmonton. Becca is currently as assistant professor at MacEwan University. 
- KC Adams (Ininnew/Anishinaabe/British) is a registered Fisher River Cree Nation member living in Winnipeg. KC is a relational maker, educator, activist, and mentor who creates work that explores technology in relation to her Indigenous culture. Adams is nationally and internationally known maker with a B.F.A. from Concordia University and an M.A. in Cultural Studies, Curatorial Stream from the University of Winnipeg. KC has had numerous solo and group exhibitions, residencies and biennales. KC was awarded the Winnipeg Arts Council’s Making A Mark Award, Canada's Senate 150 medal, the Ohpinamake Award, and the Quill & Quire’s 2019 Books of the Year.










Previous presentations or iterations of the research:
KC Adams is a leading contributor to the research and revitalization of Indigenous ceramic techniques in Treaty one. Adams has taught workshops, created exhibitions and performed on Indigenous pottery. Becca Taylor is a mentee of KC Adams, working alongside her to learn the process of harvesting clay and building vessels from the land. In response, Becca has research, written and created a public artwork highlighting the process of vessels and the honouring of their relationship as collaborators














Requirements
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Additional information:
The session uses an experimental hands on dialogue format where participants engage with clay while moving in and out of shared conversation. Rather than separating making from discussion, the process invites ideas, memories, and questions to surface through touch, rhythm, and material encounter. This open structure allows participants to think with their hands, respond to one another in real time, and explore relationships to food, water, and ancestral knowledge as they emerge organically through the act of working with clay. The format emphasizes relational learning, collective reflection, and the generative uncertainty of creating together.










Spatial and technical requirements :
Spatial needs: Movable tables and chairs with surfaces that can accommodate clay. Access to water. Enough room for participants to gather in a circle. Ideally the space will have natural light with views to the landscape. Limited participant numbers to assist in managing dialogue and workshop. 

Technical needs: Projector and/or TV, Speaker and clay. Potentially a fire pit. A more detailed list can be provided once location is decided. 











Potential risks or ethical concerns:
The session acknowledges potential risks related to cultural knowledge, emotional vulnerability, and material use. Conversations about food, water, and ancestral relationships may surface personal or community histories of loss or disruption. Care is taken to avoid cultural appropriation, misrepresentation, or the sharing of teachings that are not meant for public circulation. Participants are invited into a respectful, consent based environment where stories remain held within the group. 










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