Meghan Eaker (she/her) is a nehiyaw iskwew poet, beading artist, and Registered Nurse of mixed European and nehiyaw descent. She is a member of the Woodland Cree First Nation and grew up in and around amiskwacîwâskahikan. She works at the Indigenous wellness clinic and as a research assistant on several projects related to Indigenous youth. She is starting a PhD in Nursing at U of A in fall 2021 studying Indigenous youth mental health and wellbeing.

Tamara Eaker is an Indigenous visual artist, based out of Calgary, Alberta. She applies her training in Graphic Design and Art History to her work with acrylics, woods, beads, and fabrics. Her work exemplifies her to in two main passions: reclaiming her lost Ojibwe and Cree heritage, and advocating for improved mental wellness, battling barriers caused by Intergenerational trauma. Four years ago, Tamara began her journey in learning the intricacies of acrylics. She founded Oji-Cree Crafter, her entrepreneurial start-up, in which she turns beautiful photography into miniature. Tamara donates 5% of each sale made through Oji-Cree Crafter to the Canadian Mental Health Association. 

In the process of her creations, she has made a safe space for learning and connecting to traditional Indigenous teachings and ways of knowing. Her art is a platform for storytelling and emotional vulnerability. Through her work, she connects to the spiritual power of nature, speaks of the hard truths of Indigenous peoples, and shares the light of knowledge. It is her Artistic goal to inform and inspire, and to help navigate the paths of reconciliation, on both sides of the divide. 

Artist Statement

Meghan Eaker nitisikason, amiskwacîwâskahikan ochi niya (my name is Meghan Eaker and I am from Edmonton, AB). I am a nehiyaw iskwew (Cree woman), poet, and Registered Nurse of mixed European and nehiyaw heritage. I write, share, and perform poetry to express myself, connect with people, build community, teach, and more. I enjoy exploring themes of trauma and joy and their paradoxical simultaneous presence in the daily lives peoples who experience oppression. I write about racism, misogyny, and stigma as I experience and witness these forces as a white-passing Indigenous woman, intergenerational residential school survivor, and healthcare professional. I share my poetry in both written and oral form in personal, professional and literary circles. As a Registered Nurse who has worked in Indigenous mental health and primary care, I understand poetry and other art forms to be healing practices. I have been able to personally address intergenerational trauma through my poetic practice and I hope that my words have the potential to support other people in their own healing and to inspire empathy. According to one of my knowledge holder teachers, sharing your art is sharing medicine and this is what I hope to do with my work.