Mawio’mi on the Commons

Part 1

Documenting the day.
July 1st 2022.

I took so many photos that day that I had to take the next day off to be able to process them and share them with you. If you know me, this isn’t something I usually do, but I shot so much that day that this series will likely come in three parts.

I wanted to begin by saying that honestly things are a little bit more dynamic these days. I am falling in love more and more with storytelling and how it works. The problem is that I feel like nowadays there’s a lot of content out there but there’s no real direction. I also wanted to note that I really appreciate you taking the time to come here and read about what I have to say, and take in my photographs. In writing these articles I hope to be able to bring more value to the type of work I create.

The thing with storytelling is that it can get overwhelming or even daunting. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in how and what story to tell? Or sometimes we feel like we just don’t have a good story to tell. My philosophy is that we aren’t all born specialists, and I believe it’s more about learning as you go and making the most of it. You’d be surprised about how much inspiration you can get by just really looking at your own life. The most powerful stories are those based in a reality that everyone can connect to.

Now back to why I shot so much ….

Before moving here I lived in Quebec for roughly 5-6 years. In Quebec, or at least in Montreal July 1st is more known for being moving day than Canada Day. So I never really saw what this day was about or how it’s celebrated. As much as I preach about shooting everyday and that I love finding the beauty in the mundane; my photography realIy comes alive when I am able to explore something new. No matter what is it. I have shot around Halifax hundreds of times but just the fact that new things were happening around was enough to get my curiosity going. Although I acknowledge that this day is surrounded by some debate when in photography mode I like to approach these moments as simply an observer. For me that allows me to capture authentic moments and just opens my eyes to be able to spot them.

This series is the first part of the day, focused on the event hosted by the pan-indigenous communities that call the municipality home. I have always been very curious about the rituals and culture of the indigenous peoples of Canada and I really hope that one day I will have the opportunity to document them more authentically. I strongly believe that there is a lot to learn from them and I would love to do my part in sharing their story.

Here are some photographs of an event in the North End of Halifax, Mawio’mi on the Commons.