interconnected
whether stolen
given
or allowed
xʷməθkwəy̓əm
skwxwú7mesh
səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ
Stolen native land
Hogan's alley
China town
take a breath and give thanks
No cops allowed
sun lights wide paths laid in grey gravel
sparse moss lines the edge of each bed
towering white painted brick walls stand shamelessly to the left and right the full length of the space
White brick in contrast to lush green form line patches
and dark rich soil
Follow each curve of the gravel path to find indigenous plants thriving and strong
From Ground cover kinikinik and wild strawberry to snow berry and wild rose growing to heights taller than we can pick
Cartoon like rats scurry from soil mound to soil mound
Diaspora seeking refuge in the embrace of the roots
stones holding soil close
reminding me what home means
ancestors
making sure things dont fall apart
life spirals upward all around you
reaching for the warm light
red clay color
hand shaped benches
sit on top of neatly stacked flat stones just past the halfway point between street & alley
benches stretching out from the cob oven like arms waiting to embrace you
Straight ahead
Past the slatted silver aluminum twin gate
Looms an old rust red brick wall
patched with graffiti cover in every shade of rust you can think of
this green space
is resistance at its root
life that was supposed to be eradicated
standing tall like fists in the air
Demanding your recognition
We are still here
Private property on stolen land
Not if we can help it
Living Description
Living Description is an education initiative convened by artist Aislinn Thomas that conceptualizes access not as an accommodation, but as a relational process of shared sense-making. Beginning with a series of alt-text and visual description workshops led by Aislinn Thomas and Ramya Amuthan in 2021, the project culminates in the launch of 1-833-SEMI-PUB: a toll-free listening space featuring six commissioned audio descriptions that offer multiple non-visual ways to experience the x̱aw̓s shew̓áy̓ New Growth《新生林》garden as a living system.
