These are the unceeded and stolen lands of the the Hul’q’umín’um’ and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples, they are the knowledge keepers of these lands, they hold the stories of what was, what is, and what’s to come. As we learn in each moment to live in better reciprocity with what these lands offer to us, it becomes obvious what we take from them, and who we have taken them from.
These are the lands of great Cedars, of giant Firs of the Bald Eagle and the Orca. Here the wind dances among each leaf, throughout each season, and we are honoured to be among those that bear witness.
These lands feed us, they give us home and community, we have water to drink and swim in, we have mountains to climb and valleys to grow our food.
We take so much
Our hopes are that we offer back even more
May we work hard in this lifetime to repair relationships that are long broken
Who We Are
i’m Kk, a queer, cis, Polish-Jewish & Romanian-Jewish woman
i’m a land tender, a forest dweller, a sister, a friend, a daughter
i’m a ceremonial tattoo artist, a huntress, a facilitator of connection, a comprehensive sexual health educator, a rainbow seeker, a dream weaver and a puddle jumper
i’ve been working every day, over the last 7 years to better understand my ancestry and lineage while showing up to foster connection and relationships to the lands I live on and the Hul’q’umín’um’ and SENĆOŦEN speaking people they were stolen from
my Polish ancestors, for 10 generations were butchers and hide tanners, and I can feel it in my bones and in my hands whenever I wield a knife or watch flesh turn to food and fabric
i do my best to live a life in ritual and reciprocity and in close relationship with all the food and creatures in my life
i hunt, scavenge, grow, forage and trade for as much of what sustains me as possible
i’m still learning how to navigate walking this way of living with grace
each breath is a learning curve
i’ve become a man who dreams of the old ways never being lost, and for our children to remember where they come from. I do my best to embody the miracle of life - of water, of sustenance, of wild food — every single day
what began as a journey of discovery about food security, regenerative agriculture and low impact living, turned into a life path, a calling and a way of being and relating with all life
in 2023 I landed at Teaching Drum, in a world of primitive skills and back to the land living. In so many ways this year profoundly changed my life - and relationship to food. This chapter, where I came the closest to true hunger, shaped an awareness that can never be taken away. It deepend my reverence, and my commitment to engaging with it fully — scarcity, abundance, quality, and all
now reciprocity fills my bowl
i’m grateful for my ancestors who brought me here
tanning is an all encompassing craft. It takes waste and turns it into beauty. It takes byproducts of our industrial food system and saves them from the landfill
it allows me to continue my participation in the circle of life
to breathe life from death and so forth
through this practice—being deeply involved in the life and nutrients that sustain me—I feel more connected to the more-than-human world than ever before
and now, I explore the duality of how to walk on the edge of modernity and the way our ancestors once did
here’s to the great remembering—transcending the great forgetting
kk labia she/her
eddie novakowicz
Our Mission
At Back2OurOrigins, we are rooted in the wisdom of those who came before us, honouring our collective connection to the Earth by preserving traditional skills and reducing waste. Our mission is to preserve and promote traditional practices blended with modern technologies that celebrate humanity’s intrinsic relationship with the natural world.
With great reverence for the reciprocal circle of life, we commit to honouring, learning, embodying and sharing the knowledge of more sustainable living, tanning, and craftsmanship—embracing practices that respect the Earth, reduce waste, and foster resilience. Through this work, we strive to keep the old ways alive, inspiring a deeper connection to nature and a more harmonious way of life
Our Vision
We are dedicated to preserving and sharing the skills that connect us to the land, our past, and each other. By practicing and passing on these traditions, we empower individuals and communities to cultivate resilience, creativity, and self-sufficiency. May the fire of this knowledge and skills burn brightly within you, spreading far and wide. Ensuring they remain a living, breathing legacy of resilience to sustain future generations.