Calling My Spirit Back with Elaine Alec (Healing of Indigenous/First Nations Communities)

Meet Elaine Alec wáy x̌ast sx̌əlx̌ʕált My name is telxnitkw, it translates into “Standing by Water” and was given to me on the day I was born. I am Syilx and Secwepemc although I also have roots with the Colville and Nez Perce nations. Elaine Alec (she/her) is an author, political advisor, women’s advocate and spiritual thought leader and teacher and is a direct descendant of hereditary chiefs, Pelkamulaxw and Soorimpt. For over two decades, Elaine has been leading expert in Indigenous community planning, health advocacy and creating safe spaces utilizing Indigenous approaches and ceremony. She is the author of “Calling My Spirit Back” a book which links an extremely personal examination of lived experience to a much broader overview of serious national sociological concerns, accompanied by tangible steps to approach them. Alec was a founding member of the Comprehensive Community Planning Mentorship Initiative in British Columbia. She is a founding partner at Alderhill Planning Inc. and is a regular speaker at conferences and workshops on the topic of Indigenous planning, governance, healing and trauma informed approaches in planning. She is involved in the Sexual Harassment, Advice, Response and Prevention for Work Places Advisory Committee, a board member with the Canadian Centre of Policy Alternatives (CCPA-BC) and recently completed a 3-year term as the Union of BC Indian Chiefs Women’s Representative where she advocated for Indigenous women and girls safety through facilitating safe spaces to plan and drive policy change at various levels of government. Elaine resides in Kamloops, British Columbia with her husband Ryan Day and is the proud mom of Kyle Maxakn Alec, Phoenix Maxaknitkw Alec and Teslin Pelkamulaxw Alec. Calling My Spirit Back is an exceptional piece of Canadian writing by an Indigenous author that addresses our particular period in Canadian history when the conversations about systemic racism and abuse of women and the historical and ongoing trauma of our First Nations are finally starting to resonate beyond their typical boundaries. This book is welcome and much needed contribution to that dialogue, not only in its vivid details but in its approach to healing. It is a truly moving work that links an extremely personal examination of lived experience – told with startling honest and precision – to a much broader overview of serious national sociological concerns, accompanied by tangible steps to create spaces for diversity and inclusion based on Indigenous knowledge and teachings. Her honesty is authentic and at times heartbreaking and her candor regarding the ownership of her own failings as she faces her challenges is rare and vivid. Calling My Spirit Back is Elaine’s first book. She is a partner and owner with Alderhill Planning Inc. and works with Indigenous communities across Canada to promote healing in planning, governance and. Elaine shares much of her work on her YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/elainealec and her website www.elainealec.com and her social media accounts www.instagram.com/elaine_alec_writer_speaker and www.facebook.com/elainemackensiealec Calling My Spirit Back is published by Tellwell Talent (June 27 2020) Available: www.elainelaec.com. Amazon, Kindle, Indiebound, Indigo Chapters, Rakuten Kobo, Smashwords, Apple Books