Moss bag exhibit brings Indigenous child-rearing practices to Calgary's Telus Spark

At a new exhibit at Calgary's Telus Spark Science Centre, Jessie Fiddler-Kiss demonstrated to a group of parents and small children how to wrap a baby in a moss bag.

Fiddler-Kiss, a Mtis woman, is one of the founders of The Moss Bag Project an Indigenous-led non-profit that supports itscommunitiesthrough academic resources and traditional education.

She was on hand on Sunday to commemorate the new, permanent installation at the centre that's focused on moss bags.

"Many different nations use moss bags," said Fiddler-Kiss. "Moss bag is our way of greeting our babies with that love and letting them know that they're safe."

Moss bags havelong played an important role in First Nations child rearing. They're made to provide the child with a comforting and safesurrounding. Traditionally made with sphagnum moss, they are also thought to have medicinal properties. First Nations women also sharedthat knowledge with the Mtis community.

The partnership with Telus Spark means families from all backgrounds are getting a hands-on understanding of the mental, emotional and spiritual benefits of a moss bag. It also means more representation, awareness and acceptance.

"To feel the tactile nature of the moss, the beading , and to smell the leather and that's learning you know we learn with our senses," said Kori Czuy, who is Cree-Mtis and the manager of Indigenous Engagement.

"I think it's really important to have that representation."

That representation will stay as a permanent learning centre as part of Spark's Indigenous Science programming.

For Fiddler-Kiss, that alone sends an important message of belonging.

"Walking in as an Indigenous parent, so my family is Mtis but walking in as a Mtis person, as a mom, to see a space set up just for me would be .. brilliant," she said.

"I don't know, [it would] make me feel accepted, welcomed."

The moss bag project will also be offering elder teachings in the space in the future.