Elder Lorraine Albert

Butterflies are heralds of good fortune and joy, much like the recipient of this award. Elder Lorraine generously shares the knowledge of her culture and her spirituality with others and is quick to share a laugh as well.

The seven blueberries are to represent wisdom and introspection, blessings and good fortune. Blue butterflies symbolize joy, beauty, and freedom. The birch bark has been incorporated to represent home and connection to nature.

For Lorraine Albert, her life has, for many years, focused on helping others. This proud Denesoline woman, who originally hails from Uranium City, has called Fort McMurray home since 1971. When she tells her story, it is peppered with phrases like, “I help…” and “I smudge and pray… ,” but it’s not for accolades.

Elder Lorraine admits that she was surprised to be nominated as a YMM Builder.

“I’ve never thought of myself in that way because I do what I do from my heart. I don’t do it to be out in the forefront and, like, ‘Look at me.’ We have politicians for that,” she chuckled.

She is a teacher, a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves, a champion of those society shuns, and brings comfort to those grieving the loss of a child. She also advocates for young people to find their voices and stand up against injustice.

Even her involvement with various groups is designed to help others.

Albert is part of the University of Alberta’s Grandmother’s Wisdom Network. The latest project is the creation of a pregnancy booklet with cultural teachings for expectant mothers and those preparing to become pregnant.

“My part in that is that I work with women who lose their babies. They’re either stillborn or they die at birth. That’s where I wanted to be. That’s where I wanted my story to go.”

Elder Lorraine helps the grieving mothers name their babies and wrap them in moss bags she makes for the little ones she refers to as angel babies/spirit babies. She will smudge with the family and encourage them to have the funeral/burial of their choice. Mothers are often encouraged to choose cremation over a funeral/burial following a stillbirth.

“It’s really tough. It’s very emotional.”

For the Elders Advisory Committee of the Fort McMurray Public School Board, Elder Lorraine teaches students traditional games, such as snow snakes, and how to cook Bannock on a stick over an open fire. These culinary lessons include “how to respect fire, and how to behave around fire because a lot of kids are not exposed to fire.”

She also participates in Homeless Connect Wood Buffalo and is involved in promoting safe and healthy sexuality.

Bringing blessings to Indigenous students at Keyano College is another service to the community.

“I go and I pray with the students. I pray the day they start, and then the day they graduate, and I smudge with them if they want to smudge.”

Once upon a time, Elder Lorraine says she was shy; never uttering a word to stand up for herself.

“I used to be really shy, and then one day I just woke up, and I was like, ‘Holy, cut that out,’ and I quit being shy.

“I want other younger people who don’t have a voice to come forward and start talking and speaking up about injustice, and speaking out when somebody hurts them, or when somebody pushes them aside, and especially when it comes to racism because if we don’t speak up, we’ll never be heard.”

Much of her work is borne from tragedies impacting her own family.

“Homeless people are always referred to as a problem. They’re vulnerable, and they’re people from our communities, and I don’t like seeing them being mistreated. A couple of my cousins died on the street, and that bothered me a lot.

“It bothers me because my grandfather would not be very happy to know that his grandchildren are dying on the street, homeless. It’s important to look after each other. So, I really make a big effort when people ask me to do things, like memorials at the Centre of Hope when somebody dies.”

Her involvement with the Missing, Murdered and Exploited Indigenous People Task Force is because “too many of our women are missing from here. Not only women, but there are men too, and two-spirited people. There are a lot that don’t put value on our two-spirited people.”

Most recently, Elder Lorraine was appointed to the Government of Alberta’s Indigenous Wisdom Advisory Panel for Environment and Protected Areas.

“I’m really excited because I really care about the environment.”

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