A flag is used to declare peace, land a plane, communicate over distances, show solidarity, claim land, acknowledge allegiances, celebrate a holiday, advertise a sale, recognize a person of renown, and represent a country or nation.

A flag is a piece of fabric or plastic coloured and adorned with symbols. They are hung outside to fly in the wind. Flags let folks know who you are, where you come from, or what you believe in.

It’s easy to dismiss the flag. It’s just fabric. What you’ll notice is that there are always flags flying at thresholds, borders, airports, ports, government buildings, train stations, and ferry terminals.  Why is this?  Flags and giant banners are used by empires to dominate and animate space and to impress and gain admiration.  Flags though simple in design and technology are an esoteric occult tool used to communicate authority, loyalty, and claim power.

The Tibetan Buddhist Prayer Flags are prayers for the Earth. Their colours correspond to the five elements water, air, earth, fire, and ether and it is said that as they age and weather the prayers are dispersed around the world. Kinship flags are similar. We feel that they are amplification devices and holographic reflectors of the sacred. We boldly fly our flags and shout out to the world that we love this Earth and cosmos. We raise our flags in honour of beauty, life, healing, truth, natural law, and freedom!

They are like a granny’s hug or a warm welcome from a best friend.

This is what people say about the flags when they come upon them hanging in a space.  The flags communicate to each other.  One strand is good but two is better.  There is something about the multiple strands interacting and holding space that create a dynamic resonate field.

Just like when we sit in circle.  One is good. Two is great. Three and more divine.

This is the lodge of all beings.  Where every being from a blade of grass to a lion and a condor have a seat in the lodge.   Where we discuss all things.

We are at a time on the planet where many things need to be discussed in circle.

We have noticed that the more images that hang and the more colours that are used the more beautiful and intricate the tapestry of our shared kinship.  All voices and skill level are welcome.

 Transformative Learning Centre – Momentum Toronto, ON  2013

The seed of Kinship Flag Project, was planted in June 2010 at the Transformative Learning Centre’s 3^rd Spirit Matters Gathering, Youth and Elders in the web of Life.  At this event Hazel hosted a flag making workshop.  Folks of all ages made stencils in the morning, silk screened their stencils in the afternoon, and then the flags were sewn into two long strands of prayer flags and they were hung that night for the open mic.

Over the next three years hazel’s love for stencil making and silk screening grew. In 2013 an intergenerational group of people came together to create a multidisciplinary theatrical event called, Universe Universe, The Awe and Reverence Tour, that was mounted in honour of 20^th Anniversary of The Transformative Learning Centre at Ontario Institute of Studies in Education, University of Toronto.  The Kinship Flags collection was birthed for this event to adorn the auditorium.

Summer Gathering  Hollyhock  Cortez Island, BC  2015

Hazel was invited to attend Summer Gathering upon the request of Eimear O’Neill.  This was the second time that the flags were hung outside.  They had been asking to hang outside for over a year.  Hazel finally listened to the flags in the summer of 2015.  It became apparent after the first hanging that they had a powerful resonate field.  At the time hazel didn’t have words to articulate the potency of the flags.  It was at the Summer Gathering at Hollyhock Retreat Centre where hazel met Rupert Sheldrake who after walking through the flags and experiencing the flags hanging in the forest, exclaimed, “the resonate field of the flags is astonishing!”  This was a watershed moment for hazel.  She got confirmation that the flags had an energy field and it was palpable.

 Dakota Valley  Sunshine Coast, BC 2015

In 2015 Kinship Flags joined the effort to help protect the Dakota Valley Bear Sanctuary ,which is part of Squamish Nation Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, of from clear cutting.  We hung a few strands of flags and were blessed to spend time in this gorgeous place with the courageous folks who were tirelessly protecting this forest.  Deep gratitude for the Elphinstone Logging Focus for all their dedicated love and attention that goes into protecting the forests on the Sunshine Coast, BC.

BC Buddhist Festival  Vancouver, BC 2016

In the spring of 2016 Kinship Flags supported Ari Lazer of Sacred Light Design Co. to make flags for the Temple that he designed and built as a commission by the BC Buddhist Festival.  It was an honour to work alongside Ari Lazer who is a storyteller, artist and craftsman with great integrity and precision.

Winter Gathering  Whidbey Institute  Whidbey Island, WA  2016

The Kinship crew attended the Winter Gathering which is similar to the Summer Gathering but takes place at the Whidbey Institute on Whidbey Island in Washington.  The flags were invited to hang in the great hall where the main gatherings and plenaries took place.  We only hung a few strands and yet they still made an impact and held the space in a beautiful way.

Revival Festival  Vashon Island, WA 2018

Over 250 artists and activists from around the Pacific North West bioregion came together to Connect, Create, Celebrate, & Collaborate around the theme “Sacred Activism”. The flags hung though out the gathering holding space and honouring the incredible expert and grassroots presenters, local and national musicians, poets, and performers to share their gifts.  This dynamic event was a mix of arts festival, unconference, activist meet up, and family reunion.

Sunshine Coast Art Crawl   Sunnycrest Mall  Gibsons, BC 2022

Our first indoor installation with the large format flags.  The flags were hung next to the lotto center and the liquor store and you could still feel spirit and see spirit gentle moving the flags.  It was wonderful to see spirit alive in such a manufactured space.  Read more about this installation on the bottom of Made By Hands page.

The Planetary Weave: Connecting One Community Strand to the Next

Each strand is a fractal of the whole.  When you hang one strand in your home you are connected to the whole collection.  When you have a courage heart on your prayer table or sewn to your sweater you are connected to the whole.  Each flags reflects the whole.  Each flag holds prayers of life at the center, ground love, protection of innocence, gratitude to the natural world, gratitude for ancestors, and great spirit.  It is all one strand divinely echoing across time and space and the infinite Universe Universe.  We are all related we are all connected.

We have had so much fun silk screening and stenciling together.  We humans come from a long line of makers.  Our ancestors made everything with their hands.  They adorned everything from clothing, to jewelry, to tablecloths, gardens, and homes.  We come from a long legacy of makers and creators.  We grow out of a creative universe.  We can’t help but be creators.  This is our birth right.  Creativity looks different for all of us.  From spreadsheets to silk screens, gardens to bead work, dance moves to shooting hoops.  Getting in touch with our creative spirit is so important and life giving.  We each have a natural interior wisdom and it is connected to our joy which is connected to our creativity.  Follow your instincts of joy!  The world is more because of you!