Photo by David PD Hyde.
By Tayvie Van Eeuwen
@tayvieee
A Happy Place is back and better than ever! Enjoy some good news stories to break up the perpetual darkness that is 2020.
Local
Tahlequah shows off her new pregnancy two years after carrying dead calf for 1,000 miles
In July 2018, hearts around the world broke when pictures surfaced of an orca whale carrying her dead calf on her nose. The grieving mother continued this practice for a total of 17 days and 1,000 miles in the Salish Sea.
Researchers have announced that orca J35, better known as Tahlequah, is pregnant once again!
Tahlequah represents an exciting discovery for marine researchers, who in recent years have been worried about souther resident killer whales whose population is at approximately 73.
“We’re very excited about it,” explained Lance Barrett-Lennard, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program at Ocean Wise, to Global News.
“When we see females that have got this pear shape then we know that they’re pregnant and we can tell that at about five months or so.”
Researchers estimate that Tahlequah is approximately six months pregnant, meaning that eager fans can expect to see her new baby later this year or early 2021.
“Typically a female killer whale gets pregnant about once every four years, they have a very slow reproductive rate, but if they lose a calf, as she did, then they can breed a bit more quickly so this is about the earliest we would have expected to see her pregnant,” Barrett-Lennard concluded.
To help keep these endangered animals safe, consider donating to Orca Conservancy, a Seattle-based non-profit that works exclusively with southern killer whale populations.
Mama bear has been safely returned!
So exciting.
The four-day search of a local Build-A-Bear has finally come to an end. The bear, belonging to Maria Soriana, caught the attention of national news outlets and social media feeds when it went missing in late July.
Soriana pleaded for the public’s help in locating the toy, which contained the last voice recording of her late mother.
After days of hoping for a lead, Soriana received an email from a man on July 28.
“I called [CBC News reporter] Deborah Goble because she was the person who broke the story, and I couldn’t have done this without her, so I wanted her to be there, too,” Soriana explains to CBC. “Plus, she’s a grown-up, and I wanted to make sure everybody was safe.”
The men who returned the bear at CBC claimed they found it within Vancouver’s Strathcona Park. Soriana did not ask for further information and respected their call for anonymity.
She shared the happy news on July 28 via Twitter.
Indigenous street mural now completed at temporary Bute-Alberni pop-up plaza
My little Indigenous heart loves every bit of this. 💙
In an effort to promote local businesses and tourism, the City of Vancouver has created multiple pop-up plazas for the summer. One, located on Bute and Alberni in Downtown, has caught particular attention for a large commissioned First Nations mural.
The roadway mural was created by Kwantlen First Nation artist Atheana Picha, a former Langara College Fine Art Program student. Her work–known from previous Vancouver Mural Festivals–is, in part, a result of the mentorship of Musqueam First Nation weaver Debra Sparrow and Squamish First Nation carver and jeweller Aaron Nelson-Moody.
The mural, including the use of Coast Salish design language, depicts waves that represent “Vancouver’s” historic waterways and streams that were buried under colonial development.
“The water provides transportation, resource for nourishment, and represents life for us,” explains Picha in an artist statement.
“The salmon are represented in an old-style Coast Salish design, speaking to our relationship with the Salmon that have sustained Indigenous people along the coast since time immemorial.”
The art installation can now be visited at Bute and Alberni’s temporary pop-up plaza. Take a peek below!
All photos provided by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association.
Worldwide
Breonna Taylor becomes the first person on the O Magazine cover without Oprah
This is just the cherry on top of my lifelong love affair with Oprah Winfrey.
The September issue of O Magazine marks the first time in two decades that a sole individual other than Oprah has starred on the prestigious cover.
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT who was shot and killed in her own home in early March, has sparked international outrage in the matter of police brutality. Despite ongoing protests and social media coverage, the cops who caused her death have yet to be arrested— namely Brett Hankison, Jon Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove.
Oprah’s decision to cover Breonna on her mainstream magazine is the latest media spotlight on this case.
“Breonna Taylor. She was just like you,” Oprah writes in a magazine preview. “And like everyone who dies unexpectedly, she had plans. Plans for a future filled with responsibility and work and friends and laughter.”
“What I know for sure: We can’t be silent. We have to use whatever megaphone we have to cry for justice. And that is why Breonna Taylor is on the cover of O magazine. I cry for justice in her name.”
In addition to Oprah’s own discussion of the tragedy, the issue will also include a conversation between Oprah and Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer.
Here’s hoping that justice will be served. ✊🏼 ✊🏽 ✊🏾
Gucci features upcoming model Ellie Goldstein in their latest beauty campaign
We love to see inclusivity in major fashion and beauty brands. 🤩
Meet Ellie Goldstein: the latest face of Gucci Beauty. The model, diagnosed with Down Syndrome, is featured in a special editorial in partnership with Vogue Italia.
Goldstein got this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as the result of an Instagram scouting contest. The luxury brand was searching for models that could model for an editorial based around authenticity.
“I designed L’Obscur mascara for an authentic person who uses makeup to tell their story of freedom, in their way,” explains Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele.
However, Goldstein is no stranger to the modelling scene. At the young age of 15 she signed to Zebedee Management, an agency dedicated to creating representation through “models with disabilities and alternative appearances.”
As Goldstein explains to Vogue, the response to her campaign has been incredibly positive.
It feels so amazing and fabulous to be part of the Gucci Beauty campaign. I feel so proud of myself, especially to have been chosen for this. When I look at the images, I feel happy with myself, and all the likes and comments on social media across the world have been overwhelming.
As for the future? Goldstein hopes to become a famous model one day. Her dream job is to land the cover of Vogue, as well as work for other major brands.
Happy Suggestions
I may not have time to write about every good news story, but I can redirect you to others that I love!
“Elderly Laundromat Owners Model the Clothes Left Behind by Customers” by Next Shark
“To my teenaged self: An Afro-Indigenous woman’s contribution to Tegan and Sara’s new video” by Vancouver is Awesome
@GreenMatters on Instagram
Tayvie is a Métis/Anihšināpē and Irish/Scottish student and writer. Her circle is small, but her joy is large. She splits her time between over-thinking and visiting Disneyland. Read her articles to take a peek inside the world of mental illness and happy news, because it’s all about balance, right?
