Some of my recent volunteer work (prior to covid) involved me facilitating a beading workshop at Sk’elep school of Excellence with the grad 6/7 class. The purpose of the workshop was to teach them cultural activities, such as beading, but they were beading to also fundraise for the Grade 7 Grad. It is important to teach our youth cultural activities to create an inclusive and diverse class/school environment. In our workshop, we made keychains and earrings. Even the boys in the class created something. I taught protocol such as having good thoughts and good energy when creating. What goes into your creations, others can receive and feel. We also had discussions about pow wows, regalia, and language. It was nice to mentor these students and be there to answer the questions as best as I could. I realized that not every student (Indigenous or not) has opportunities like this and although I have come full-circle myself, it made me wish that I was the chance to learn from elders or other knowledge keepers like that as a child in elementary and high school.
