Educational institutes host workshops, events to support Indigenous communities, cultures

Educational institutions across Canada are hosting workshops and other events to support Indigenous communities and culture. St Thomas Aquinas high school in Kenora, Ontario hosted a ribbon skirt making workshop to help Indigenous students feel welcome. Students learned how to make their own ribbon skirt that they can wear to feasts and programs. At the College of New Caledonia’s Quesnel Campus, students and employees have been working on the Traditional Plant Growing Project, which aims to grow a variety of traditional plants from seed and teach others how to grow the plants. Wildcrafter Sharon Primeau taught local students about traditional plant use, and CNC shared the harvest with the ?Esdilagh Nation. In Behchokǫ̀, Northwest Territories, a group of students are learning traditional tanning skills in order to better understand Tłı̨chǫ culture. Under the guidance of three instructors, students have learned how to work caribou hides and make drums. “Once everything is done, they can even do the back handle for the drum, with babiche,” said instructor Alice J Mantla. “That’s where all the magic beat comes from for winning the hand game or drum dance. It’s powerful, really powerful to our ancestors.”