Teaching traditional skills in a healthy atmosphere.
That is the fundamental purpose for the organization of the Youth Cultural Workshop that took place near Atton's Lake on the Poundmaker Cree Nation Reserve, from July 23-27.
This is Floyd Favel's second year organizing the event that encourages children and youth to embrace their traditional roots in what he describes as a "non didactic, activity based atmosphere."
"We want to teach kids to be familiar with their culture, to enjoy it, without being heavy handed about it. To learn positive lifestyles and be around inspiring role models," Favel explained.
Favel collaborated with a number of facilitators he felt possessed positive attributes that could be influential and motivational to the youth attending the workshop.
When the News-Optimist arrived Wednesday, hide tanning, taught by Darwin Daniels, was in the stages before preparing to smoke it. Daniels came from Sturgeon Lake to teach the technique.
The labour intensive process starts with scraping the fur away from the hide, then oiling the hide, soaking it ove5night, drying, then softening the hide. Then, it is smoked over wood chips. In this case, they were using dried pine. Achieving the desired look depends on the type of wood and how longthe hide is smoked.
Artist and fashion designer, Daphie Pooyak, was teaching the children how to sew. The children practice basic stitching techniques by assembling a simple medicine pouch. Then they move on to a more difficult pieces, like moccasins.
She also offered traditional medicine and nature walks to teach the children about plants and the Earth, their place as Native Americans in the world and their views and philosophies in life.
"Any little bit of culture that you can give to the kids starts a fire underneath them. You tell them a story or teach them how to make moccasins and you have just given them that little bit and it pushes them to learn more. Then they feel proud of themselves," said Pooyak, who is also a cultural advisor and works with youth in schools and jails.
Singing and drumming were Elmer Ballantyn and Kelly Daniels, winners of the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards in 2009. The drum has a significant spiritual meaning to aboriginal people. Different elements are incorporated into the instrument - water is sacred, the deer hide represents the animals and rocks fastened to the drum represent the Earth.
The youth workshop was planned in conjunction with the Native American Church Youth Day. The day came to an end with a ceremony in the evening including prayer services, talking about contemporary youth issues and providing support and encouragement for one another.
