SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a healing journey for our kids.SA国际影视传媒�

That, Stacey Drygeese-Sundberg says, is why itSA国际影视传媒檚 so important for Indigenous children to be connected with their cultural roots.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a healing journey for our kids to get through the whole residential era and all the negative stuff that happened in history. We try to tell our kids that we have to move on with good things, with our culture, with our language, with our elders and the traditional knowledge holders,SA国际影视传媒� she says.

Drygeese-Sundberg is the Foster Family CoalitionSA国际影视传媒檚 newly appointed cultural coordinator. In collaboration with the Native WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Association of the NWT, she organized a two-day workshop this past Tuesday and Wednesday for girls in foster care to participate in beading and fish scale art activities with an Elder. 

SA国际影视传媒淭he majority of our kids coming from small communities and going into the foster care system donSA国际影视传媒檛 really have that opportunity because theySA国际影视传媒檙e with non-Indigenous parents,SA国际影视传媒� she says. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 only fair to teach them their own culture, their own language, about who they are and who their ancestors were.SA国际影视传媒�

Alizette Lockhart is one of the founding members of the Native WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Association of the NWT. Now an elder, Lockhart teaches young Indigenous women and children to SA国际影视传媒済et to know themselves,SA国际影视传媒� and to get them through their healing journey. 

Lockhart has been making fish scale art for many years. When she was young, she noticed that her mother used every part of the fish except its scales and thought there must be something they could be used for. Before they can be incorporated in art, Lockhart harvests the fish scales and bones, dries them out for several months and then colours them.

SA国际影视传媒淚 eat lots of fish,SA国际影视传媒� she jokes.

In leading the workshop, she says that the participants SA国际影视传媒� approximately 10 girls aged primarily 12 to 15 SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒渁re learning to be patient as young girls becoming women.SA国际影视传媒�

Lockhart says the girls did well and that these activities help provide tools to handle stress and other feelings that may arise down the road.

SA国际影视传媒淚 asked them, 'WhoSA国际影视传媒檚 done this,' and no one had. So when I asked how it went, they said it went good SA国际影视传媒� and I could see a smile, and they were happy. We said that they could leave (their art) here but almost all of them took them home.SA国际影视传媒�

As part of her role as cultural coordinator, Drygeese-Sundberg is also working to integrate cultural practices in more Yellowknife commercial settings.

SA国际影视传媒淚 would like to see more Yellowknife businesses and organizations reconciling with the Indigenous people of the North,SA国际影视传媒� she says.  SA国际影视传媒淭he majority of the people here are Indigenous and it's only right that they come and reconcile with our people.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭here should be more cultural awareness,SA国际影视传媒� she says. SA国际影视传媒淢ore teaching about our treaties and our people, politics and everything in between.SA国际影视传媒�

There is lots of work to be done, but with programs like these, and more organizations working towards reconciliation, Sundberg says SA国际影视传媒渨eSA国际影视传媒檙e well on our way.SA国际影视传媒�