SaskCulture
About Us
Our People
Board of Directors
Volunteers
Staff
Volunteer Peer Assessor
Our Role
Overview
History
Strategic Plan
Year in Review
Other Resources
Our Annual Events
Annual General Meeting
Programs
Funding Programs
Our Grants
Logos & Acknowledgement
Find a Grant
How to use the Online Grant Platform (OGP)
Funding Program Renewal Project
Application Assistance
Accessibility Fund
SaskCulture Programs
Creative Kids
Culture Days
Organizational Support
Indigenous Awareness Hub
Organizational Resources
Diversity and Inclusiveness
Cultural Planning
Nonprofit Lifecycles
Consultant Directory
SaskCulture Respect Resource Line
Impact
Our Reach
Success Stories
iheartculture.ca
What is Culture?
Cultural Benefits
E-Update
News
Careers in Culture
Important and Commemorative Days
Network
Members
Member Benefits
Member Directory
Become a Member
Membership Renewal
SaskCulture Members Say...
Bouncing Back Survey Says
Partners & Initiatives
Our Partners
Tri-Global Partnership
Resilience & Respect: Canada 150 & Beyond
Our Grants
calendar_month Events work Jobs & Opportunities menu_book Engage login Grants Login g_translate Translate
  • Our Reach
  • Success Stories
  • iheartculture.ca
  • What is Culture?
  • Cultural Benefits
  • E-Update
  • News
  • Careers in Culture
  • Important and Commemorative Days
Students in the Small Fires Indigenous Mentorship Program dance Powwow.

Powwow project empowers youth to lead

By: Nickita Longman November, 2024
Share Tweet

In this issue

The cover of the Fall 2024 Engage issue, which has a title section that reads "Culture Builds Community! above the Engage heading and the SaskCulture logo. The cover photo shows a group of people painting circles. In the bottom of the page there are two a Engage - Volume 15, Issue 1, Fall 2024

Cultural Areas

First Nations

Keywords

AACL cultural engagement dance engaging youth First Nations identity Indigenous leadership mentorship

Denae Bruce believes that traditional mentorship encourages youth to gain a deeper understanding of who they are, which helps build their confidence. It also inspires them to participate in other forms of cultural knowledge-sharing and exchange.

These beliefs led to The Small Fires Indigenous Mentorship Program (SFIM) that was created to engage and connect First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students, as well as non-Indigenous students, through cultural-based programming. Entirely volunteer-run, the program, offered through the Lloydminster Public School Division (LPSD), is the school’s direct response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.

“These kinds of experiences empower youth by reinforcing their cultural identity while teaching them the importance of community and continuity,” says Bruce, an Indigenous coach, at LPSD. “Through this empowerment, they are encouraged to become leaders in their own right while advocating for their culture and contributing to its overall preservation for future generations.”

Upon learning the Lloydminister Museum + Archives would host the “Powwow! Ohcîwin The Origins” exhibit in January 2024, Bruce recognized there was an opportunity for a collaborative project that would benefit the students involved in the SFIM. With many skilled traditional dancers in the school, Bruce also knew the project would be beneficial for all students and would help foster a deeper understanding of culture for the division and community overall.

“I knew our involvement would align with our division's mandate and be particularly meaningful to the students,” Bruce says. “It is so important for Indigenous youth to be mentored by Elders and Knowledge Keepers who carry deep wisdom and are there to guide them through cultural teachings.”

The project enhanced each students’ existing dancing skills while sharing a deeper understanding on the traditional meaning behind each dance category and further explanations about the dance regalia. These meanings were shared with a larger audience, which promoted an environment that celebrated cultural teachings and traditions, further enriching the Lloydminster community with Indigenous history, traditions and insights.

“Cultural projects, such as the “Powwow! Ohcîwin The Origins” exhibit, invite the wider public to engage and learn while fostering an understanding, mutual respect and inclusion,” says Bruce. “Ultimately, they build unity, resilience, and a collective sense of purpose, which are essential for a thriving community.”

Bruce goes on to say, “Perhaps the most impactful moments were witnessing the younger students come out of their shell and dance with so much pride and joy. The project, as well as the partnership with the mentors, provided a powerful sense of connection and validation for the students involved. It elevated their experience while deepening their pride in their culture.”

The Lloydminister Museum + Archives received support from SaskCulture’s Aboriginal Arts and Culture Leadership (AACL) Grant, funded by the Sask Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation.

We are Treaty people

SaskCulture's work and support reaches lands covered by Treaties 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10, the traditional lands of the Cree, Dakota, Dene, Lakota, Nakota and Saulteaux peoples, as well as homeland of the Métis.

We aim to be accessible and safe for everyone

Our office, including front door and washrooms, is wheelchair-accessible (building access at Cornwall Street entrance) during regular office hours. A proud supporter of safer and inclusive spaces initiatives, we are committed to a workplace free from hate, discrimination or harassment, where everyone is welcome.

Get the SaskCulture e-Update

Get the news on funding deadlines, development opportunities, job opportunities, award winners, community highlights and more.

Sign Up

Funded by

Funded by Sask Lotteries

Contact Us

  • #404, 2125 - 11th Avenue
    Regina, SK   S4P 3X3
  • info@saskculture.ca
  • (306) 780-9284
  • Office Hours:

    8:30 am - 12:00 pm
    12:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Connect with Us

Disclaimer
Design + Development: Structured Abstraction