A First Nations artist will teach youth the art of making mukluks, as part of a program that seeks to reconnect First Nations youth and their culture in Greater Victoria this week.
As part of the pop up Manitobah Mukluks Storyboot Project program, artist Jamie Gentry teaches youth the process of making mukluks and moccasins pattern to beading. Mukluks are a soft boot traditionally made of reindeer skin or sealskin, and were originally worn by aboriginal people in the arctic.
“Not only it is an amazing experience to see young people doing something that they’ve seen their grandparents do or their parents doing, it works in so many ways to help build self confidence and build a tangible link to their culture and that’s really amazing,” said Waneek Horn-Miller, director of the storyboot project, adding the program is open to non-indigenous people as well. “Watching these classes, you had indigenous and non-indigenous people sitting around and joking and helping each other, and making mukluks and moccasins. It really is an interesting form of reconciliation.”
The first pop up school in BC was at the University of British Columbia last year. This is the first year on Vancouver Island with the first class in Brentwood Bay this Saturday. The first session of the six-week mukluk making class will be hosted at the Tribal School (located at the Saanich Adult Education Centre, 7449 West Saanich Rd.) beginning at noon.
For more information visit manitobah.ca.
