Workshops
Healing Through the Power of Clay
"My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back.” - Louis Riel.
The workshop that I specialize in is to awaken people’s spirit through the ancient practice of working with clay. Participants will learn about the history of pottery made by the ancestors from the region of the ancient Lake Agassiz. They will learn how knowledge such as culture, spirit, land and water is embedded in the pottery; making a connection to this knowledge can be empowering and healing for the spirit. They will experience the therapeutic powers of working with clay. Pottery is an approachable medium that requires no training, it is tactile, it engages many of your senses and is creatively engaging. Clay allows people to self-express and self-discover, it is a relaxing activity, allows for creativity which leads to self-confidence. The combination of knowledge and physical experience of clay will empower participants and awaken their spirit.
This Land-based workshop teaches students about the technology of clay pottery made by the Indigenous People from the Ancient Lake Agassiz region.
Students are taught about the Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation and asked to emulate their style in a painting after listening to a story about Wēsākechā.
Students are taught about nêhiyawak and Annishinaabe worldviews while making a deer hide rattle.
Students learn how to bead with one needle using the technique of backstitch.
Students learn the versitility of birch bark and the technology of porcupine quills.
