Kamen, a Grade 4 student gets a helping hand weaving pipe cleaners into a bracelet from his teacher Raemi Wilchynski. The Indigenous studies exercise was led by consultant Winddancer Waskewitch. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
Twisting some pipe cleaners together to make a bracelet can teach young students an important lesson about Indigenous culture.
Winddancer Waskewitch, an Indigenous consultant with the Lloydminster Public School Division, best known by his first name, used the exercise to teach Grade 4 students at College Park School the meaning of braiding hair.
“I’m so passionate about it. I found a lot more stories and lessons behind it,” said Winddancer who braids his own hair.
He says braiding hair is a cultural connection to one’s parents and grandparents and the creator.
“Having long hair is a way of showing that commitment to being connected,” he said.
“I grew up seeing men that I wanted to be like with long hair. For me, a role model had long hair. My hair taught me how to be a father and a man.”
Teacher Raemi Wilchynski, says Winddancer visited her class twice last week to learn about how important braiding is to his culture and give kids the chance to practise braiding.
“It’s part of social studies program and infusing First Nations culture into our school,” said Wilchynski.
“Last year, he came and shared the importance of it and this year, we were able to braid and actually see how to do it and see the importance of it a little bit more. Kids learn best by doing.”
Students were given three different coloured strands to weave together to make bracelets or book marks with Indigenous braiding in mind.
Winddancer says each strand represents their own intention or goal and he tells them to weave them together as a commitment that they are going to work towards these goals.
“They are able to do home and share the braiding and their parents tell me they can show them they that can do that,” he said.
“That gives me a sense of pride. We’re happy they could feel that sense of accomplishment because that’s how I felt when I braided my hair for the first time.”
A young student who said his name was Beckett explained the trick to weave a bracelet after getting some tips from Winddancer.
“You have to tie it and stuff,” he explained.
He was also spot on about the what the exercise taught him.
“I learned it means your hair is important,” he said.
Winddancer says when they cut the hair of Indigenous youth who attended residential schools they cut their culture and their language too.
“So my way of keeping all that was my hair,” he said.
“It really means a lot to see another Indigenous man with long hair too because I can think he’s connected too in some way in his own way.”
