miyo pimatsowin
A summer program for youth at Gift Lake Métis Settlement
Gift Lake Métis Settlement
Gift Lake Métis Settlement is in northern Alberta, Canada. It is one of eight legislated Métis land base and Métis governments in Alberta. Gift Lake Metis Settlement was established in 1938.
Gift Lake Métis Settlement, Alberta, Canada
The miyo pimatsowin summer youth program began with the Métis Settlements Life Skills Journey program, a program that we in Gift Lake were blessed to have for over 3 years.
We are grateful to have had the opportunity to deliver the program during the summer of 2021, where we focused on the 7 Sacred Teachings.
7 Sacred Teachings Program
Our 7-week program combined cultural teachings with life skills education, sharing tradition alongside life skills development in a learn through play approach.
Week One
Wisdom
- Understand taxes
- Money matters
- Conduct
- Job etiquette
- Debt
- Keeping your record clean
What wisdom means to us
Learning about budgeting
The beaver teaches us wisdom as beavers use their intelligence to do good
Week Two
Love sakihitowin ᓴᑭᐦᐃᑐᐃᐧᐣ
- Loving yourself
- Loving others
- Healthy relationships
Name-based art
Games and learning about love
The eagle teaches us love
Week Three
Respect kihcheyihtakosiwin •ᑭᐦᒉᔨᐦᑕᑯᓯᐃᐧᐣ
- Respecting Elders
- Respecting others
- Respecting land & water
- Respecting authority
- Respecting community & neighbors
- Respecting social media
We did a community clean-up as part of our learning about respect.
The buffalo teaches us respect
Week Four
Bravery
- Sharing is tough
- Conversations that matter
- Confront the discomfort
- Anxiety
- Boundaries
- Self-esteem
- Rethinking your thoughts
We created ribbon skirts and shirts, wearing what we made at our summer program graduation ceremony
The bear teaches us bravery.
Week Five
Honesty
- Speaking Truth to yourself and others
- Acknowledging your emotions
- Grief and loss
Our thoughts on honesty
Learning through play
A creature like Bigfoot or Sasquatch teaches us to be honest to the laws of the creator and honest to each other (https://empoweringthespirit.ca/).
Week Six
Humility
- Anger and conflict resolution
- Values
- Honour
Making moccasins as part of our learning on walking in humility
A display poster on what we learned about humility
The wolf teaches us humility.
Week Seven
Truth
- Who am I ?
- I am Métis
- I am brave and I am strong
We joined the GLMS Cultural Camp to learn cultural survival skills and teachings.
Making bannock
Moose
Rat Root
The turtle teaches us truth.
At the end of miyo pimatsowin summer camp, campers received sashes in recognition of our learning together.
We shared what we learned about the 7 Grandfather teachings at culture camp. Campers wore the ribbon skirts and shirts they made during camp.
Learning through Play
Foundational Story
A grandfather is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The grandfather simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Métis Culture
Métis people are a distinct Indigenous group in Canada. The word métis is from the French adjective métis, which refers to someone with mixed ancestry. We are descendants of early unions between European settler men and First Nations women and have since developed our own distinct culture and traditions. The Canadian prairies are known as the Métis homeland and there are eight Métis Settlements in Alberta.
Métis people carry many traditions, including:
- dancing or jigging,
- fiddling,
- hunting,
- fishing,
- harvesting, and
- beading
Métis people were known as the flower beadwork people. Moccasins, vests, belts, bags, tuppies (blanket-like coverings for sled dogs) and wall pockets were all decorated and beaded.
Photos courtesy of opansawew (Brayden N).
Thank you to all the campers, families, and community members who participated in and supported our miyo pimatsowin summer camp.
kinanâskomitin and maarsii for viewing our StoryMap
