Founder of kâniyâsihk Culture Camps, Kevin Lewis believes that land-based education is an important way for Cree and non-Indigenous people to (re)connect with Cree culture and identity.
Within the last two decades the kâniyâsihk Culture Camps at Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation have evolved from providing fall culture camps where participants took part in fishing and hide tanning to offering camps throughout all seasons and to anyone who wants to learn nehiyo (Cree) culture. Founder, Kevin Lewis explains that at kâniyâsihk Culture Camps participants take part in land-based learning that involves connecting with Elders, knowledge keepers, land keepers, medicine keepers, and berry pickers in their community. By sharing this wealth of knowledge with participants they begin to learn how to be self-sufficient and independent. Some of the many things done at camp include: learning Cree; harvesting plants for medicines; fishing and snaring; hide tanning; preserving moose, deer, elk, and fish; woodworking and building dog sleds, toboggans, birch bark canoes, snowshoes, and paddles; dog sledding; and participating in the Sun Dance, Sweat Lodge, and Chicken Dance ceremonies. Camp offers an immersive experience in nehiyo culture and Lewis hopes that more culture camps become available to people, especially for those living in urban areas.
Check out the kâniyâsihk Culture Camps website: https://kaniyasihkculturecamps.com.
Please note: The quality of the audio and video in each interview on NCCIE.CA may vary. NCCIE has been a capacity- and skills-building project for students and youth. They have been "learning-through-doing," learning how to arrange and conduct interviews while, at the same time, gaining experience with the technology.
Organization: | kâniyâsihk Culture Camps |
Location: | Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation |
Name: | Kevin Lewis |
Title: | Founder |
Address: |
Box 58
https://kaniyasihkculturecamps.com
Island Lake, SK
S0M 3G0
|
Email Address: | theislander@me.com |
Phone Number: | 306-837-7649 |
Facebook: | kâniyâsihk Culture Camps @nehiyawUnversity |
Twitter: | Kevin Lewis @theislander7 |
Instagram: | kaniyasihkculturecamps nehiyaw |
LinkedIn: | Lewis wâsakâyâsiw Kevin ᐊᐧᓴᑲᔭᓯᐤ |
YouTube: | Aleksi9fox97 Lewis |
Name: | Steffany Salloum |