There is a new creative venue in town. The Enji Maawinjidiyaang Indigenous Friendship Centre (located at 22 Mary Walk) opens its doors every second Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to men and women interested in learning an Indigenous craft or sharing Indigenous knowledge and culture.
On Sept. 19, six people joined Jennie Therrien, employment facilitator with Niigaaniin Services under the jurisdiction of the North Shore Tribal Council, for the Mino-Bimaadizidaa Social Hour. It’s called a social hour but is actually a three-hour program, with a break in the middle for lunch. Participants bring a bag lunch, but Therrien also provides some snack food.
The last session involved teaching people how to make dream catchers. This week’s craft was painting rocks.
Other activities have included walks through the wilderness and learning how to identify and collect medicinal plants and those that are edible. There is no cost for this program, and all supplies and tools are provided.
The social hour started on June 13 this year and runs at the Indigenous Friendship Centres in Elliot Lake and Sudbury on alternate weeks. Jennie Therrien has been the facilitator since the beginning.
“The purpose of the program is knowledge sharing,” said Therrien.
Of the six participants this week, a married couple, Paulette and Ron Woolhead, have attended all the social hours. Two attended for the first time. All took home the products of their artistic efforts, colourful painted rocks of various sizes, some with positive sayings and others decorated with painted flowers and feathers.
The Indigenous Friendship Centre also offers free language classes every Thursday from 1 to 2 p.m., open to anyone interested in learning Ojibwe, the Anishinabek language.