Wheatland Libraries host Teepee Teachings

By Joan Janzen

Wheatland Libraries hosted Teepee Teachings at the communities of Plenty and Kindersley on Tuesday, September 24th. Plenty Wheatland Library invited Jasmyn Albert to conduct her first hands-on learning workshop at North West Central School in Plenty for students from grades 1-12.

That same afternoon, Jasmyn taught two more workshops at the Norman Ritchie Community Centre, hosted by the Kindersley Library. The first session at 1:30 p.m. was attended by five classes of students from Westberry Elementary School and Elizabeth Middle School. The workshops were made possible thanks to the support of Sask Lotteries and SaskCulture.

Jasmyn Albert taught students at Plenty and Kindersley how to make a teepee, as well as the significant meaning the teepee has in her culture. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN

PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN

Jasmyn is an Indigenous educator and artist from Saskatoon who engaged her audience in the meaningful process of building a teepee. The teepee she used for her workshop was made by her kokum (grandmother) over forty years ago.

Although Jasmyn grew up having huge responsibilities taking care of her three younger siblings while her mother struggled with addiction, her kokum was an important influence in her life. She told her many stories of their way of life.

These stories were relayed to her while they were driving to the berry patch or while they were cutting down teepee poles. Jasmyn has been sharing these stories and values with others since she was 15.

“I was really fortunate growing up and learning about our way of life,” she said. After participating in one of her workshops, a 92-year-old woman approached her and said it was the first time she had heard about the good things about her people’s way of life. She had missed out on this teaching for 92 years.

Jasmyn explained that the first three poles used in setting up the teepee represent respect, obedience, and humility. Respect for others and yourself. Obedience to follow the rules and care for the land and others. Humility, which is believing everyone is equal and carries greatness.

The process of building a teepee was a family affair. Jasmyn’s kokum stressed to her granddaughter that how you’re feeling and how you think goes into whatever you make. So while the children helped build the teepee, Jasmyn asked them “What do you want to feel in your home?”

The teepee or home was where families learned by watching others. They learned love by being shown love. Family is vitally important, but family was absent at the residential school where her grandfather grew up. He was separated from family and wasn’t shown love.

“If you don’t have love and learn how to care for each other, then the whole community crumbles,” Jasmyn said. “We need to adapt and change to survive.”

Family is a support group that helps meet the needs of others. To illustrate, she said that in their language, the word “aunt” means “almost mom,” and the word “uncle” means “almost dad.”

“We were taught to share everything. I always say Indigenous people were the original minimalists,” she laughed. “Despite not having much, my mom always gave.”

Love, hope and strength are needed to continue on through life. Now Jasmyn spends her life teaching others how to live these values in our modern world.