While reviewing resources, I thought I’d share a resource from my own school division’s First Nations, Metis and Inuit Success Coordinator, Sandra Lamouche. Sandra has been part of our school division (Livingstone Range School Division) for the past four years. She is a Cree Hoop Dancer, educator as well as a wife and mother. In our school division, Sandra works with staff and students on First Nations history, culture and ways of knowing. Sandra also works with schools to not only teach hoop dancing but also to share oral stories, plan lessons, connect with elders and support teachers in a deeper understanding of First Nations, Metis and Inuit cultures. Sandra, “Uses hoop dance teachings to inspire others to live in balance and harmony with themselves, their friends and family, and with the environment. She uses hoop dance teachings to inspire others to live in balance and harmony with themselves, their friends and family, and with the environment.” Last spring, Sandra gave a TedTalk with the University of Lethbridge called: The Beautiful Struggle of Life and Other Hoop Dance Teachings. She speaks to her connections with her culture, her work with the school division and her own personal story of how her son was able to connect to his daycare through music and dance.
Lamouche, S. (2020, June 1). The beautiful struggle of life and other hoop dance teachings. [Video]. Ted Conferences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39KhpZ-JhOc&list=PL39hx3FDRKyagIgmFg_ASBkEes1CkxrqN