National Indigenous Peoples Day events planned for Friday at Beaches Sandbox

Beaches Sandbox will be hosting a series of events and activities this Friday, June 19, to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day.

From 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sandbox will be hosting a children and family friendly series, Kennedy’s Blossoms and Brushes, where children 10 and under will be able to paint pots, plant flowers, and connect with nature in a creative way. Throughout the activity, children will connect with the Seven Grandfather Teachings of respect, love, humility, bravery, honesty, wisdom, and truth.

Facilitated by Kennedy Thompson, who has Scottish and British ancestry on one side of her family and Oneida from Six Nations and Delaware from Moraviantown on the other. She graduated with a degree in child and youth care, and continues to learn, grow, and support within the Indigenous community.

Another child and family friendly series, taking place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., is an Indigenous colouring and painting drop in, allowing participants to explore their own creativity in a judgement free zone.

The drop in is run by Dante Kitchikake, who is Ojibway from Wikwemikong on Manitoulin Island, and currently works with Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto as the Program Coordinator for the Men’s Sharing Our Stories Program. He has organized and facilitated multiple youth programs, which include drum making, fire keeping, fundraising initiatives, and traditional teachings.

From 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., adults and seniors are welcome to attend a food, culture and community event, where guests will learn about Indigenous food and cooking practices through a traditional cooking demonstration.

Attendees will have the opportunity to explore how different ingredients and practices are prepared, and the cultural teaching connected to them. The class will be hosted by Ray Misquadis, an Ojibway youth worker, coordinator, outreach worker and case manager with 25 years of experience.

With a passion for cooking, he is an actively involved member of his community. Misquadis works to share his cultural knowledge with others, through fire-keeping and facilitating self-care through sweat lodges and smudging ceremonies. 

Walking Through Indigenous Culture will be taking place in two groups, from 12:30 p.m.to 1:50 p.m. and 2:10 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., offering participants the opportunity to learn about Indigenous traditions, teachings and connections to the land, through discussions and hands on learning experiences.

Led by Tyrone Maude, an Oshki gkitchuidsak Child & Youth Counselor at Anishnawbe Health Toronto, he has lived experience of Indigenous culture, through his upbringing and working alongside traditional healers/medicine men and woman, elders and knowledge keepers from all over Canada in numerous ceremonies.

All activities will take place at Beaches Sandbox at 2181 Queen St. E. on Friday, June 19, with community members of all ages encouraged to participate and learn through art, culture, food and storytelling.

For more information, or to register, visit https://www.beachessandbox.com/workshops-and-events