Oshki-Pimache-O-Win The Wenjack Education Institute Business program graduate recognized with Goyce Kakegamic Bursary award

By Rick Garrick

THUNDER BAY — Biigtigong Nishnaabeg’s Chalynne Courchene plans to continue making regalia after graduating from Oshki-Pimache-O-Win The Wenjack Education Institute’s Business program on June 13 at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.

“I joined Oshki to get my Business diploma because I’m actually a self-taught seamstress. I create men’s and women’s regalia, I create bug hats, ribbon skirts, I do alterations, I do all kinds of work,” Courchene says. “I create all my own patterns, and all my work is through trial and error. I actually recently learned to make the Grandmother’s Dress, which is the Woodlands strap dress.”

Courchene says she is also learning how to make the roaches for men dancers and the fans.

“So I’m teaching myself these skills so I can go and take them and teach them to others now,” Courchene says, noting that she began learning about her culture when her son was born. “So I’m about 10 years into learning all of this, and instead of just teaching them how to make the material items, I want to be able to tell them the history behind it and why we’re wearing all this stuff.”

Courchene says she first learned how to make ribbon skirts before learning how to make full-sized regalia such as jingle dresses.

“In my community, every year for our pow wow … they host regalia-making,” Courchene says. “This year, we made about 10 or 15 Woodland strap dresses, so each year, I participated because, first of all, I wanted to learn the skill, but then as I’m sitting in there, I’m listening to the stories.”

Courchene says she has learned that there are stories and meanings behind the traditional items that she creates.

“I want to know more, I’m always open, I love learning and I love reading and I love facts,” Courchene says. “So learning about my own culture has had its own take, I’m slow to it, I’m new to it, but I love learning and I love listening.”

Courchene says learning to speak Anishinaabemowin has been difficult for her, noting that she was not brought up with her language.

“It’s really hard, whereas my classmates, they are very fluent,” Courchene says. “So the least that I can do for myself is to learn all these items that I’m learning to make so I can teach them, so I can have some sort of connection to my culture and to show my son that, hey, this is a new thing for us, like this is maybe something that you can find, my boy, to help heal and grow.”

Courchene was recognized with one of two Goyce Kakegamic Bursary awards, which included a framed painting by the late Goyce Kakegamic, a former Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief, educator and artist, during the graduation ceremony.

“The big thing about it was that painting, it’s called the Family of Geese,” Courchene says. “To hold that painting up the way that I did, it’s a feeling that I can’t even put to words. So for the school and for the family to recognize my work, but also my struggles — that’s what this award means to me.”

Lorrie Deschamps, president at Oshki-Wenjack, says it was difficult to pick the two Goyce Kakegamic Bursary award recipients this year.

“It was hard for us to pick because there were so many students who had that high GPA who were excellent students,” Deschamps says.

Oshki-Wenjack celebrated the achievements of 113 graduates during the graduation ceremony.

“This was our largest graduation ever,” Deschamps says. “We are so proud of our students and I hope we just keep on growing and growing for each grad each year.”