In My Backyard Society launches fundraiser for local Indigenous teachings initiative

This is why both Weber and Dueck decided to take on their project and initiative, the In My Backyard Society.

“We talk a lot about traditional peoples and reconciliation, but in my own backyard, what is the story and how do I reconcile the work on reconciliation when I don’t know the whole story.”

Weber explains the project collects traditional stories, which are gifted to them by building strong relationships with Elders in the community.

“We approach them with honourariums, gas money, donations to their community, families in need that they know or groups that they’re a part of, and then we also approach with tobacco,” she adds.

“That’s really important to us, is that we do this in a manner that is non-intrusive, and that follows the appropriate guidelines.”

Those stories will then be used to create a walk-through of outdoor recreational spaces, which residents will be able to engage with to learn about local, traditional land-based teachings.

Weber says Dueck is a Metis artist, who will be designing the interactive artwork for the signage that is set to be placed along the trails.

“She will be designing some art pieces that go on little plaques and there will be a QR code beside it,” she added.

“You’ll scan it, it’ll bring you up to our website, and our big hope is that there will be audio of the traditional story as well as the written, so if I went out there with my family, I could engage in reconciliation.”

The second part of the initiative, as Weber describes, is to provide education to teachers. As a social studies teacher herself, she explains there is a gap in resources to teach about local land-based history.

Weber suggests their goal is to help close that gap.

“A lot of our teachers in this community didn’t grow up in the community, so they might not have the connections. So, we want to make it easier for teachers to access lesson plans before they go out Kleskun Hill or to work into their classroom,” explains Weber.

“We want to host (Professional Development), we want to have Indigenous youth mentoring them to be those that go in and do the teachings.”

Weber tells EverythingGP the online raffle fundraiser, which goes until November 30, will use 80 per cent of the proceeds towards the project, which will help put up signs, purchase tobacco and other honourariums as well as build the artwork and write lesson plans.

She says the other 20 per cent of the proceeds will go towards the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre.

“It’s really important to us to support Indigenous initiatives that are already going and the Friendship Centre does amazing work for this community so we want to give back to them.”

Weber says tickets for the raffle can be purchased on Instagram or Facebook. Those tickets can then be placed into any of the 21 raffle items, which she says are donated from local businesses and creators.

“So whenever you buy tickets, say you wanted your tickets to go to certain items, not all of them, you just put in the comments of your purchase, your e-transfer (inmybackyardsociety@gmail.com) whichever items you want your tickets going to,” she explained.

“Then on November 30, we will be drawing live on Facebook and Instagram.”

Those looking to reach out and share their traditional stories can contact the In MyBackyard Society on Facebook, Instagram, or email.

by Abby Zieverink

In My Backyard Society launches fundraiser for local Indigenous teachings initiative

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