A talent for tilework – Dual-Credit Carpentry student Sean Saddleback didn’t need to measure when he cut ceramic tiles to fit the complex patterns he was working on. “They always fit perfectly!” says his MANS carpentry teacher/supervisor Jonathan Belinsky.When MANS students applied to be part of Inspire Mamawi Leadership’s second summer program (IML-S), they knew exactly what they were getting into—and twice as many wanted in.
The program represents opportunity—to travel, learn skills, resume build and explore directions for their lives. “There’s not a lot of opportunities [on the Res],” says one student who was part of the first IML-S team of six last summer.
“I think that’s why most of the [new] kids were joining.” Then she observes, “This program has shown me there’s a lot more than just staying at home, just working. It shifted my mindset.” One big shift is that before joining the 2024 summer team, she disliked school; now she plans to attend college next fall.
More than resume-building, Most participants plan to stay in the program because IML-S feeds them in ways that few of their friends get to experience.
“People don’t realize how much it actually does to you,” says one. “When you actually stay with it and listen to what other people have to say—actually take their advice and see how it impacts you—the program helps you through life. It’s not only there for the money. It can be there spiritually.” Some benefits are not just tangible, she explains, or even specifically requested.
“I was a big drinker,” she continues. “I slowed down and eventually stopped drinking because Mr. B* and the program kept me busy from think about alcohol or craving it.”
Their insights seem beyond their years. “Your words are powerful,” observes one team member. “A lot of people don’t understand that. They’re too stuck with the reality that they are being.”
The atmosphere as we talk is positive. Small wonder the team attracted Indigenous youth who don’t attend MANS, like Kaydence and Lucy.
Living off-reserve most of her adolescent life, Kaydence felt “Whitewashed.” However nice her non-Indigenous classmates were, trying to explain the culture of her childhood often left her feeling isolated. Connecting with other Indigenous teens who were working together and gaining skills seemed to connect her with parts of herself that seemed missing.
“[The IML-S team] is awesome,” says Lucy Cazes, who was adopted as a child. “I really liked to work with them and I really enjoy their outgoing personalities. They had great work ethics. We felt like a family.”
A talent for tilework – Dual-Credit Carpentry student Sean Saddleback didn’t need to measure when he cut ceramic tiles to fit the complex patterns he was working on. “They always fit perfectly!” says his MANS carpentry teacher/supervisor Jonathan Belinsky.
*Jonathan Belinsky is MANS’ carpentry teacher and a co-leader in the IML program established by Pastor Tsholo Sebetlela that runs year-round at MANS.
Eyes for Perfection – Kaydence, Faye and Kessalyn direct the forklift driver bringing the gazebo they helped build to its display site. They centred and leveled the structure perfectly.
Lynn McDowell
