Indigenous Bannock-Making Workshop Ignites Cultural Connections for Youth!

A TrailBlaze Youth Workshop Recap From This Past Winter (Dec 29th, 2024)

In today's world, where cultures often collide at barriers our goal is to break them down and build up strengthened relationships within our communities. This hands-on workshop not only teaches the art of making traditional bannock but also serves as a platform for cultural exchange, connection, and meaningful learning.

Workshop Process:

• Land acknowledgement activity (discussing the importance and why we do it and what more we can do)

• Share the significance of bannock (have students relate to what foods are important in their culture, family and identity)

• Make bannock!!

• Dialogue questions (e.g. Why do you think food is a good way to learn about someone's culture?) 

• Gratitude and Reflection (Something they learned, something they would like to know more about and something that they already knew)

TrailBlaze Youth Workshop participants pictured with freshly made bannock with local Okanagan sourced blueberry jam.

Workshop Goal and Result:

Participants worked on connecting their cultures with that of Indigenous communities through food and storytelling. Thinking about how familial influence creates an impact on their exposure to certain ingredients and dishes. They talked about their favorite family recipes that have been passed down through the years, showing how these meals help them feel connected to their roots, we emphasized noticing how this is related to tradition and connection. Many participants shared funny and heartwarming stories about their favorite dishes, showing how food can bring back memories and make them feel like they belong whether this is with friends, family or personal communities (sports, clubs, school).

How This Contributed to our Community:

This hands-on experience helped the kids understand their own cultures better while also highlighting the importance of respecting and appreciating the different food traditions of Indigenous peoples. This is just one small step that we are able to contribute as non-Indigenous people to help educate and immerse our youth in eye-opening, hands-on learning. What really helped the participants open up is that they has creative freedom with the shape of their bannock, allowing them to forget that they were learning and instead make real connections and engage naturally. Many left with high spirits and a new appreciation for the effort it take to create food!

RECAP!!