Ogimaawabiitong recently welcomed Aj Douglas, an internationally renowned dancer and speaker, to Wauzhushk Onigum Nation for a workshop on bullying and a chance to speak with local youth.
The workshop took place from 10:00 am – 2:30 pm at Pow Wow Island and the workshop had a great turnout, Douglas said that lots of people, both youth and adults, were in attendance.
Douglas explained what she does, “I travel all around Canada and the United States through different reservations, talking about my personal experiences with bullying, suicide, self-harm, depression, anxiety… all these things that have affected me and my journey.”
“Most recently, I have started to talk about infertility and miscarriage because that is something I have started to get bullied for because I openly shared my experiences. I think it is important to talk about these topics because not a lot of people do openly talk about them and a lot of our youth struggle with these things. A lot of our young girls are coming forward now and sharing their stories about their experiences with miscarriage.”
Douglas noted that she is well known as a jingle dress dancer with a unique style so sometimes she will incorporate her dancing skills into her presentations as well.
The workshop started with Douglas sharing her story before she allowed the crowd to share parts of theirs, she offers advice and together, the group works to heal each other.
