Leather Mitt Making Workshop at Faraday Community Centre on now

A Leather Mitt Making Workshop is happening at the Faraday Community Centre. Registration for the workshop began on Sept. 18 and classes started on Oct. 13. So far, three classes have occurred with the final class on Nov. 3.

Jamie Kring, community development worker with the Tsi Kanonhkhwatsheri:yo Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team, comments on this workshop. For more information on this workshop or future classes, contact Kring at Jamie.kring@iipct.com or at 613-885-5616.

Kring says the mandate for the Tsi Kanonhkhwatsheri:yo Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team is to offer health and cultural programs to all Indigenous peoples and their immediate family members in the former South East LHIN.

“We started coming to Bancroft last fall for Moccasin Making class with basic foot care education. Since then, we have asked what they are lacking and would be interested in attending. They said Leather Mittens, Basket Making and any kind of Indigenous craft. We have done health and wellness parties with health screenings and crafts. We have done Black Ash Picnic Basket Making and now we are doing Leather Mittens,” she says.

Kring says they have a core group of 20 people that attend their workshops and they’re always looking for more people to join their programs. She says that in addition to the Faraday Community Centre, they’ve also held workshops and health screenings at the Sword Inn Motel, but they’re always looking for programming space within the area to host their workshops.

Kring says they buy their workshop materials locally at the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, where their main clinic is located. They get their leather from Randy’s Leather, owned by Cheryle Maracle, in Tyendinaga and their beads, sinew, beading mats, and much more from Martin’s Beads, owned by Lisa Martin.

The workshops are taught by Curtis Maracle and Kring. They also have two other workers that help to make sure everything goes smoothly; Sarah Kring and Allison Loft. Kring says they have 20 people that are attending the Leather Mitt Making Workshop.

“They have all really enjoyed learning about how to make leather mittens and where to get materials. A lot of the participants make the trip down to Tyendinaga to buy leather and beads to continue new projects at home!” she says.

Kring told The Bancroft Times that all their programs are open to anyone that identifies as Indigenous and their immediate household family members.

“We are status-blind. You do not have to be status to attend our workshops,” she says. “If you are looking for more information about our programs, please reach out to me.”

Michael Riley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Bancroft Times