Bring cultural learning, practical skills, and Indigenous perspectives to your community, school, organization, or event. Explore Mishkiki’s workshops and keynote presentations below. We work with organizers to recommend programming suited to your audience, goals, location, and budget.
Workshops marked with an asterisk (*) connect Indigenous knowledge with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) through cultural and land-based learning.
Jump to: Keynote Presentations · Cultural Workshops · Land-Based Learning · Mental Health & Wellbeing · Youth Empowerment & Personal Development · Music, Arts & Creative Expression · Language Revitalization · Business & Economic Empowerment · 12 Week Employment & Training Programs
Keynote Presentations
Surviving the System — From Foster Care and Shelters to Leadership, Purpose and Community
Drawing on lived experience, this keynote explores navigating foster care, homelessness, and institutional barriers while reclaiming identity, belonging, and purpose. It challenges leaders and organizations to move beyond awareness through accountability, safe relationships, and meaningful support for young people.
Thirteen Moons — Reconnecting with the Natural Cycles of Life
Explore Anishinaabe teachings about the thirteen moons and our relationships with land, water, foods, and medicines. This keynote connects seasonal responsibilities with community wellbeing, food sovereignty, and the renewal of knowledge for future generations.
Returning to Where We Belong
Through personal storytelling and Anishinaabe perspectives, Joshua Martin explores cultural reconnection, belonging, and navigating racism and hostile environments. This keynote examines responsible reconnection, the impacts of unsupported Indigenous identity claims, and respect for First Nations’ authority over their citizenship, lands, and relationships.
About the Speaker
Joshua Martin is an Anishinaabe (Algonquin and Cree) presenter, cultural educator, and Executive Director of Mishkiki. With family connections to Pikwakanagan, Timiskaming, and Moose Factory, he brings lived experience and a community-centred perspective to conversations about cultural identity, resilience, leadership, and our relationships with the land. Through storytelling and practical reflection, Joshua encourages audiences to strengthen belonging, take responsibility, and turn learning into meaningful action.
Cultural Workshops
Ribbon Skirt & Shirt Making*
Learn the teachings, sewing skills, explore ribbon garment designs, and create a ribbon skirt or shirt through guided, hands-on instruction. A community fashion show can be discussed as part of the booking.
Bustle Making
Explore the history, styles, and purposes of bustles while learning crafting techniques. The format and time required depend on the type of bustle selected.
Woodland Art & Mural Painting
Explore the origins of this Indigenous art form and storytelling through drawing, design, and collaborative mural painting.
Powwow Singing & Drumming
Explore powwow songs, drum teachings, and singing through guided group participation, with attention to the protocols and teachings shared by the facilitator.
Powwow Dance (All Styles)
Explore powwow dance styles, their histories, regalia, and etiquette through teachings, demonstrations, and guided participation.
Snow Snake & Traditional Winter Games*
Discover the story of the snow snake game, learn its rules and etiquette, and take part in making and playing snow snakes.
Sweat Lodge Building & Ceremony
Explore the origins, purpose, and teachings of the sweat lodge. Participate in preparing and building a lodge while learning about ceremony, traditional etiquette, and the protocols shared by the facilitator. Our goal is to pass this knowledge to someone who will continue to conduct the ceremony in your community.
On The Importance of Culture
Explore the Medicine Wheel, Four Directions, medicines, and animal protectors, alongside the Seven Grandfather / Sacred Teachings. Teachings relevant to participants’ regions, peoples, and ancestors offer guidance for living our cultures in everyday life.
Ceremony & Teaching Lodge Building
Learn how to prepare for and build a ceremony and teaching lodge for your community. Through hands-on construction and shared teachings, explore the lodge’s role in reclaiming ceremonies, languages, and cultural knowledge.
Introductory To Beading*
Explore beadwork through guided, hands-on instruction. Learn techniques for creating beadwork designs while developing practical skills and creative expression.
STEAM Focus: Geometry, symmetry, patterns, and artistic expression.
Quill Work
Discover the art of quillwork through teachings and hands-on crafting. Explore the materials, designs, and techniques used in this traditional art form.
Hand Drum Making*
Create a hand drum through guided instruction while learning about its cultural significance, care, and respectful use.
STEAM Focus: Design, measurement, construction, and natural materials.
Star Quilt Making*
Explore star quilt making through guided instruction in design, fabric selection, cutting, and sewing. Build practical quilting skills while learning about the star quilt’s cultural significance.
STEAM Focus: Geometry, symmetry, patterns, and artistic expression.
Roach Crafting
Explore the craft of making a regalia roach through guided instruction. Learn about its materials, construction, and cultural significance through teachings shared by the facilitator.
Moccasin, Mukluk & Mitt Making
Develop sewing and crafting skills while creating moccasins, mukluks, or mitts. The selected project and workshop format are arranged around your group’s interests and experience.
Strap Dress Making & Teachings
Explore strap dress making through cultural teachings and guided sewing instruction. Develop skills in planning, assembling, and personalizing a garment.
Leather Belt & Gauntlet Making
Learn leatherworking techniques while creating a belt or gauntlets. Explore design, preparation, assembly, and finishing through hands-on instruction.
Patterned Jacket & Bag Making
Build sewing skills while creating a patterned jacket or bag. Explore working with patterns, selecting fabrics, and assembling your chosen project through guided instruction.
Miniature Birchbark Canoe, Tiipii & Basket Making*
Explore birchbark crafting through guided miniature canoe, tiiipii or basket making. Learn about working with natural materials and the cultural knowledge shared through these traditional crafts.
STEAM Focus: Design, measurement, construction, and natural materials.
Hoop Dancing
Explore hoop dancing through demonstrations, storytelling, and guided participation. Learn introductory movements while discovering how hoops can be used to tell stories through dance.
Intro to The Grass Dance
Discover the history, teachings, and regalia associated with the grass dance. Explore introductory steps and dance etiquette through demonstrations and guided participation.
Intro to The Jingle Dress Dance
Explore the origins, teachings, and significance of the jingle dress dance. Learn about the dress, dance etiquette, and introductory movements through guided instruction.
Star Teachings Workshop*
Explore the Star Teachings relevant to your community, constellations, and their connections to origin stories and clan teachings. Learn about clan roles and responsibilities through knowledge shared by the facilitator.
STEAM Focus: Astronomy, constellations, and Indigenous knowledge.
Rattle Making
Explore the history and origins of the rattle, then create your own through guided, step-by-step instruction. Connect hands-on crafting with discussion of this traditional instrument.
The Mini-Powwow
Explore jingle dress dancing and the Grandfather Drum through interactive, hands-on learning. Discover the histories and stories connected to these traditions, learn cultural protocols, and participate in guided dancing and singing practice.
Land-Based Learning
13 Moons & Food Security*
Explore the relationships between the thirteen moons, seasonal changes, traditional foods, and community wellbeing. Connect cultural teachings with discussions about harvesting, food security, and caring for the land.
STEAM Focus: Seasonal cycles, ecology, and traditional food systems.
Medicine Walk & Harvesting Teachings
Learn about plants and medicines through a guided walk, with teachings on respectful harvesting, relationships with the land, and gathering etiquette.
Sugar-Bushing*
Explore the seasonal practice of gathering maple sap and making maple syrup. Connect hands-on learning with teachings about the trees, seasonal changes, and respectful relationships with the land.
STEAM Focus: Tree biology, temperature, evaporation, and measurement.
Hide Tanning & Processing
Learn about preparing and processing animal hides through guided instruction. Explore the work involved in transforming a hide into a usable material while honouring the animal and reducing waste.
Hunting & Trapping
Explore hunting and trapping through teachings on responsible harvesting, respect for animals, and relationships with the land. Learn from the facilitator’s knowledge and experience, with activities arranged around your group and location.
Wild Rice Restoration*
Explore manoomin stewardship through teachings on suitable habitats, planting, sustainable harvesting, and processing. Learn how restoring wild rice beds strengthens community food sovereignty and cultural connections.
STEAM Focus: Aquatic ecology, plant growth, and stewardship.
Fish & Turtle Conservation*
Explore relationships with fish, turtles, and their habitats through Indigenous knowledge and conservation learning. Discuss stewardship and ways communities can care for aquatic ecosystems.
STEAM Focus: Biology, habitats, and environmental conservation.
Ice Fishing & Netting
Explore ice fishing through hands-on learning and teachings about seasonal harvesting. Learn about equipment, techniques, ice safety, and respectful harvesting practices while strengthening connections to the land, water, and traditional food sources.
Fire Keeper’s Teachings
Explore the role and responsibilities of a Fire Keeper through teachings about respect, preparation, and caring for a sacred fire. Learn about fire safety, ceremonial protocols, and supporting ceremonies under the guidance of an experienced Fire Keepers.
Full Birch Bark Canoe Build*
Take part in building a full-sized birch bark canoe, from preparing natural materials to assembling and finishing the vessel. Learn traditional construction techniques and teachings about the canoe’s role in travel, trade, and community life through a collaborative, hands-on experience.
STEAM Focus: Fluid dynamics, design, measurement, construction, and natural materials.
Moose Hide Smoking & Medicine Bag Making
Explore hide smoking and medicine bag making through guided, hands-on instruction. Learn about preparing and working with hide while creating a medicine bag and exploring teachings shared by the facilitator.
Community Medicine Garden*
Plan and build a community medicine garden or greenhouse while learning about plant care, traditional medicines, and respectful harvesting. Explore how tending a garden supports cultural learning and community wellbeing.
STEAM Focus: Horticulture, ecology, plant identification, growing conditions, and sustainable harvesting.
Plant Medicines & Traditional Diet*
Explore relationships between plant medicines, traditional foods, and everyday wellbeing. Learn through teachings about cultural knowledge, food practices, and respectful relationships with the plants and lands that sustain us.
STEAM Focus: Horticulture, ecology, plant identification, growing conditions, and sustainable harvesting.
Healing On The Land
Reconnect with the land through cultural teachings, shared learning, and outdoor experiences. Explore how relationships with the land can support belonging, cultural identity, and community wellbeing.
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Men’s Mental Health
Create space for conversations about men’s mental health, cultural identity, relationships, and seeking support. Explore connection, shared experiences, and approaches to strengthening personal and community wellbeing.
Life Promotion
Explore hope, belonging, purpose, and the connections that help sustain life. Through culturally grounded discussion and activities, reflect on personal strengths, supportive relationships, and ways to reach out for help.
Addictions Awareness & Prevention Workshop
Build understanding of substance use, its effects, and the factors that influence it. Explore prevention, cultural connections, supportive relationships, and pathways toward help and healing.
Family Wellbeing
Explore communication, supportive relationships, and cultural connections within families. Reflect on shared strengths and ways to nurture belonging, care, and wellbeing across generations.
Culturally Grounded Fatherhood
Explore fatherhood through cultural teachings, shared experiences, and discussion. Reflect on responsibilities, relationships, and ways fathers can strengthen their connections with children, family, and community.
Strengthening Cultural Identity & Self Esteem
Explore how cultural connections, personal strengths, and a sense of belonging can support self-esteem. Through discussion and reflection, build confidence in who you are and the gifts you bring to your community.
Smoking / Vaping Awareness & Prevention
Explore the distinction between sacred tobacco use and commercial smoking. Discuss smoking, vaping, addiction awareness, and approaches to quitting while strengthening cultural understanding and personal wellbeing.
Comedy & Female + 2Spirit Empowerment
Explore humour and creative expression as ways to share experiences, build confidence, and strengthen connections. Centre the voices and perspectives of women, girls, and Two-Spirit participants through comedy and discussion.
Decolonizing Our Lifestyles
Reflect on how colonialism has influenced everyday habits, beliefs, and relationships. Explore ways to reconnect with cultural values and make choices that support identity, balance, and wellbeing. This workshop has also been adapted into a 12 week program, inquire upon booking.
Diabetes Awareness & Prevention
Explore diabetes awareness and healthy living through practical food activities and discussion. Learn about traditional foods, everyday eating habits, and choices that support personal and family wellbeing.
STD / STI Awareness & Prevention
Build understanding of sexually transmitted infections, prevention, and informed choices. Explore respectful relationships, personal wellbeing, and how to access local health information and support.
The Origins of Hockey & Lacrosse
Explore the Indigenous history of Hockey and Lacrosse through storytelling and hands-on learning. Develop skills through instruction in fundamentals, rules, player etiquette, and techniques while strengthening teamwork through gameplay.
Sacred Voices – Child Protection & Support
A culturally grounded workshop focused on protecting children, supporting survivors, and preventing abuse. Explore how Indigenous teachings, healthy relationships, and shared responsibility strengthen healing and community safety.
Truth & Reconciliation
Explore bullying, domestic violence, racism, and the impacts of colonialism on relationships and community life. Reflect on how thoughts, words, and actions affect others, alongside teachings about Indigenous social structures, gender diversity, and traditional roles.
Youth Empowerment & Personal Development
Leadership
Explore leadership through clan teachings, responsibilities, and traditional approaches to governance. Develop interpersonal skills and reflect on ways to lead with care and contribute to your community.
Financial Literacy
Build confidence in managing money through practical learning about budgeting, saving, and financial decisions. Explore how everyday money skills can support personal goals and greater independence.
Life Skills
Develop practical skills for navigating everyday responsibilities, relationships, and future goals. Explore communication, decision-making, and problem-solving through discussion and interactive learning.
Cyber Safety & Digital Footprint
Explore safer ways to use social media and online spaces. Discuss privacy, digital footprints, online relationships, and how everyday choices can protect personal information and wellbeing.
MMIP & Human Trafficking Awareness
Build awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples and human trafficking. Explore recognizing harmful situations, strengthening community connections, and seeking support through respectful, age-appropriate discussion.
Reoffender Rehabilitation
Explore the personal and systemic challenges connected to incarceration and returning to community. Reflect on identity, social circumstances, alternative life choices, and practical goal-setting through guided discussion.
Music, Arts & Creative Expression
Song Writing & Recording
Explore songwriting and recording as tools for storytelling and creative expression. Develop ideas, shape lyrics, and learn about bringing a song into a recorded form through guided instruction.
Learn to DJ
Discover DJing through hands-on learning about music selection, mixing, and equipment. Explore how DJs use rhythm and transitions to create a musical experience.
Breakdancing & Graffiti Art
Explore breakdancing and graffiti through their histories, cultural connections, and creative techniques. Develop introductory dance and visual art skills through guided activities.
Hip-Hop & Healing w/ Live Concert
Explore hip-hop as a way to share stories, express identity, and build connections. Combine creative workshops with a live concert experience that brings music and community together.
Introduction to the Music & Entertainment Business
Explore the business side of music and entertainment, including developing your work, reaching audiences, and navigating industry opportunities. Connect creative goals with practical planning and entrepreneurship.
Puppet Show for Youth & Seniors
Bring youth and seniors together through puppetry, storytelling, and shared entertainment. Create opportunities for laughter, connection, and learning across generations.
Language Revitalization
Nish, Cree & Mohawk Language Sessions
Explore language learning opportunities in Anishinaabemowin, Nêhiyawêwin and Kanienʼkéha. We work with organizers to discuss instructors, learning levels, and programming suited to the languages and dialects relevant to their communities.
Izhitawawin — Way of Living
Explore Anishinaabe and Néhiyaw ways of living through language, stories, teachings, and relationships. Go beyond vocabulary to explore how our ways of speaking and relating shape our understanding of reality and lived experience. Delivered virtually, the program offers introductory, intermediate, and advanced stages of sixteen weeks each.
Business & Economic Empowerment
Entrepreneurship
Explore how your interests, skills, and ideas can become business opportunities. Learn about developing a business concept, planning your next steps, and connecting personal goals with community prosperity.
Land Back – Intro to Real Estate
Explore introductory real estate concepts and their connections to land ownership and economic opportunity. Build familiarity with property terminology and considerations when planning a purchase.
12 Week Employment & Training Programs
Invest in workforce development. Alongside introductory workshops, Mishkiki’s 12-week programs provide structured learning for people exploring entry-level employment or further education in specialized fields. Participants build foundational knowledge and practical skills through guided activities and learning opportunities.
The Entrepreneurship Program
Develop an understanding of business fundamentals, marketing, financing, accounting, taxes, liabilities, and insurance. Build practical knowledge to plan an entrepreneurial venture or support others in developing theirs.
The Leadership & Management Certificate Program
Connect traditional clan structures with contemporary leadership and management practices. Develop skills in daily planning, time management, project coordination, delegation, and working with people.
The Life Skills Worker Program
Prepare for community support roles through learning about traditional approaches to guidance, supporting youth and adults, and expectations within social service workplaces. Explore relevant job responsibilities and employment pathways.
Financial Literacy & Administration Certificate Program
Build financial literacy and practical skills for office and administrative roles. Explore money management, workplace responsibilities, and employment expectations to support personal goals and preparation for administrative work.
The Music Business & Publishing Program
Explore the creative and business sides of music through songwriting, recording, sound engineering, and publishing. Learn about licensing, marketing, distribution, promotion, and accounting to support your music projects.
Cultural Worker Program
Develop skills to support cultural programming within communities and organizations. Explore ways to identify cultural learning needs and develop curriculum informed by the teachings, priorities, and relationships of the communities you serve.
Addictions Awareness & Prevention Worker Program
Prepare for community support roles through learning about addictions awareness, prevention, harm reduction, and mental wellbeing. Explore workplace responsibilities and approaches to supporting individuals and families through culturally informed care.
What Participants Receive
Upon successful completion, participants receive:
- A certificate recognizing completion of their 12-week training program.
- Documentation of 40 hours of learning that may be considered toward secondary or post-secondary co-op or other academic requirements, subject to the receiving institution’s approval.
- The opportunity to request a letter of reference after program completion.
These programs support foundational learning and career exploration. Employment requirements vary by role and employer; completion does not guarantee employment.