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ArtsCultureTraditionalArts15TuesdayFebruary182014CELEBRATINGAURORACOLLEGEWEEKEmpoweryourfuturethrougheducation.EmpoweringCommunitiesByMEAGANWOHLBERGBabichewasnottheonlythingtobewoventhroughthefreshlyharvestedbirchwoodsnowshoesfashionedbyAuroraCollegestudentsteachersandcommunitymembersoverthelastsev-eralmonths.ForinstructorLawrenceCheeziethetruefabricistradition.CheeziewhosefamilytreeholdsrootsinFortChipewyanandFortSmithwastaughttheartofsnowshoebuildingbyhisparentsandhasusedhandmadepairshiswholelife.Asoneoftheonlypeo-plearoundstillmakinghisownsnowshoeshesaidhepassesontheknowledgesothatitwontdisappear.TheyregonenowbutIstillhavewhattheytaughtmehesaidofhisparents.Idontwantittodie.No-bodymakestheseanymoresoImtryingtoteachtheyoungfellashowtodoit.Hopefullynextyearwecandothisagain.LastThursdaywrappedupthethirdsnowshoemakingcoursetaughtbyCheezieatAuroraCollegesThebachacampusinFortSmithwherestudentslookingforachal-lengearetaughttobuildapairofintricateandfunctionalsnowshoesfromscratchoverthewinter.StartinginOctoberstu-dentswerechallengedwithharvestingthebirchtomaketheframesteamingitintoshapeandnallybindingitwithbabiche.Allofuswentoutthereinthebushcutthebirchdownbroughtitheretookanaxeandstartedcuttingitdowntoshape.ThenaroundthemiddleofNovemberwestartedbendingit.Webentitandletitdryforacoupleofweeksthenwestartedputtingtheloopsonandstartedlacingit.Thelacingtookalongtimeitshardtocatchontothat.TheyhadtolaceitandredoitandtakeitapartCheeziesaid.Ithinktheygotfrustratedalittlebitbuttheystucktoit.ElderVioletEdjiofFortGoodHopewhowastak-ingthecourseforthersttimesaiditwasindeedatoughcourse.Frustratingshesaid.Makesyouwanttocrywhenyoureundoingitandredoingitandthenyouundoitagain.IthinkcrochetingiseasierThelengthyanddemand-ingprocessengagedstudentsfortwohourstwoeveningsperweekbutthenalprod-uctsmadeitworthitforparticipants.NorrisRickettsaninter-nationalstudentintheteach-erseducationprogramTEPnowhasapairofauthenticNorthernsnowshoestotakebacktoJamaica.Itssomethinguniquetome.DoingtheTEPpro-gramIreallydoappreci-ateAboriginalpeoplesartworkeverythingasso-ciatedwiththeirskills.SothiscameinassomethingformetotryoutsoIgotinvolved.Hesaiditwaschallengingtotakeonatasksoforeign.WhereImfromwehavenothinglikethishesaidwithalaugh.SodoingsomethinglikethisIcantakeithomeandshowitofftomypeoplethatIvebeenhereinCanadaintheNorthofCanadawiththeAboriginalpeopleandtheytaughtmehowtodothis.Thatssomethinginteresting.ForotherslikeDebbieDillonabusinessadminstudentfromInuvikitwastheirsecondtimetakingthecourse.Ididntreallycom-pletelyfinishmyfirstpairbutIalsowantedtomakeanotheronethetraditionalwayshesaidmotioningthatshedbegivinghernewlyfinishedpairtohermother.ThoughitwaschallengingDillonsaiditwasagoodlearningexperience.Goodenoughthatshesaidifofferedagainshewouldprobablytakeitoncemore.SnowshoeworkshopweavestraditionwithpresentPhotoMeaganWohlbergInstructorLawrenceCheezieofFortSmithleftcelebrateshisstudentssuccessincreatingtheirveryownpairsoftraditionalbirchsnowshoesatAuroraCollegesThebachacampus.