Spirit of Regalia

The "Spirit of Regalia" was a program birthed out of necessity by William Burnstick. It was a six-month course offering native youth complete access to full pow wow regalia on a drop-in basis. The program offered the youth, the tools materials and the means to follow through on their imagination. The intention behind the "Spirit of Regalia" was to pull youth off the streets, and offer them a free and safe place to grow, experience, and create their own traditional style pieces. In many cases art was their objective and was met with encouragement. On many occasions all the teenagers wanted was someone to hear them. They were met with an attentive compassionate ear. Many youth showed up and were coloured with love of their culture. A handful stayed and realized their imagination. The "Spirit of Regalia" was my greatest challenge and took an enormous amount of fortitude. I’m incredibly happy with how it worked out, and by all accounts, it was a huge success!