My name is Shinea Small, and I am Indigenous from Ermineskin Cree Nation within Maskwacis on Treaty Six Territory. I am a mother to a five-year-old boy. I practice traditional ways of life and incorporate the beliefs and values in our everyday lives. Including tanning animal hides, ceremonies, tipi-making and learning from Elders. As well as, maintaining sobriety for six years as it is vital to maintain a spiritual connection amongst attending ceremonies. It is important as a daughter, mother, and a woman within the community to carry strength, compassion, and love.
Carpentry has always been a goal, but I never had the confidence nor the knowledge of the process to pursue that dream. There was a point in my life where I decided to focus on that dream and turn it into my reality. It had taken me a full year from where I started this journey, obtaining safety tickets, advocating for apprenticeship with different companies, taking their criticism and finding a pre-apprenticeship program, and completing that program and finding employment. Now, I am in my first year of apprenticeship in Carpentry and I am looking forward to completing my four years. As well as aspire to challenge myself to become a Red Seal Journeyman in Carpentry. There are no real limits and ideally, I’d like to go as far as I possibly can. Regardless I will be challenging various stereotypes as an indigenous, single-mother in a male dominant industry. It is not based on who you are, where you com from all that matters is how hard you work and how you apply yourself as an individual.
Throughout my childhood I had my needs neglected and I grew up with different forms of abuse. There was a heavy presence of alcoholism in which was the foundation of a time where I needed guidance and stability the most. In a time in my life where I was to be protected and nurtured, I was left in situations where I was victim to sexual assault at different ages. With no one to trust or ask for help to get the help I needed I was alone and felt my mental health continually decline. As a result, in my late teens and early adulthood I followed that lifestyle. I knew that lifestyle wasn’t sustainable, but it was more attainable than striving for better.
Before Trade Winds, I was attending NorQuest finishing my academic upgrading as a new mother. I ended my relationship as I was experiencing domestic violence. I achieved honors in different semesters while pursuing my education. When I completed, the pandemic was slowing down and I knew I needed change, a change where I could learn and maintain financially stability. While I loved in-class learning it was having a severe impact on my financial stability for my little family. That’s when I saw an advertisement for the Residential Construction Program at Trade Winds, and I knew it was going to be a perfect fit. So I applied and while I knew travelling to and from Maskwacis to Edmonton daily would be a struggle, I figured a short-term stressful situation would help me with my long-term goals and achievements.
I was accepted and I had to formulate schedules, not only for myself, but for my son so he could continue to go to school as well as still be able to enjoy his home and the community we live in. I had set-up help from my mother and family to drop-off and pick-up my son from school. My nation’s training funding had provided me with a set bi-weekly allowance, which it helped cover half of the financials. I needed to cover the hour commute daily, grocery, monthly bills and other expenses I needed. So I continued my work I had outside the program. I did my artwork/beadwork orders, I maintained my position on Ermineskin’s Pow-Wow Committee and was picking up work where I could. I had to make it work because these were the steps in preparation I needed in order to succeed in this program, in this work field and in life.
After Trade Winds, I was continuing my work on the Committee and with my contracts with places such as; Wolfcreek Public School Division. I had struggled with finding work in the field I desired to but that was more attributed to finding a place to accommodate my needs as a mother. During the transition period after the program, the staff from Trade Winds were extremely helpful in getting my bluebook, companies to network with, as well as providing me the tools and the knowledge to maintain a life of stability, preparedness and wholeness with the services from Eagle Healing. The program was based on those elements and help you with that groundwork.
Now, I’m a registered first year apprentice in Carpentry working with a company local to me. I am finding the balance as a working mother in the field I had desired. I am still maintaining my traditional ways of life with the hide-tanning, tipi-making, artwork, and my position on the pow wow committee because those are important to me as well as a Nehiyew Iskwew. I extend my appreciation and gratitude to Trade Winds for the knowledge, friendships, groundwork, the hard and soft skills and the relationship they continue to nurture after the program. I look forward to visiting and telling my story to those starting at Trade Winds as others have for us.
