“It’s going to work out if you keep trying,” Siera Hancharyk says. She is from Manitoulin Island but she has lived in Toronto for the last fifteen years. A member of the Eagle Clan, her spirit name is White Eagle Woman. A student, a mother and teacher, she shares her traditional teachings freely as part of her clan responsibilities.

One of the founders of the Three Sisters Indigenous Crafts Market in Toronto, she has been moving forward their vision of indigenizing urban spaces for the three years the market has been in operation. Collaborating with larger organizations, they bring in Indigenous vendors and Indigenous art into mainstream spaces.

In addition to her work with the market, Hancharyk also works full time with the Indigenous Friends Association as the mentorship coordinator. Working remotely across Canada, the organization’s staff teach First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth how to use technology. Working in the background, she helps participants solve problems such as funding.

Another role Hancharyk has is with the Arctic Rose Foundation, where Hancharyk works as an Artist Ambassador. She travels all over teaching Indigenous youth how to do beadwork, quillwork and how to work with dentalium shells.

Inspiring her to do this work are her own experiences moving to Toronto as a high school drop out and struggling to get established. Hancharyk found support at a neighbourhood resource centre and participated in funded training which set her up for success. Also motivating her is her son. She is passionate about addressing the gaps in the system that hold back Indigenous people from graduating which is why she is studying to become an Indigenous teacher educator.

Thinking about the advice she would give to Indigenous students considering leaving their home communities, she said “Whether you leave or whether you stay, you will always have support in your community. Community will always be there for you.” While Hancharyk acknowledges that moving away is scary, she believes it’s possible to find your people and what you need in terms of support and resources wherever you end up. She advocates for leveraging social media to find virtual organizations like We Matter that could be helpful.

Speaking about past obstacles she’s overcome, Hancharyk reflected back on her early days arriving in Toronto and finding support she could count on to help her overcome some of the challenges. She encourages youth to not be afraid of the obstacles they face.

A message she needed growing up that she heard was, Beading ended up becoming an important part of her life and helped her feel less chaotic so she always encourages people to find an outlet that helps them feel like themselves. She learned financial literacy through her beading, too. Ceremony has also been a crucial outlet for her. Working with her hands and following traditions made a difference for Hancharyk.

Dropping out of high school made going to post secondary later in life difficult. Hancharyk had to upgrade her education. Now that she is pursuing credentials in education, she has a strong desire to help rework curriculum to incorporate more Indigenous perspectives. “I would love to see our people thrive and succeed where I wasn’t able to,” she confides. She urges youth to find a craft to occupy their hands to improve their focus if they are struggling with sitting still in class and listening.

As an artist ambassador, mentorship coordinator and market founder, Stacy Hancharyk has found success and fulfillment after overcoming her past as a high school dropout. Engaging in traditional practices and keeping her hands busy, she found the calm she longed for. While her own youth was challenging, she’s now a source of support and encouragement for Indigenous youth and plans to keep going on this path.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.