These students made their own regalia for the Yukon First Nations grad ceremony

Friday is a big milestone for many Indigenous high school students graduating in Whitehorse. Dressed in traditional regalia, they'll celebrate the end of one chapter of their lives and the beginning of another.

And for one group of students there were many milestones that preceded Friday's graduation ceremony — goals that were accomplished stitch by stitch.

The Northern Cultural Expressions Society's regalia program supports Indigenous students to design and create their own regalia for Yukon First Nations Graduation. The program has been running for 14 years and has been steadily growing.

This year, the society partnered with Porter Creek Secondary School to use the school's textile room to help accommodate the eight students and four staff involved in the program. Calista Silverfox, the program supervisor, says it was "a good fit."

Resident elder Dorothy Bellrose with Shane Clennett, participating in the Northern Cultural Expressions Society's regalia program in Whitehorse. Clennett made himself a vest to wear at the First Nations graduation ceremony in Whitehorse on Friday. (Calista Silverfox)

Some Indigenous graduating students will have older regalia passed down to them from family members, or they might have new regalia made specifically for them by loved ones.

The students involved in the Northern Cultural Expressions Society program have opted to make their own pieces of regalia. Over the course of the last four and a half months, they've learned how to use sewing machines, work with leather, beads, and most importantly, how to fix any mistakes they might have made.

Each piece of regalia made by the students carries a personal story.

Shane Clennett's vest 

Shane Clennett, graduating from Porter Creek Secondary, decided to make moccasins and a vest. The vest is adorned with the silhouettes of appliqué seals and huskies, to represent his Inuit heritage and family traditions, respectively.

He's been sewing since Grade 3, but was surprised by how fast he was able to design, sew and customize his regalia.

Clennett at work. He's been sewing since Grade 3. (Calista Silverfox)

"Halfway through February, I was finished making the regalia and I was like, 'this took a lot less time than I thought it would,'" he recalled.

The first time he tried the vest on was in his bathroom at home. Looking into the mirror, he says he was shocked by the reflection staring back at him.

"I was like a completely different person. Like, I didn't look like myself, like my casual clothes I normally wear. I look like a completely different person, connected to my Inuit history instead of just the city life."

Leisa Gattie-Thurmer, the instructor for the regalia program, says that feeling of astonishment is part of the process — but it's different for everyone.

"The other day when one of the students tried on her complete garment, she got all watery and I kind of stopped. I said, 'Oh my gosh, are you crying?' And she's like, 'I don't know why I'm so emotional right now,'" Gattie-Thurmer recalled.

"And I think it's because she saw herself, finally, the way that we have always been seeing her, which is beautiful."

For Clennett, any uncertainty he may have felt before is now in the past. He says he thinks of his regalia like a type of armour. It protects him from any doubts he might have.

Clennett shows off his vest. (Calista Silverfox)

"I feel, like, stronger with the regalia on…it makes me feel more connected."

Leandra Blanchard's moccasins

Leandra Blanchard, who's graduating from the Individual Learning Centre, spent the first half of the program not making regalia for herself, but for her daughter. She called it "a mom thing."

The regalia program has been a way for Blanchard to learn about her Indigenous culture, which she didn't know about for more than half of her life. She says didn't know she was First Nations until she was 11. She was raised by her mom, who is non-Indigenous.

"Growing up, I always knew I looked different than, you know, my non-First Nations family. I always felt different inside too. When I found out I was First Nations, I kind of like almost confirmed a lot of things for me," Blanchard recalled.

The regalia program has been a way for Leandra Blanchard to learn about her Indigenous culture. (Calista Silverfox)

Blanchard's mom wasn't able to pass down regalia from Leandra's Northern Tutchone culture, but Leandra now can. By making moccasins, she's ensuring that her daughter doesn't have to suffer from the "identity issues" that Blanchard says she struggled with.

"I want to make it a goal to like, make her a pair of slippers every year. And then I was imagining like, just having a big Tupperware by the time she's 18, full of slippers," Blanchard said.

Blanchard did eventually get around to making her own regalia, along with her daughter's moccasins. On Friday, she'll be wearing a traditional skirt, shawl and belt that she made herself.

Blanchard made some moccasins for both herself and her daughter. (Calista Silverfox)

Reese Jackson's ribbon shirt

Reese Jackson has been in the territory for five years, and he's graduating from F.H. Collins Secondary. His family moved here from the Edmonton area; Reese is Plains Cree.

Reese Jackson works on his ribbon shirt. (Calista Silverfox)

"Their traditional clothing and stuff is a bit different from what you'd find up here or down on the East Coast," Jackson said. "[I]t's kind of ammunition bags, ribbon shirts — not really leather vests and all that"

He says he decided to make his own regalia — a ribbon shirt — because his father never had regalia growing up, and so he and his siblings have not inherited any.

The regalia program sparked Jackson's curiosity about his Cree culture. He says he would go down rabbitholes researching images of traditional clothing online, or would have conversations with his dad about their culture. He says it was the first time he really looked into it.

Jackson shows off his ribbon shirt. The regalia program sparked Jackson's curiosity about his Cree culture. (Calista Silverfox)

He said he couldn't wait to see everyone in their regalia on graduation day, and to be able to celebrate all the details that went into them.

"I definitely think I'm going to feel a lot of pride that day, kind of wearing just a traditional fit for the first time, showing it off to everyone."