(Ottawa, ON) December 1, 2022 – On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is pleased to be joined by Stephen Jerome. Stephen is an ancestral rib basket-maker from Gesgapegiag First Nation. Stephen speaks with Gordon on the importance of keeping his culture alive. The tradition of ash basket-making has strong ancestral family ties and Stephen is doing what he can to not only share it with his community, but also with communities across Canada through basket-making workshops.

Stephen has a playful spirit and one can tell just from the name of his workshop: The Ash Hole. The name Ash Hole comes from the ash tree which is regarded as one of the best trees to use for basket- making; it is the tree that has always been used in his family for basket-making; and the tree that many Indigenous Peoples have used for similar purposes. Stephen has been perfecting the art of basket-making for over forty years. He was first taught the tradition from his father Francis Jerome, who was taught by his father, and so on.

Stephen shares about the journey of making the film My Father’s Tools. It is a short documentary which follows Stephen through the process of harvesting and processing a white ash tree, to creating a basket. The film was released through Wapikoni Mobile and was directed by filmmaker Heather Condo – who also happens to be Stephen’s wife. My Father’s Tools went viral and caught the attention of the Sundance Film Festival, who in 2017 chose to screen it with Robert Redford’s film Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry. My Father’s Tools has been screened all over the world, and though Stephen travels all over to share his culture, he is rooted in his community.

In this episode, Stephen speaks about the healing he has experienced from practicing ancestral rib basket making and we are grateful for the time he shared with us on the Roots and Hoots podcast. Stephen reminds us all of the importance of finding joy and laughter in one’s work, so that it can be shared with others. A simple message, but one that has resounding impacts in practice.

Please keep a lookout on the LHF’s Tisser des liens entre nos communautés web portal, for the release of more of  Stephen’s teachings. Tisser des liens entre nos communautés is a project that has sought to hear from Indigenous Knowledge Keepers like Stephen, who share their cultural practices to promote well-being for Survivors and expand their healing and return to cultural knowledge and practices.

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 22 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and impacts on 7 generations of Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) children, their families and communities from attending Residential and/or Day School. By fostering empathy and understanding, LHF encourages people to address discrimination and injustice and contributes to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples.

The LHF has more than 30 educational exhibitions that promote awareness of Indigenous history that are free to borrow and is working on making exhibitions available online. LHF also has curricula for K-12 and for adults, along with Activity Guides, Workshops and Training, and Podcasts all aimed at educating Canadians about Indigenous history and the shared history of Residential and Day Schools, the Sixties Scoop, etc. In order to offer solutions on how to be an ally. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding so as to eliminate racism against Indigenous Peoples.