Our Programs
Using the philosophy of the medicine wheel to instill Indigenous values and provide guidance through mentorship.
The Fire Within Project: A Way of Life
Get inspired! The Fire Within Project is about working towards your passion, dreams, goals and sharing your story to create action and change for future generations.
We’ll use cultural tools of song & dance, storytelling, humor, language and personal development strategies for life changing experiences to gain an understanding of who you are, what you are passionate about and what you want to do in life.
Program Details
Dates: every Tuesday
Time: 6:00pm to 7:30 pm
Location: St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School, 3821 39 St, Red Deer, AB
How to enroll: all indigenous youth welcome
About the program
The Fire Within Project: A Way of Life is rooted in role modeling a connection to Creator, family, community and self through on-going practice of traditional way of life in all areas of our project.
You’ll learn from an Elder the interconnectedness between Creator, the drum, song, dance and our way of life, which fosters an understanding of the beliefs, values and traditions of Indigenous spirituality. The path to addressing and then healing trauma involves a dedicated relationship with Creator, the land, the animals and the people, an Indigenous spirituality encompasses all of these aspects and more. Through prayer and connection, we encourage members to walk together on a good path.
We encourage members to attend events as a family so they can all share in the cultural teachings while promoting traditional parenting. When individuals feel that they are part of a family and a community, they are able to build positive relationships, learn traditional roles, and encourage growth through a stronger connection to culture. There is healing in those relationships and connections, and in spending time with others who understand the historical trauma, as well as how to move forward in a good way.
The Fire Within: A Way of Life will take members to the next level by coaching advanced styles of dance. This process supports members to expand their foundational knowledge of why they dance and who they dance for by giving them the cultural foundation to support their wellbeing and growth through every stage of their lives.
Goal Setting and Achievement
Are your habits helping you achieve your goals?
We’ll work together to create a vision board and brainstorm ideas on goals you could achieve over the next three years. By evaluating spending habits, eating habits, training habits, relationship habits, and more to develop a path forward towards a positive outcome.
Public Speaking
Find your voice! Traditional sharing circles will help you get comfortable with speaking in a public setting. You’ll learn to gain the confidence to introduce yourself, where you come from, and the origin story of your dance style in front of a crowd by spending time with Elders to learn stories and storytelling.
Regalia and Craft
Create your own regalia!
You’ll gain the knowledge and skills to craft your regalia, gaining respect for the hard work that goes into creating such work and by year three, you’ll have a clear understanding on how to create or contract out every piece needed for their dance style regalia! You’ll leave with fully functional dance regalia and know how to care for it and transport it to different events.
Financial Literacy I
A career in the Arts as a dancer and singer – what you need to know. Discover the opportunities available and how other successful Indigenous artists are creating success. Learn how to price your services and how to use money effectively to live as an artist. By the end of the program, you’ll be equipped to create mock budgets, write up grant proposals, and play out certain financial scenarios.
Advanced Dancing
Basic transitions, rhythms and structure of routines – you’ll learn the structure of dance performances in terms of gigs and dancing for organizations and schools. Understanding the four parts of a song, you’ll recognize the different styles of songs and have a good understanding on how to dance to it. Over time, you’ll be able to implement dance combinations as well as unique transitions.
Artist Promotion
An introduction to artist promotion. Witness first-hand how RDIDT promotes itself to organizations and helps serve the community with teaching Indigenous foundational knowledge through the arts. You’ll learn how marketing and promotion works and be a part of promotional activities such as creating content, LIVE podcasts, and workshops.
Mentorship and Leadership
Learn how to create a fun environment, working with the younger generation to teach basic fundamental dance steps while gaining leadership traits yourself. Assist and mentor new members of the advanced class, giving them key leadership skills to pass down teachings and stories.