Brooklyn Haizimsque of the Wet’suwet’en has been nominated for the female youth representative of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN).
As a youth representative, her role would be to travel to other communities and engage with them.
Haizimsque is a Grade 11 student at the Lakes District Secondary School and has been a consistent honour roll student.
Haizimsque said, “When I first heard about it, my auntie Maureen Luggi, the chief; she said, I’d be a great candidate for this because I’ve taken on a bunch of roles for Wet’suwet’en First Nation.”
She said, “Knowing that I can be a part of the future and being able to do that is very exciting. Just being able to change the way First Nations think about themselves and changing anything like past generational trauma.”
She thinks it might be stressful while campaigning and making herself well known.
She had never really been a fan of public speaking. “I’ve just learned that, I need to speak publicly when I’m going to the BCAFN on Sept. 19. My auntie Maureen said, about 200 chiefs are coming. So learning to get over public speaking is definitely something I need to do.”
She use to post her baking and sewing on social media and those posts inspired other kids to try out.
Haizimsque said, “I love baking and sewing.”
She said, “I’ve kind of inspired younger kids when I started baking at the age of two years old. People didn’t really like younger kids at my age doing that. Most kids were playing on playgrounds, while I was helping my mom with baking or cleaning.”
She said, “I would see a lot of other kids just baking or trying to right after they saw my posts which is pretty cool. I like to be an inspiration to other kids and same with sewing.”
Haizimsque said, she has hosted a ribbon skirt workshop.
During the workshop, two girls didn’t know how to use a sewing machine and they asked Haizimsque to teach them how to use it. She said, “They were very excited to be able to make their own ribbon skirts.”
Leona Prince from Lake Babine Nation started a girl’s group which Haizimsque joined.
She said, “Leona had been doing it for a long time and it’s where I started making my ribbon skirts.”
Haizimsque mentioned that Prince hosted a fashion show to give the girls an opportunity to exhibit their ribbon skirts and jewellery. She said, “I took a passion in ribbon skirt making and noticed most women here wanted to get a ribbon skirt or a ribbon dress.”
Her goal is to work as a youth representative for the BCAFN.
Haizimsque said she is proud and happy to be nominated for this position.
Voting for the youth representatives will be held on the 20th Annual General Meeting of BCAFN which is being held from Sept. 19 to 21 in Vancouver.