Ms. Nykolaychuk on the Turtle Island Safer Space
At the beginning of this school year, Victoria teachers came and went but due to COVID protocols, if they didn’t teach you, you likely had no idea. That was the case for myself and Ms. Nykolaychuk, one of our new English teachers last year and one of the teacher supervisors for The Victoria Voice. The fact is, when you’re not even aware of the teachers, you’re not aware of the super awesome things they’re up to. Of course in the COVID spirit, Ms. Nykolaychuk has also come and gone and now teaches at Kenilworth school but that doesn’t mean she isn’t still working on something super awesome. I had the wonderful opportunity to talk to Ms. Nykolaychuk about her work with Turtle Island Safer Space and all that they do for Indigenous youths in the Edmonton area.
What is Turtle Island Safer Space?
Turtle Island Safer Spaces is a local organization focused on supporting Indigenous youth. Our main goal is to cultivate a community that is invested in the success of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit kids.
What does it do?
- We offer ongoing consultations with businesses and organizations to help them address racism in their spaces. This, in turn, creates safer spaces for Indigenous youth to access in the community. Businesses who partner with us receive a sticker and poster to put on their door to indicate their commitment to growth and change.
- We hold monthly online sessions called mâmawi sakikin (Growing Together). Here, people from all walks of life join together and discuss anti-racism and community support. Each session has a specific topic (trauma, allyship, land acknowledgements, taking care of youth, traditional teachings, etc.). It is free and open to anyone who wants to learn!
- We provide Smudge Kits and other cultural items to youth who need them.
- We network with other organizations such as YESS and the Old Strathcona Youth Society to further support youth.
What’s your position and why did you get involved?
I co-founded Turtle Island Safer Spaces because my Indigenous students talked to me about how they were treated in the larger community. They felt that everyone was waiting for them to fail and that they were constantly being racially profiled. I couldn't stop thinking about it, and wondered if I was doing "enough" to actually address these issues. One day, I heard about a project in Thunder Bay, Ontario called Wake the Giant. I thought we should do something similar here in amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton), so I contacted them and started to do the groundwork. My students were willing to share their thoughts and experiences, which resulted in the 5 Calls to Action that businesses/organizations commit to when they partner with us. It has evolved from there. Now, we have a full board of directors and a lot of community connections!
How can others get involved?
Others can get involved in so many ways! If people want to help, the best way is to contact us at turtle.yeg@gmail.com. From there, you can tell us about yourself and we can make suggestions for how you could get involved! We are also currently building a permanent Youth Panel to inform our practices. If you are an Indigenous youth and this sounds interesting to you, please get in touch! We would love to have you on board!
