Natural Dyeing in an ECE environment through a Two-Eyed Seeing Lens

We will explore natural dyeing of wool through a Two-Eyed Seeing lens, bringing together Indigenous ways of knowing and being with Western science. This approach creates an authentic, land-based experience that deepens our connection to place.

We will discuss Indigenous harvesting protocols, understand plants as our relatives, and incorporate respect, responsibility, and reciprocity into the process of harvesting fibre for dyeing. This is a hands-on workshop.

Participants will create a friendship bracelet using the wool we dye. Nadine will also speak about the importance of building relationships with Indigenous families, how using authentic Indigenous resources supports those relationships, and how to use these resources in ways that make Indigenous connections explicit.

Presenters: Nadine McSpadden & Zoe McDonell

Nadine is a retired teacher. She is from the Shuswap Band in Invermere and her passion is spending time out on the land and harvesting materials she can use to dye with.

Zoe is a textile artist specializing in natural dyeing using plants, windfall lichens, and mushrooms from the forest. When not teaching, Zoe works as an ecologist, studying how forest communities can be more effectively managed for conservation.

Doors open at 9:00am

Arrive by 9:00 AM to enjoy networking opportunities and earn up to an additional 30 minutes of professional development before the workshop begins.

This initiative is supported through the Canada-British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia, in partnership with the Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre (WCCRC), the agency responsible for administering the funds.