Knowledge Makers Journal

Zine Workshop - Indigiqueer Firekeepers
2025-04-15 16:00 - 19:00 (America/Vancouver)
Join us for a hands-on Zine-Making Workshop – a space to express the stories, identities, and experiences that make you, YOU! Led by storyteller and artist Charlie Napcolors! Whether you’re a seasoned artist or a first-time zinester, this workshop is all about creative freedom, community connection, and amplifying Indigenous and queer voices on campus and in community.
📅 Date: Tuesday, April 15th⏰ Time: 4:00 PM 📍 Location: OLARA 200
Materials provided—just bring yourself and your ideas! This is a casual, supportive environment to explore your creativity and share stories.
Spots are limited—register below today!

Happy Little Trees - Bob Ross Paint Night 🎨✨
2025-04-02 14:00 - 17:00
Join us for a relaxing Bob Ross Paint Night, hosted by Knowledge Makers and All My Relations! Whether you’re an experienced artist or picking up a brush for the first time, this is a space to create, connect, and have fun—no mistakes, just happy little accidents.
Together, led by artist Shay Paul we will follow along with a classic Bob Ross tutorial, adding our own touches inspired by the land, stories, and the teachings that guide us. Supplies will be provided, and everyone is welcome!
📅 Date: April 2nd📍 Location: OLARA 200🖌 Supplies Provided | 🍵 Tea & Snacks | 🎶 Chill Vibes
Come paint, laugh, and celebrate creativity in a welcoming community space. Spots are limited, so register below!

Global Indigenous Graduate Drop-In Space
2025-04-02 10:00 - 13:00 | Olara 2nd Floor (Next to Clock Tower), 805 Tru Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
We are delighted to announce that the Global Indigenous Graduate Drop-In space will officially be opening on Wednesday, April 2nd 2025!🎉
This is a space for Indigenous people from around the globe who are working on their Masters, PhD or Post-Doc to pop in and work on their current academic projects alongside their peers.
📅 Date: April 2nd, 2025
🕥 Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Location: ARA 222, Research Hub, 2nd Floor OLARA
Who are global Indigenous people?
Indigenous peoples have in common a historical continuity with a given region prior to colonization and a strong link to their lands. They maintain, at least in part, distinct social, economic and political systems. They have distinct languages, cultures, beliefs and knowledge systems. They are determined to maintain and develop their identity and distinct institutions and they form a non-dominant sector of society (United Nations).

While there are spaces for graduate students on campus, there are none that are focused on supporting students who come from Indigenous backgrounds, or who are working on Indigenous research topics.
This space can offer support for individuals with shared lived experiences that can’t be found in the traditional spaces, and this tailored support for Global Indigenous students can look like the following:
⭐Holding on to your voice in academia
⭐How to utilize research as service to your community
⭐Connecting with Indigenous Academics at TRU
⭐Writing, editing and APA citation support
⭐How to navigate research ethics applications
and much more!
We hope to see you there 🙂

Beading night – IndigiQueer Firekeepers
2025-03-27 17:00 - 20:00 | OLARA 200
Join us once more for our monthly night of creativity, culture, and connection! This event is for 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous folks and friends to gather, bead, and share stories. Enjoy a night of hands-on creativity and connection, whether you’re an experienced beader or just starting on your beadwork journey.
Beading Supplies Provided: We’ll have materials on hand, but feel free to bring any of your supplies or pieces you’re working on.
Guidance & Support: Get tips from experienced beaders and try your hand at new or different techniques, all skill levels are welcome!
Snacks & Refreshments: Light snacks and drinks will be available. If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, please let us know!
Community Connection: Enjoy the chance to relax, create, and connect with others.
Bring your friends, beads, and stories—let’s make this a beautiful night of art, identity, and celebration.

Beading night - IndigiQueer Firekeepers
2025-02-12 17:00 - 20:00 | OLARA 200
Join us for creativity, culture, and connection at Indigiqueer Beading Night! This event is for 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous folks and friends to gather, bead, and share stories. Enjoy a night of hands-on creativity and connection, whether you’re an experienced beader or just starting on your beadwork journey.
Beading Supplies Provided: We’ll have materials on hand, but feel free to bring any of your supplies or pieces you’re working on.
Guidance & Support: Get tips from experienced beaders and try your hand at new or different techniques, all skill levels are welcome!
Snacks & Refreshments: Light snacks and drinks will be available.
Community Connection: Enjoy the chance to relax, create, and connect with others on a similar path.
Bring your friends, beads, and stories—let’s make this a beautiful night of art, identity, and celebration.

The Research Toolkit: Secrets of Successful Grant Writing
2025-02-04 10:30 - 12:30 | Chappell Family Building for Nursing and Population Health – PHARR Center (Room 245), 840 College Drive, Kamloops, British Columbia, V2C 0B8, Canada
Unlock the Secrets of Successful Grant Writing
Join us for an engaging workshop designed to demystify the grant writing process and help you secure funding for your research or projects. Led by Juanita Dawne-Bacsu, PhD, an expert in rural health and population studies with extensive grant writing experience, this workshop will introduce you to the essentials of crafting persuasive and impactful grant proposals.
📅 Date: February 4, 2025
🕥 Time: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Location: PHARR Centre, Nursing Building Room 245, TRU Campus
What You’ll Learn:

Essentials of grant writing for beginners.
Hands-on strategies to develop your grant-writing skills.
How to avoid common pitfalls and create compelling proposals.

This workshop is part of our research series and includes a hands-on activity to reinforce your learning. Enjoy coffee, drinks, and pastries while connecting with fellow attendees.
📌 Free and open to all TRU students, staff, and faculty!
Spots are limited—register today to secure your place and gain the tools to succeed in your grant writing endeavors.

Two-Spirit Expression with Ella Lamoureux
2025-01-20 17:30 - 19:00 | OLARA 200
When: Monday, January 20th
Location: OLARA 200
Dustin Dufault/Ella Lamoureux is a two-spirited person from the Yukon Territory. A proud Kaska Dena First Nations individual. Growing up in small northern towns he’s had to suppress her individuality and learn to express himself in a multitude of alternative ways. Art and performing were her outlets. Learning to love the journey was the first step in their happiness. Dustin became enamored with Drag and later developed her drag personality Ella Lamoureux. Expressing himself in an extreme feminine way taught him that femininity is not to be avoided but embraced. Through drag she’s realized that Dustin and Ella are not separate people but one person. Just shown with a different light. Growing up fabulous in the North has many tough lessons but s/he would not be the person they are today without those lessons.
Through the art of drag Dustin/Ella has embraced their femininity and helped them on their journey of cultural/two-spirit identity. Learn about their journey and how to incorporate little acts of decolonization into your daily life.
Light refreshments will be served so please come join us for an illuminating and meaningful experience!

Indigiqueer Firekeepers - Movie Night
2025-01-10 17:00 - 20:00 | Old Main 2662, 835 University Dr,, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8
Come unwind, connect, and enjoy a cozy evening of film with us at Indigiqueer Movie Night! This event is an inclusive space for 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous folks and allies to gather, share stories, and celebrate Indigiqueer voices on screen.

Feature Film Screening: Wildhood (2022)
Snacks & Drinks: We’ll have popcorn, snacks, and refreshments.
Community Connection: Stick around after the screening to chat, reflect, and connect with others who share your interests.
Bring a friend, a blanket, and be ready for a relaxing night of laughter, connection, and storytelling. We can’t wait to see you there!
Content Warnings: Depictions of abusive parental relationship, depictions of violence, sex and nudity, some frightening and intense scenes

Indigiqueer Firekeepers - Study Time
2024-12-04 14:00 - 17:00 | Olara 2nd Floor (Next to Clock Tower), 805 Tru Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
Looking for a space to study and connect? Join us for Indigiqueer Study Time! This event is for 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous students and allies to gather, work on assignments, and recharge together. Whether you’re studying for finals, catching up on readings, or just need a change of scenery, our space is here to welcome you.
What to Expect:
Quiet Study Area: Settle in for focused study time, with spots for solo work or group collaboration.
Snacks & Refreshments: Enjoy some brain-fuel snacks and beverages to keep you energized.
Resource Sharing: Find resources for academic support and wellness, and connect with others on similar paths.
Relaxed Atmosphere: Feel at home in a welcoming, inclusive space where you can study at your own pace.
Bring your notes, laptops, and friends—let’s make study time social and supportive. We can’t wait to see you there!

Beading is Medicine Workshop
2024-11-28 14:00 - 17:00 | Olara 2nd Floor (Next to Clock Tower), 805 Tru Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
Elder Doe Thomas will lead a conversation and circle where we come together in an intentional way to discuss how beading is healing and how connecting to it as a practice can be tied to our emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. We will be beading ornaments and will have supplies on hand to do so! We hope to have talks on how beading in circle can foster common threads within community, and how the power of beadwork can be used to resist and push back against ongoing settler colonialism.
Beading is an important pathway for Indigenous peoples to restore, revitalize, and reclaim ancestral practices and community connections destroyed by colonization. As a decolonial practice, beadwork mobilizes Indigenous knowledge transmission and is intrinsically tied to the emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being of Indigenous peoples.
Justine Woods and Presley Mills in their article Beading Is Medicine: Beading as Therapeutic and Decolonial Practice
(2023)

Where
OLARA, Second floor in the All My Relations space
Supplies Needed
Supplies are provided along with light refreshments

IndigiQueer Firekeepers - Beading night
2024-11-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Olara 2nd Floor (Next to Clock Tower), 805 Tru Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
Join us for an evening of creativity, culture, and connection at Indigiqueer Beading Night! This event is a space for 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous folks to gather, bead, and share stories in a welcoming, inclusive environment. Whether you’re an experienced beader or just starting out your beadwork journey, come enjoy a night of hands-on creativity and community.
What to Expect:
Beading Supplies Provided: We’ll have materials on hand, but feel free to bring any of your own supplies or pieces you’re working on.
Guidance & Support: Get tips from experienced beaders and try your hand at new or different techniques, all skill levels welcome!
Snacks & Refreshments: Light snacks and drinks will be available to keep you fueled and focused.
Community Connection: Enjoy the chance to relax, create, and connect with others on a similar path.
Bring your friends, creativity, and stories—let’s make this a beautiful night of art, identity, and celebration.
