We held a competition at the 2014 Regina North American Indigenous Games in which we asked the youth to share with us what Indigenous culture means for them. The hashtag #CultureIs2014 was used across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Here is what they had to say:

Guess who learned how to hoop dance??! Culture is a lifelong learning process.

Culture is attending powwows

Culture is hand games

Culture is dancing

Culture is making beadwork!

Culture is dancing jingle

Culture is bringing our people together

Culture is swag powwow braids

Culture is being thankful

Culture is speaking our indigenous language

Culture is helping one another

Culture is ceremony

Culture is our language and our language is our culture

Culture is being thankful to our creator Shukwaya’tisu

Culture is respect

Culture is akhwatsile (family)

Culture is respecting our elders

Culture is community

Culture is Tsi’ nikyukwalihot^ (our ways)

Culture is our fires

Culture is teaching the generations following us

Culture is in the beat of the drum

Culture is a way of life

Culture is community, helping each other, learning from each other and working together!

Culture is learning your history. ♥

Culture is taking pride in being First Nations … Not giving into “Indian” stereotypes

Culture is empowering one another

Culture is sharing our stories, healing ourselves and recovering what we’ve lost.

Culture is strength that gives me the initiative to change my life

Culture is sharing traditions.

Culture is the opportunity to be involved with community