Back to Top Bringing communities together, one stitch at a time - The Ottawa Hospital Website scanner for suspicious and malicious URLs
 

toh

Bringing communities together, one stitch at a time

 
A close-up shot of a workshop participant’s hand, fingers gripping the end of a strand of white thread. Piles of small, colourful beads can be seen on the table, as well as the early stages of a beaded keychain.

In celebration of June being both National Indigenous History Month and Pride Month, The Ottawa Hospital hosted a beading workshop for Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ staff and their allies.

Check out the photo essay below to learn more:

Two side-by-side photos of Kaytlyn Nadjiwon. The first photo is a portrait of Kaytlyn standing outside the General Campus beside a tree. The second photo is a close-up shot of one of her handmade beaded strawberry-pattern earrings.
“I find beading really meditative”: The workshop was led by Kaytlyn Nadjiwon, a popular Ottawa-based beadwork artist of Ojibwe (her maternal grandfather is from Neyaashiinigmiing) and Italian descent who is also part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Kaytlyn learned how to bead in 2018 from a friend who is Algonquin and found herself “immediately obsessed” with the practice. Today, Kaytlyn teaches classes on beadwork and sells her own creations online and at art markets around the city under the moniker Soft But Sturdy Beadwork.

A workshop participant sewing green beads onto her pattern. The workspace in front of her is cluttered with beads, scissors, white thread, a notepad, glasses, phones and a disposable cup of tea.
“Beading isn’t about perfection; it’s about the process”: Staff members from across The Ottawa Hospital attended the workshop, filling the boardroom at the General Campus with conversation and laughter. Kaytlyn walked the group through each step of the process, from threading their needles to stitching string after string of colourful beads – tautly, not tightly! – onto the patterns she’d provided.
A close-up shot of a workshop participant’s hand, fingers gripping the end of a strand of white thread. Piles of small, colourful beads can be seen on the table, as well as the early stages of a beaded keychain.
Being new to something brings people together”: Participants got to know each other throughout the two-hour workshop, helping their neighbours with knotted threads and bonding over pricked fingertips. Having facilitated and attended many beading workshops herself, Kaytlyn finds them a great way to build community and make friends because “the walls come down” when you’re learning something new as a group.
Two hands holding a beadwork monarch butterfly, made of black, white and orange beads.
People are more open to listening when their hands are busy”: Kaytlyn completed her first piece of beadwork – a monarch butterfly – while sitting at her late mother’s bedside at the Civic Campus in 2019. She shared this meaningful story at the workshop, as did other participants who spoke candidly about their complex experiences as Indigenous people and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
A group of people standing in a circle, holding out their beaded creations, as well as the take-home kits prepared by workshop facilitator, Kaytlyn.
“Creativity looks different for everyone”: When the workshop ended, each participant received a free take-home kit containing all the materials needed to complete their patterns and turn them into keychains. Organized as a collaboration between The Ottawa Hospital’s Indigenous Employee Network and Pride Community@TOH, both groups look forward to holding more joint events like this in the future to help further strengthen the ties between their communities.

 
Comment

You might also like…

From Civic Campus to new campus: Dutch Ambassador visit marks ongoing legacy at The Ottawa Hospital

Dutch Ambassador Margriet Vonno visited our Civic Campus to present tulips to hospital staff, honouring the longstanding bond between Canada and the Netherlands and celebrating Princess Margriet’s legacy as The Ottawa Hospital looks to the future of health care.

Novice nurses and their mentors learn and grow together

Discover how mentorships at The Ottawa Hospital facilitate a smoother transition into practice for novice nurses, allow experienced nurses to hone their leadership skills, and play a crucial role in retaining nurses from both generations.

Photos: A century of women in health care

March 8 is International Women’s Day, and we’re celebrating the incredible women – past and present – who make The Ottawa Hospital a world-class health care organization.

A guide to mindful movement for pain management

Are you seeking relief from pain, discomfort or stress? In these four videos, Physiotherapist Cristin Kargus guides you through gentle, mindful movements to help you reconnect with your body.

February is Black History Month

Five members of The Ottawa Hospital’s Black community reflect on what this month means to them, their heritage and the importance of building a truly equitable health care system.

Caring for our health-care workers

With access to family physicians, mental health support and even rejuvenating massage chairs, The Ottawa Hospital’s Wellness Program is working hard to support our staff and medical staff. For a closer look at how, check out this comprehensive guide to wellness resources at our hospital.

This website gives you common facts, advice and tips. Some of it may not apply to you. Please talk to your doctor, nurse or other health-care team member to see if this information will work for you. They can also answer your questions and concerns.

WPML Translation ID: 208591