“Dream, Learn, Achieve” – a message of self-empowerment was the central theme of the 2012 Dreamcatcher Aboriginal Youth Conference. Flashworks Photobooth was honoured to be invited to return for this annual event held at the downtown Grant MacEwan University.

This year’s Dreamcatchers Conference had the added distinction of being the milestone 20th Anniversary event. Youth of Aboriginal decent came together from as far away as Winnipeg to take part in this historic occasion. When we started up the booth at noon, the students had just started arriving and registering themselves for the event. A stage was set-up opposite tall bleachers and featured a beautiful teepee behind which two large multi-coloured quilts hung.

With somewhat of an informal structure, guests could listen to Conference Emcee Adrain LaChance seated at the bleachers or move around the gymnasium partaking in activities such as beading and quilting. With the quilting activity, each registrant could detail a square piece of fabric which would be sewn together into a larger quilt similar to the ones seen behind the teepee near the stage.

The day started off with a prayer and drum song and had a number of speakers including the 2012 Calgary Stampede Indian Princess, a student from MacEwan speaking about student life, and Simon Jackson, the founder and chairman of the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition. There was a choreographed hula hoop dance demonstration and a number of youth performed in a talent show showing off their singing, guitar playing, and hip-hop dance moves.

All in attendance could help themselves to a gourmet hot dog lunch, and there was also an old fashioned red cart popping tasty popcorn. And later in the day, volunteers cut up and distributed a plenitude of cakes for dessert. Each cake featured a printed colour graphic of colours and themes of the different Dreamcatcher conferences throughout the years.

For the time that the Flashworks Photobooth was on site,  the booth was constantly a buzz with people laughing and streaming in and out, dressing each other up with the props, and showing off their prints. As with last year, we had a great time running the booth for this important event and providing the guests with photo-memories that will be remembered for years to come. Here’s to another 20 years of successful Dreamcatcher Conferences!

To view the online gallery from the conference, CLICK HERE!