'Possibilities are endless': Louis Bull Tribe women graduate from accelerated esthetics program
A small but emotional graduation ceremony was held in west Edmonton Tuesday as 15 women from the Louis Bull Tribe received their diplomas in essential aesthetics.
The nine-week accelerated program was part of a pilot project and a partnership between the First Nation, the Alberta government and the Alberta Academy of Aesthetics.
"I'm ecstatic and I'm very, very proud of these ladies. This was a very, very combined and compact program within nine weeks that should have been done within a year," program coordinator Ally Bull told CTV News Edmonton.
"They are role models to our youth and to others that are going to be seeking [work in] that type of industry."
The graduates took courses in waxing, brows, lashes and gel nails. They also learned how to give manicures and pedicures.
Louis Bull Tribe is currently building a casino and resort along Highway 2 south of Edmonton where some of the women plan to work.
Natasha Rabbit received her certification Tuesday. She wants to be her own boss and said completing the program was about much more than building a new career.
"Just learning to love ourselves more, especially for us First Nations women, it's really empowering when you finally get to be able to show how much you love yourself," Rabbit explained.
"The possibilities are endless as long as we put our hearts and our minds to it."
Rabbit said the course was tough, but she's happy she completed it and is proud of her fellow graduates.
"We were determined to just learn. Like, we took it all in. The instructors were constantly telling us how amazed they were with how into it we were and how much we wanted to learn," Rabbit said.
A traditional smudging ceremony with the chief and elders was held before the graduates walked across the stage.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.