When Levi Wolfe left his childhood home on the Onion Lake Cree Nation, he knew there had to be opportunities out there for him to find but he didn’t know where to find them.

Guided by the Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre, Wolfe found his way to Lakeland College. Now, since graduating from Lakeland’s university transfer program in spring 2021 and continuing his education at the University of Alberta, he is determined to lead the way for other Indigenous youth.

“Going to Lakeland really helped prepare me for the world,” Wolfe explains. “It broadened my senses to what’s out there. The environment was so welcoming, especially being an Indigenous student. There’s a place for us at Lakeland.”

Wolfe and other Indigenous students frequently gathered at the Lloydminster campus’ Indigenous Student Lounge, socializing or working on homework together. He was involved in the Indigenous Student Advisory Committee, helping with Indigenous events and activities at the college, and he assisted with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Memorial Walk and Orange Shirt Day. He visited other schools with the committee, helping with teepee teachings and teepee raisings.

Being involved on that scale helped create a sense of community for Wolfe, which extended to the instructors he worked with.

“The instructors were very engaging and they have so much respect and empathy for the students,” he says. “That’s what kept me going. It was such a quick transition, going to college from high school. I’m so thankful for the support there. It helped me along, preparing me for this journey that I’m on. Lakeland helped me know what to expect, how to overcome challenges and barriers and seek out support when needed. I’m thankful to have been a student at Lakeland.”

Every child matters

Along with his studies and extracurriculars at Lakeland, Wolfe was also busy stepping into leadership roles on a larger stage. He spoke at both the Indigenous Economic Summit and WE Day, as well as helped plan a provincial youth conference. Wolfe served as the youth representative for the Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre before being elected to a national youth representative for Alberta. After his term was up, he took on the role of chair of the Alberta Aboriginal Youth Council, a position he still holds.

Most recently, Wolfe was approached by Home Hardware in Lloydminster to design the logo for orange shirts that were sold this past September by the store in recognition of the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30. Proceeds from the shirts were donated to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society. The shirts featured “every child matters” in both English as well as Cree. Wolfe’s design features a family silhouetted on a buffalo.

“I decided the design would focus on a buffalo because it’s a symbol of healing for us,” Wolfe explains. “It’s our main source of survival. We respect the buffalo for everything it gives us – food, clothing, shelter. That was my starting point.”

He drew a few different versions before arriving at the final design.

“The one I liked best was the silhouette of a family. It’s a visualization of the children reconnecting with their parents, their families, their communities. They’re finally going home to their traditional land, where their ancestors lived for years and years.”

Leading the way

After graduating from Lakeland, Wolfe transferred to the University of Alberta in Edmonton. He credits his Lakeland experience with helping to prepare him for the move to a new city and school, where he’s majoring in native studies and minoring in English. Wolfe intends to study education as well.

“I’m really enjoying the scenery and this new chapter of my life.”

As he continues his studies and expands his leadership role on Indigenous issues in the province, Wolfe is focused on standing as a strong role model for other Indigenous youth, to help them find their path just as the Native Friendship Centres helped him find his.

“Stepping into a leadership role is important to me because along this journey, I feel like I didn’t know anything. When I left my reserve, it was to try and find myself and my true potential but I didn’t know where to start. But along my way, I learned a lot,” Wolfe says. “I did a lot of travelling with the Friendship Centre and learned so much about different cultures and different traditions, and it really helped me connect with my own language and culture.

“It’s important to have that type of knowledge to help the younger generations prepare to go after what they want in life. To let them know that there are opportunities for them out there, that they can achieve what they want in life. It’s important to teach, especially very young ones, what we can all do to help each other.”

 

Photos: Top–Levi Wolfe shows off his Every Child Matters shirt design. Bottom–Wolfe working on a project.