In June 2025, Roots hosted a beading circle and invited members of UBC’s research and Indigenous communities to join us in a day of fellowship, discussion, and of course, beading.
Beading circles are a way to build community over shared practice, food, conversation, and bonding. The Roots team chose a beading circle for its level of intimacy and the space these circles create to build connections and have open conversation.
We asked participants to share their thoughts on decolonizing spaces, the challenges of translating decolonial values into research spaces. We found that the vulnerability of learning a new skill helped facilitate the openness of our dialogue, leading to great conversation and the strengthening of our connections with one another.
Thank you to those who attended and made it such a fulfilling day!