By now, it’s time for a celebration! This is a great opportunity to invite family members, Elders, and other people who are important to members of the group. With Trees completed and laminated, we hold a presentation in which everyone is awarded their Tree and sometimes the group members have also wanted certificates.
Trees and stories are shared and the guests are invited to share their stories too. If you have a created a collective story that gathers together the words of the group you might read this aloud in the celebration.
Participants can talk to their guests about:
• The meaning of the parts of their Tree
• What they have put on each part
• What has changed in their lives
• Plans for the future
• Next steps: how they will keep themselves going
Participants are also asked for feedback on the program. The invited guests might also have some feedback about changes they have seen or the yarning that has been done at home.
A tree can also be planted if that fits the context. It can be important to consider who will water it to get it started on its way to independence!
