What started as a way for 10-year-old Mylon McArthur to share his story, turned him into an advocate and the recipient of a provincial award.
Mylon was one of 16 chosen for the 2019 Great Kids Award. The honour is handed out to youth and children under the age of 18 who have positively influenced their communities while overcoming a variety of difficult life challenges.
Two years ago, Mylon, a Cold Lake Elementary School student, took a stand against bullying after creating a video about being teased by kids at his school for having long hair.
“We just wanted to show people the effects of bullying, and how it impacts mental health,” explained Tiya-Marie McArthur, Mylon’s mom. “Even at such a young age, not just girls, but boys too – it effects everyone.”
The video of Mylon was viewed over a million times, and reached people far and wide. A lesson he hopes viewers take away from it is “it’s not okay to bully kids that have long hair.”
The 10-year-old also began speaking in front of his fellow classmates about his experience, and performed powwow dances as part of his healing journey. His mom believes this was one way he found himself after being bullied.
Kyla Popyk, who met Mylon’s mom through Portage College, nominated him for the honour after seeing the transformation he’s made since creating the video.
“I’ve seen this kid that has just found his voice, found his place, and someone who’s not afraid anymore. He’s really come so far, and I think that’s really inspirational to see in such a young child.”
She continued, “I think there’s a lot of power in the things he’s done… and the life that he’s shared with people. It’s a lot for a kid his age to tell his story,” Popyk noted. “Every time he says it, he stands up a little taller, and you can see how far he’s come.”
While receiving the award was a nerve-wracking experience in Edmonton on Sept. 15, Mylon was excited to be chosen.
“I liked when we went on the stage, and we all took a picture at the end,” he expressed.
McArthur said she was extremely proud of her son.
“It’s sad what he went through, but at the same time, his healing journey was very good.”
When Mylon became the target of bullying, his mom recalls the negative affects she saw.
“It was very sad,” McArthur noted. “Usually, our children don’t experience such traumatic events until they’re older… You experience this when you’re a teenager. I wasn’t mentally prepared, but I just knew something was wrong.”
Even before the family moved to Cold Lake, McArthur recalled an incident at a previous school when Mylon was only in Grade 1.
“Usually, for our boys that are young, they have two braids that sit on both sides and then they have one sit on top. That’s our traditional style for boys, and the top braid was cut off by a boy and he said, ‘only girls have long hair.”
Sharing the significance of his long hair with his peers and the rest of the world was another important part for Mylon in the video.
“It can be told and represented in many ways. It’s like your spirit on the outside; it’s your spine, it’s your strength, and everything that makes you is in your hair,” McArthur detailed. “That’s why you try to feed your hair with as much positivity, good prayers, good thoughts, kindness, and respect.”
While McArthur is happy Mylon was able to share his story, she believes more needs to be done surrounding the subject.
“I just really wish there was an understanding for public schools, it’s very difficult to get that respect in non-indigenous communities. Like at the awards, we had some woman walk right up to us and she kind of pulled my hair and then she touched my niece’s hair. I turned around and looked at her like, ‘what are you doing?’ She just didn’t understand, and of course, I’m not going to get mad. You can’t get mad at somebody who doesn’t understand,” she said.
In the future, McArthur hopes to share Mylon’s story with local schools.
