Chelsea Barron: Red Seal machinist, BCIT Instructor, and advisor for the National Indigenous Tradeswomen Advisory Circle

Take a break, we’re on Smoko! This week, we’re joined by Chelsea Barron, an Indigenous Two-Spirit Red Seal Machinist, instructor at BCIT, and advocate for representation in the trades.Chelsea shares her remarkable journey from discovering the trades through BCIT’s Women in Trades program, to becoming its first full-time female machinist instructor. Chelsea reflects on her lived experiences navigating male-dominated spaces, staying true to her identity, and creating safer, more inclusive learning environments.

We dive into the deep legacy of mentorship and community that shaped her; from her grandmother, a residential school survivor, to her mother, a 60s Scoop survivor and how those stories live on through Chelsea’s work. She also unpacks the connections between Indigenous knowledge systems and apprenticeship learning, reframing the trades as a natural continuation of traditional knowledge passed down through community.

From classroom courage to shop-floor leadership, Chelsea speaks honestly about the joys and challenges of the trade, why she believes in building not just machines, but futures, and how joy itself can be an act of resistance.

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Sugarcane (2024 National Geographic documentary)
• Keeper of the Circle
• BCIT Women in Trades
• Red Seal Certification

Chelsea Barron:
Instructor, BCIT
Advisor, National Indigenous Tradeswomen Advisory Circle
Proud Two-Spirit Machinist & Community Mentor

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