The Leaders Reader - Ka Ni Kanichihk

IN THIS ISSU E!
Honouring Gifts 2
Medicine Children‟s 2
Lodge
Circle of Courage 3
Restoring the Sacred 3
The Leaders Reader
Aboriginal Youth Circle 4
Self Employment
Program for Aboriginal
Women
Information & Office
Administrative Assistant
4
4
J U N E 2 0 1 0
Message from Council
ISSUE FOUR
AWRAC 5
Butterfly Club 5
Moon Voices:
Reclaiming Our Power
At Our Relatives‟ Place 6
Ask E.D. 6
Keeping the Fires
Burning Ticket Form
Event Calendar 8
Contact us 8
5
7
Aneen/Tansai:
I was truly honored to be asked to
deliver this issue’s Message from
Council. I want to take this opportunity
to thank all of you for the
work that you do. I also want to
remind you that in prevention
work, you may not get to immediately
see the difference you have
made in someone’s life. The sad
part about the type of work you do
is that we cannot measure how
many lives and families you have
saved but trust me, you ARE! I
would like to share a story from
my professional life to illustrate this
point.
Police officers are required by policy
to provide victim’s of domestic
violence with a pamphlet with information
about the cycle of violence,
safety and resource information.
As a young officer, I thought
“How is this going to save a
woman’s life?” Two years ago, I was
approached by a woman at a conference
I was speaking at. She asked
me if I remembered her but I didn’t.
She told me that 14 years ago I
had arrested her partner
for assaulting her and had
given her the pamphlet.
Initially she put it in a
drawer and took him back
several times until one
time he severely beat her.
She decided she was going
to kill herself and went through her
drawers, looking for the tools to
act out her plan. That is when she
came across the pamphlet, read it
for the first time and remembered
me telling her “You deserve better
than this.” With tears streaming
down her cheeks, she told me that
the memory of those 5 simple
words and that piece of paper were
enough to make her change her
mind about suicide.
She checked herself into a women’s
shelter and went on to become a
very successful domestic violence
counselor, which makes sense because
after all – she lived the life.
She showed me pictures of her
new husband and two children. She
was so happy and she wanted me
to know it was because of me. I
Article submitted by Cecil Sveinson
tried to explain to her that it wasn’t
me but the policy but she
wouldn’t hear of it.
I have thanked Creator many times
for being able to see the just one
of the fruits of my prevention labor;
for giving me a measure of
something almost impossible to
measure. This is my hope for all of
you at Ka Ni Kanichihk, that you
trust in the processes and that one
day you get to see the fruits of
your labor. You do wonderful
work and I am very proud to support
the work you do as a member
of council.
Medicine Children’s Lodge
In January we learned about winter
from every aspect (snow, colours,
winter clothes). The children made a
lot of crafts with different materials
(glue, paint, crayons and markers)
and on the cold, cold days, when the
children could not go outside, we
brought in the snow to make snow
sculptures and observe how snow
melts into water.
The children seemed to really enjoy
this activity!
As for February, we talked about the
Olympics. The different types of sports
associated and participated in some
Olympic activities. We also celebrated
Valentine’s Day.
We did numerous activities and ended
it with a little party and a friendship
card exchange. We would like to say
Meegwetch to all the parents
who sent extra goodies for their
child to share with their friends.
With the Honouring Gifts program
also starting in February,
we welcomed a lot of new
friends into the centre. Our new
friends appear to feel right at
home here at Medicine Children’s
Lodge.

P A G E 2
Honouring Gifts
Honouring Gifts is a program designed for
Aboriginal women, 18-30 years old, to discover
their gifts and talents so that they can
contribute to society economics and within
themselves.
The Honouring Gifts program is instills
leadership qualities while simultaneously
creating awareness of careers and postsecondary
education facilities to our participants.
The impression is for the participants
is to make stepping stones in their
journey of being independent women and
Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc. is their guide.
The Honouring Gifts participants have currently
undergone six to eight weeks that
consisted of a series of certificate training
workshops such as; WHIMIS, Food Handlers,
First Aid/CPR, ASSIST (Suicide Intervention)
and Manitoba’s Best Customer
Service. The certificate training was a great
asset to the program because some women
did not have experience or education for
Information and Office Administrative Assistant
My name is Gail Constant, and I would
like to share a story with you that my
son shared with me when he was
seven:
As me and Kyle were walking home from
school one day, we started to talk about the
problems that were going on in the family
and how there was so much anger.
“Mom, this is how I see anger,” Kyle said
and held up his hand, “imagine that this is
you,” he motioned to his hand. “Now, when
you get angry, imagine you getting cut in
half,” Kyle makes a chopping motion to his
hand. “Now, when that happens one half
flies away, and goes away and gets lost. Now
imagine the next time you get mad you only
have one half of you left, and when you get
mad again that half gets cut in half and goes
away and gets lost,” Kyle again makes the
chopping motion to his hand.
Kyle continues, “Now imagine you have a
half of a half left of yourself and you get mad
Article submitted by
Chasity Levasseur
—Career Exploration Coach
their resume to even be given a chance
for employment. Now they are building
on their resumes to inform employers
that they are qualified for employment.
Opportunities for women participating in
the Honouring Gifts program enlightens
their futures on so many levels it creates
foundations for the individual and is reclaiming
the power that Aboriginal
women once had, not too long ago. Our
Aboriginal women Ancestors did all the
work for our families and at Ka Ni Kanichihk
we are creating that once again!
Our Honouring Gifts women are
seeking employment in all levels of
work environments. If you are interested
in contributing and sharing
your knowledge as an employer to
an individual employee (Honouring
Gifts women), please give us a call.
We are currently seeking employers
for our practicum placements.
again that half of a half gets cut in half and goes
away and gets lost.”
Kyle continues with a more serious look,
“Now if you keep getting mad, pretty soon
you’re left with a little piece of yourself, and
the more you get mad, then pretty soon there
will be nothing left of you, and poof, you disappear.”
Kyle motions to his hand as if to produce a
cloud of smoke when disappearing. Then Kyle
looked at me and said, “Now if you want to
find yourself, you have to quit getting mad, and
you have to go find all those little pieces of
yourself and put yourself back together.”
I use this story, and remember it every
time my anger
starts to get a
little uncontrollable
again.
It really helps
me keep it in
check.
Instructor’s Corner
Information
Communication
Technologies
has
revolutionized
our
economy
Nathan Vreyborg, Instructor the same
way that
gas, steam and electricity had transformed a
primarily agricultural society into an industrial
one over a hundred years ago. These three
ingredients have propelled countries that have
embraced these innovative technologies to
the forefront of economic and social development.
Those countries and societies that
were slow to adopt these new ways were
usually pushed to the periphery and marginalized
by the world in general.
The need for skilled workers in Manitoba and
in international markets, raise many questions
for Aboriginal people; would it be possible for
our people to capitalize on these digital opportunities
and participate in an increasingly
driven economy. Many Indigenous peoples
across the world have heeded the call for
embracing these new technologies and have
started to reap the rewards and the benefits.
By careful planning, bring together economies
of scale and forming partnerships in private
and public sectors, communities can fully
participate and profit economically and socially.
Future generations will be the ultimate
benefactors of this foresight and planning.
Youth will have access to high education and
good paying jobs; aboriginal organizations and
communities can tailor education programs
that are pertinent to their economic situation
and capitalize on private sector labour demands.
Aboriginal people in Manitoba have incredible
opportunity to harness and utilize Information
Communication Technologies in a way that
will revolutionize how business is done and
how services are delivered to people and in
their communities. These developments can
and will have a direct impact on the stand of
living and the quality of life for all Aboriginal
peoples.
T H E L E A D E R S R E A D E R

J U N E 2 0 1 0
P A G E 3
Circle of Courage
On March 4, 2010 the youth from the Circle
of Courage program had the honor to host a
visit by several important visitors. Justice Minister
Andrew Swan, Deputy Minister Jeffrey
Schnorr, Beth Ulrich of the National Crime
Prevention Centre and Cultural Heritage &
Tourism Minister Flor Marcelino attended the
Circle of Courage program.
Our youth were very excited about the visit
and had spent the previous two days cleaning
up the house and the grounds from top to
bottom.
The Minister and his colleagues toured our
building and admired our Warrior Wall,
where pictures of our youth hang alongside
pictures of traditional chiefs chosen by each
youth.
The Minister spent an hour meeting with team
leader Lionel Houston and then sat down in a
circle with our youth and asked them questions
about the program, how it helped to stay
out of gangs and most importantly, what else
they would suggest the government do.
After overcoming
their initial
shyness, the
youth talked
freely about the
many benefits
they experienced
from
being in the
Circle of Courage
program.
One of the boys
called it his
home. Another
youth told the minister, “you have to spend
more money so that we can have more programs
like this. The program should run on
weekends too, that’s when many kids get into
trouble.”
Minister Swan and his colleagues spent almost
two hours at Circle of Courage, a fact much
appreciated by youth and staff alike, who had
expected a much shorter stay from the busy
politicians.
Article submitted by Tilman
Goetting, Administrative Assistant
with the Circle of Courage
Youth Gang Prevention Program.
Restoring the Sacred
Boozhoo, my families!
Once again, RTS has been very,
beary, very much into what Winnipeg
has to offer! Like nin-giggwah-g
(otters), we play’d, ate
and continu’d to play about.
See if you’s can keep up: we
check’d out Warner Bros. Car-
toons at the WAG; went to a
Sweatlodge Ceremony; volunteer’d
at Winnipeg Harvest;
play’d a lot interactive games;
learn’d to Powwow Dance;
celebrat’d McLovin’s b-day at
Towne8; ate big at the Royal
Forks Buffet, and soooo more
much! And,
that’s only
February and
this March,
maan!?!
Wow!!
Our RTS
group keeps
gettin’ a-
bigger and a-
bigger
(thanks to
Bob’s diligent
efforts), so
come and
check out us!
Spring time’s
approachin’
and we WILL
be takin’ it to
the OUTdoors
and, boy,
do we’ve got
some excitin’
things lin’d up for
the upcomin’
months!!
Our RTS doors
are always open,
and we look forward
to seein’
you’s!
Article submitted by Mario Wassaykeesic
Top photo: Brittany Grisdale, Jennifer Scherban,
Shaylenne Kyla Knott, Nona Swampy,
Ko’en Beaulieu, Shanda Thompson, Jonathan
Prince, Michael Prince, Lindsay Courchene,
Tyson Wood, Moses McDougall.
Left photo: Jonathan Prince, Jennifer Scherban,
Michael Prince, Shanda Thompson, Paul Alexander,
Ko’en Beaulieu, Mercedes Coutu, Bob
Genaille, Nona Swampy.

P A G E 4
Aboriginal Youth Circle
Kevin Abraham, Peer Mentor
Aboriginal Youth Circle
The Aboriginal Youth Circle
has been going through a lot of
changes lately!!! First off, we
are excited to welcome new
youth mentor Fame Packo.
Fame has been involved with
youth since the age of 18. She
has worked with Southeast
Collegiate and has also had a
hand in the University of Winnipeg’s
annual spring Pow
Wow. She is currently finishing
her second year in the
Bachelor of Science program.
We are happy to have her on
the AYC Team, and are proud
to have her start on our future
endeavors.
During the month of March
2010 the Aboriginal Youth
Circle has been more involved
in working with the youth than
ever before! With programming
now on three nights per
week. The youth have had the
opportunity to participate in a
range of cultural activities such as
Drum Making, Pow Wow, Ceremonial
Dance, Drum Teachings,
Men’s and Women’s Traditional
Teachings, Ceremony of the
Drum, Teepee Teachings and
building Teepees!!
We are all so proud of all of our
youth who participated in the
March activities. Thank you all
for being part of AYC!!
Self Employment Program for Aboriginal Women
I am on a journey…
Aren’t we all?
Where will yours take you?
Have you asked…
When I asked myself what I
wanted from my time here, at
first the answers came as whispers,
gently guiding me through
the Life Skills component of the
Self-Employment Program for
Aboriginal Women.
My story is one of many. Single
mother, striving to improve her
family’s lifestyle through education.
I have my own personal
struggles, and I have come to
realize that that too is something
we all share. Every successful
person came from somewhere…
The SEPAW class of 2009/2010
drew a kaleidoscope of women.
Each with a bounty of strengths,
weaknesses, ages and stages,
characteristics and personalities, not
to mention the skills and talents to
share. As we graduate together, I
can fondly recall how each and every
woman complimented and accented
our group in her own way.
With the use of our Traditional
Teachings, and Balance of the Medicine
Wheel, Nancy enthusiastically
encouraged our empowerment in
her Life Skills class. Assisting in solidifying
the strong base within us
from which we drew all our current
and future efforts.
Our confidence on high and business
idea’s set in our sights, Carol stepped
into our lives to share her knowledge
and experience in creating realistic
and personal business plan’s.
Starting each day with a motivational
message online, to lending her ear
and shoulder to cry on, Carol has
been the all around glue preventing
us from repeating past behaviours
that had in previous experiences, led
us astray.
I came to Ka Ni Kanichihk to gain
business skills and network with the
business community. But I am leaving
SEPAW with more than that. A
lifetime of goals and dreams, a library
of knowledge, a network of
lifelong friends and mentors.
Through the support of the staff,
students and volunteers at Ka Ni, I
believe I deserve to have a successful
career, and I accept it… now.
Donations?
We offer
Safe Harbour training
Please contact
953-5820
for more information
To donate to our programs,
request a Charitable Tax
Receipt, or to purchase a
t-shirt/sweatshirt with our
logo (pictured on last
page), please contact the
Main Office.
T H E L E A D E R S R E A D E R

J U N E 2 0 1 0
Aboriginal Women Responding to the AIDS Crisis
P A G E 5
Ka Ni Kanichihk, Inc. Hosted a regional conference on
HIV/AIDS and Mothers focusing on:
Mother to Child Transference and Preventions
Living with HIV and/or HIV Positive Children
This event was hosted at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg on
March 24th, 2010. The event was very successful and
had a number of participants. Thanks to Linda Lamirande
and Shannon Cormier for all their hard work in ensuring
this was a wonderful event.
The Butterfly Club
Butterflies - Papago Tribe
One day the Creator was resting, sitting,
watching some children at play in a village.
The children laughed and sang, yet as he
watched them, the Creator's heart was
sad. He was thinking: These children will
grow old.
Their skin will become wrinkled. Their
hair will turn gray. Their teeth fall out.
The young hunters arm will fail. These
lovely young girls will grow ugly and fat.
The playful puppies will become blind
mangy dogs. And those wonderful flowers
-yellow and blue, red and purple-will fade.
The leaves from the trees will fall and dry
up. Already they are turning yellow.
Thus the Creator grew sadder and sadder.
It was in the fall, and the thought of
the coming winter, with its cold and lack
of game and green things, made his heart
heavy. Yet it was still warm, and the sun
was shining. The Creator watched the
play of sunlight and shadow on the
ground, the yellow leaves being carried
here and there by the wind. He saw the
blueness of the sky, the whiteness of
some cornmeal ground by the women.
Suddenly he smiled All those colors, they
ought to be preserved.
I'll make something to gladden my heart,
something for these children to look at
and enjoy. The Creator took out his bag
and started gathering things: a spot of
sunlight, a handful of blue from the sky,
the whiteness of the cornmeal, the
shadow of playing children the blackness
of a beautiful girls hair, the yellow of the
falling leaves, the green of the pine needles,
the red, purple, and orange of the
flowers around him.
All these he put into his bag.
As an afterthought, he put the songs of
the birds in, too.
Then he walked over to the grassy spot
where the children were playing. Children,
little children, this is for you, and he
gave them his bag.
Open it; there's something nice inside, he
told them.
The children opened the bag, and at once
hundreds and hundreds of colored butterflies
flew out, dancing around the children's
heads, settling on their hair, fluttering
up again to sip from this or that
flower.
And the children, enchanted, said that
they had never seen anything so beautiful.
The butterflies began to sing, and children
listened smiling.
Tasha Spillett
Program Coordinator
But then a songbird came flying, settling
on the Creators shoulder, scolding him,
saying: Its not right to give our songs to
these new pretty things.
You told us when you made us that every
bird would have his own song. And now
you've passed them all around. Isn't it
enough that you gave your new playthings
the colors of the rainbow?
You're right, said the Creator. I made one
song for each bird, and I shouldn't have
taken what belongs to you.
So the Creator took the songs away from
the butterflies, and that's why they are
silent. They're beautiful even so! he said.
Buck Conner
Member of the „Turtle Clan‟
Lenni Lenape Society

P A G E 6
Nancy Kantor,
Case Manager
At Our Relatives’ Place Foster Care Program
If I had my life over—I’d
pick more daisies
By Nadine Stair
If I had my life to live over,
I’d dare to make more mistakes
next time. I’d relax, I
would limber up. I would
be sillier than I have been
this trip. I would take
fewer things seriously. I
would take more chances. I
would climb more mountains
and swim more rivers.
I would eat more ice cream
At Our Relatives’ Place
and less beans. I would perhaps
have more actual troubles,
but I’d have fewer
imaginary ones.
You see, I’m one of those
people who lived sensibly
and sanely, hour after hour,
day after day. Oh, I’ve had
my moments, and if I had to
do it over again, I’d have
more of them. In fact, I’d
try to have nothing else.
Just moments, one after another,
instead of living so
many years ahead of each
day. I’ve been one of those
peoples who never goes
anywhere without a thermometer,
a hot water bottle,
a raincoat and a parachute.
If I had to do it
again, I would travel lighter
than I have.
If I had my life to live over,
I would start barefoot earlier
in the spring and stay
that way later in the fall. I
would go to more dances. I
would ride more merry-gorounds.
I would pick more
daisies.
Empowering Our Little Sisters
Lucy Dean
Empowering Our Little Sisters
Ka Ni Kanichihk invites
you to join us at
455 McDermot Ave.
EOLS is a volunteer,
community based mentorship
program designed
to build on the
resiliency and strengths
of Aboriginal girls and
their families. Community-building
activities
are focused on providing
meaningful, cultural
experiences for young
girls to inspire confidence,
self-esteem and
self-knowledge assisting
them to reach their full
potential. Volunteers/
Role-models mentor our
Little Sisters by assisting
them in work shop/group
activities. Two cultural
events are held each
month from 5:00 to 7:30
at Ka Ni Kanichihk.
During this time group
participants come together
in friendship to
work on the project of
choice, share information,
and socialize. This
is a wonderful opportunity
to achieve experience
working with the
community and at risk
youth. It takes a community
to raise a child;
come be a part of our
community! For more
information call Lucy at
953- 5820
T H E L E A D E R S R E A D E R

P A G E 7
2010 “KEEPING THE FIRES BURNING”
Honouring First Nations, Mètis and Inuit Grandmothers
TICKET ORDER FORM
Name:
Title:
Company:
Address:
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
ID:
_____________
$125.00 per person – Tables of ten available
Tax receipt requested
Table (10 X $125.00 = $1250.00)
NUMBER OF TICKETS REQUIRED ________
Send tickets to company
Donate tickets to community members
PAYMENT METHOD
Cash
Cheque (Payable to: Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc.)
Money Order
(Payment must be received prior to release of tickets)
Please forward your request to:
2010 “Keeping the Fires Burning”
Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc.
455 McDermot Avenue
Winnipeg, Mb. R3A 0B5
Telephone: (204) 953-5820
Fax: (204) 953-5824
Email: kfb@kanikanichihk.ca
Miigwetch, Ekosani, Mussi, Merci, Thank you
T H E L E A D E R S R E A D E R

MAIN OFFICE
455 McDermot Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3A 0B5
Phone: (204) 953-5820
Fax: (204) 953-5824
www.kanikanichihk.ca
admin@kanikanichihk.ca
CIRCLE OF COURAGE
585/587 Pacific Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3A 0M6
Phone: (204) 480-2627
Fax: (204) 480-2630
E-mail: admin@cocp.ca
Newsletter
Committee
Katherine Goodmanson
Information Office
Administrative Assistant
K A N I K A N I C H I H K I N C .
Sharon McIlraith
Program funded by
Information and Office Administration is a community
based training program of - Neeginan Institute of Applied
Technology and accredited through Red River College.
This program provides training in a number of computer
software applications and communications skills for use in
businesses and organizations and can be used for the first
year of the Computer Application for Business at Red
Keyboarding
Basic Business Math
Computer Software
Business
Communication
Office Administration
Centre for Aboriginal
River College.
Ways of Being
Human Resource
Development Inc.
The main goal of this program is to educate and support
Aboriginal women in gaining personal, academic and pro-
Work Practicum
Nathan Vreyborg
Program delivered in
partnership with
Neeginan Institute of Applied
Technology
(Division of CAHRD)
and
fessional skills. This program allows students to discover
their traditional roots, while highlighting their strengths.
The program not only encourages Aboriginal women
to challenge themselves it also allows them to focus on
their future goals!
For more information, please contact us at:
455 McDermot Ave
Phone: 204-953-5820 ext 237
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Fax: 204-953-5824
R3A-0B5
E-mail: smcilraith@kanikanichihk.ca