Finding Home » Indigenous

Preparing for Internships in Aboriginal Communities

admin — Fri, 29 May 2009 21:29:44 +0000

UBC’s Division of Aboriginal Health prepared a diverse group of students that were participating in summer internships in Aboriginal Communities at UBC’s First Nations House of Learning . I was invited me to give Finding Home’s cross-cultural training . I started with the stone game, which involves choosing a stone and then telling the stones’ creation story. Once everyone has shared a story, I asked how many people heard the story from the stone and how many people made up the story? This led to a dynamic discussion about listening, worldviews and stories. If you’d like to learn more about this training, contact us.

Laughing Is Good Medicine

admin — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 21:47:39 +0000

A new Finding Home Elders dialogue series is underway at Spirit of the Children’s Society with their Aboriginal Grandparents Raising Grandkids group. These remarkable grandmothers, ranging form about 50 to 80 years old, share stories, insights and love about raising their young grandchildren. They identified one of their priority Finding Home needs as Self-Care. Today, they shared their insights on how to care for one self in the midst of such busy and demanding lives. Topics ranged from the importance of daily exercise, eating well, traditional culture and laughter to making sure you have time for yourself. They also shared the dangers of self-neglect when things feel overwhelming. Everyone can learn from their strategies of breaking the cycle of self-neglect. They include spending time with people who care about you, having sun in the fun, re-decorating, prayer, ceremony and good music. It is such an honour to spend time with these women every week!

Musqueam Youth Make Peace Cranes

admin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:52:06 +0000

Last year Finding Home worked with Kitsilano Neighbourhood House and the Environmental Youth Alliance to create a youth resource guide for youth made by youth. We engaged over 70 youth and service providers from diverse backgrounds like Musqueam youth, ESL youth, LGTB youth and more… This year we are working with seniors and elders to produce a seniors and elders guide of the west side. Musqueam youth made some great contributions to the Musqueam Elders Finding Home asset mapping workshop . They drew pictures, took notes, prepared lunch and gifted the Elders with Peace Cranes that they had made themselves.

Transforming Relationships Through Community Theatre

admin — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 02:55:05 +0000

In today’s reconciliation teleconference, participants learned about how a community play transformed relationships between a rural BC town and a local First Nations community. As well as how a video production of the community play led to an invitation from the Transformative Learning Centre of the University of Toronto to members of the two communities to join a peace-building exchange with Kenya and Uganda. The initiating artist, Cathy Stubington explains the creative process which led to the community play. The media artist, Dorothy Christian discusses how that led to them being a part of a peace-building exchange with Kenya and Uganda.

To find out more, email jessie@worldviewstrategies.com

Learning Lessons From South Africa

admin — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 03:03:34 +0000

How can Canada learn from the South African struggles and challenges of transitioning from an Apartheid state? What lessons can we can apply to the Canadian context for reconciliation and justice with regards to Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations?

Prakash Diar grew up in South Africa during the Apartheid era. As an Indo-South African and civil rights lawyer he was deeply involved in South Africa’s liberation struggle and transition from an Apartheid to democracy. He was arrested, without charge and kept in solitary confinement for a month by the apartheid regime. When his life was threatened, Canadians helped him and his family come to Canada. He is currently the special advisor at the Indian Residential School Resolutions Canada.

During this teleconference participants shared their insights and learned more about Prakash Diar’s unique insights from the South African experience and how these hard won lessons have been critical in his work around residential school reconciliation in Canada.

To learn more, email jessie@worldviewstrategies.com

Jewish – First Nations Joint Initiatives

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 03:11:16 +0000

Three years ago, the media focussed on First Nations leader, David Ahenakew’s anti-semetic remarks; however, there is another story of collaboration and connection between First Nations and Jewish communities. Special Guests Mark Weintraub from the Canadian Jewish Congress and Chief Robert Joseph from the Indian Residential School Survivors Society of BC share stories about Jewish – First Nations dialogues about and collaboration.

To listen to this teleconference, listen to this audio file and CLICK HERE.

Chinese-Canadian – First Nations reconciliation

admin — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 03:12:43 +0000

Chinese-Canadians and First Nations have an almost forgotten history of collaboration and inter-marriage. For example, do you know that First Nations helped Chinese men survive the harsh discrimination and assaults while working in the mines? Bill Chu, founder of Canadians for Reconciliation and Rosalin Sam, from the Lil’watool First Nations, share insights about Chinese – First Nations collaboration.

To learn more about this teleconference, email jessie@worldviewstrategies.com

Doukhobor – First Nations Relations

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 03:27:14 +0000

Like many First Nations, Doukhobours also had their children forced into schools. Their common experience around issues such as education and loss of land spurred many Doukhobours to think about their own relationship with local First Nations. J.J Verigen, Executive Director of the Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ and Marilyn James, Sinixt First Nations spokesperson, shared thoughts about the First Nations-Doukhobour collaboration for peace, social justice and reconciliation in today’s teleconference.

To learn more about this teleconference, email jessie@worldviewstrategies.com

Black Canadian – First Nations relations

admin — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 03:29:26 +0000

There has been a long history of resistance and alliance between people of African decent and Native people on Turtle Island / Canada. There has also been some strained relationships where racist stereotyping in both communities have prevented better collaboration and solidarity. Our special guest Janisse Browning joined us for a lively discussion about her experiences and thoughts on Black Canadian – First Nations relations.

Read Janisse’s poem here.

Land for Salt

In memory of Burnie Hurst

look:

on the outskirts of Windsor

across the table at a diner

near the bridge to Detroit

Grandpa tells how we lost our land

salt

he wants salt

points a thick, dark finger

at the glass shaker

cupped in my small, dark hand

listen:

the story is told

in deep, urgent whispers

before strokes and dementia

ransack Grandpas tired body

pepper

he gives me pepper,

slides a glass shaker

towards me without words

watch:

we trade

salt for pepper

like his Grandpa traded furs

for flour and sugar

coffee

a waitress smiles

refills our cups

leaves us two

conspiratorially

whispering, listening, trading

hear:

Grandpa says his peoples hunting grounds

were grabbed

were granted

to white men

as private property

flour

then had to be bought

sugar

then had to be bought

money

then had to be got

see:

we still survive

(Note: this poem was first published in the “Gulf Islands Gazette”, 2000)

2. intertribal

by Janisse Browning

at the first powwow in my hometown

that chance would have me go to

I see a young Black man

join his friends in the intertribal dance

in the large circle

his long dreadlocks fly

untamed like snakes set free,

bobbing through a hologram of heat-soaked dust

we are two

of a handful

of Black people on the powwow grounds

I think of joining the circle, too,

knowing my Indian ancestors

might have done the same

my feet begin to move

grass flattens softly

beneath the weight of my rubber-soled sneakers

but suddenly Im stopped

as the m.c. slips in a remark

about my dread-crowned friend:

come on out, folks

even Whoopi here is whoopin it up

my mind heaves through a wave

of childhood memories

when older folks warned us:

quit makin such a racket

yall sound like a bunch of wild Indians

my friend at the powwow

doesnt hear the m.c.s whimsical joke

or refuses to take it on

like I might,

but keeps moving through clouds of dust

making circles in the crabgrass,

his heart pounding in time

with the old drums

(Note: this poem was first published in “absinthe” magazine, 1997)

www.african-nativeamerican.com

www.blackindians.com

http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/noflash/mediaDisplay.php?id=91

www.africanamericans.com/BlackIndians.htm

www.rosecity.net/cherokee/blackindians.html

www.african-nativeamerican.com/

blackhistorypages.com/Black_Indians/

Weaving Webs of Community: Conversations About Indigenous and non-Indigenous Relations

admin — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 20:33:01 +0000

When people talk about reconciliation between First Nations and Canada, they are often referring to the first Protestant and Catholic European Canadian settlers and Indigenous Peoples of North America. However, there have been several waves of immigration to Canada and each group has developed their unique relationship with First Nations. In 2005 to 2006, we put on a series of teleconferences in order to learn more about Indigenous – Newcomer relations in Canada.