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Young Elders words of wisdom (Episode 1)

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[youngelders]

YLC Medicine Harvest

Evaluation Process for Thunder Bay Art of Hosting Training

From Dec 9-11 2016

Led by YSI’s Youth Leadership Circle

Purpose of the evaluation: gain an understanding of the impact of the gathering on people who have been there.

What we want to know: Does any of this learning this weekend help you unload the baggage you’re carrying, help you re-calibrate yourself so that you’re able to do the work you want to be able to do in the way you think is best for your community?

Candace’s tool Kaanaamodmii: Finding out where people are at with physical, spiritual, mental, emotional health and what they need for their learning journey.

We asked participants on Friday which area they felt most needed attention. On Sunday we asked them when they felt activated in a particular area.

Friday, December 9 responses:

Emotional/ East:

Balancing physical and emotional self in order to give support to others

Putting others before myself - need self care

Self care makes me emotionally stable - need it

Mental and emotional - drives me to participate more, channel emotions and drive change

Making me seek deeper and more impactful work, no settling!!!

Not taking care of emotional - skipped counselling to come here

Compassion fatigue - allows me to add high professional value to community, good resources, draining sometimes because I overwork and don’t take care of myself, the more I learn the more I want to fill

How do I support and take care of my community while taking care of myself?

Need self care and self love

Sunday, December 11 responses:

Emotional/ East:

When I was able to connect others in the room to new resources

HEART, “Every heart needs glue.” It’s okay to make mistakes and be vulnerable… but always keep going.

Our truth was made a lie. Water is purple.

FLYING

Connecting with elders, grandmothers, hearing them say how we collectively bring them hope for their grandchildren

I connected to emotion when hosting a pro-action cafe and it changed my project.

Listening to the grandmothers.

Coming to the training on the 1st day and seeing some familiar faces who I know are doing good, important and valuable work.

Walking alone, time for reflection

It is important to make people comfortable with real emotion

When grandmothers spoke about truth

When Tim and Tuesday shared their teachings

How can I plan to help each person?

Tears healing and cleansing

Reality checks

How opening and caring people are

“Indigenous peoples have so much to give to all nations on Turtle Island”

Letting my tears go. Finally.

Hearing about everyone’s personal experiences and how it gives the passion to do even the most difficult of work.

Listening to student who got emotional - it touched me

Holding the memories and mourning for my friends and community members stolen by the state

Michelle’s words, openness and honesty in welcoming us, reminded me to be open and humble. I was touched.

“Why is this important?” “Time is now.” Candace. Deep reaching questions, to help surface reality.

Debwewein - truth

Sharing lived experiences, and heart healing, songs from different languages and hearing the language

When I used my voice to tell those listeners what is really important to me and youth like me.

Sharing trauma to contribute to the meaningful conversation

Connected to emotion in the interview when I was asked what I was going to take away from this weekend

Getting to know people at meals and various adventures

Gerards talk

I felt connected to (and overcome by) emotion when I shared what gifts I received during this experience, this gathering.

Expressing care and love for Indigenous people. Expressing this was challenging because I feel it is met with skepticism. I felt sad but I know overall this is a good step.

Speaking about the pain and struggle of my Indigenous friend.

Hug Fest 2016, telling Lacey and Nikeeta about my “news”

I connected with my emotions when we shared after the pro-action cafe exercise. Laughter and sadness.

Morning ceremony.

Meeting Quinn and connecting with Cliff

Gratitude of sharing with photographer

When one of the grandmothers talked about everyone being born pure. I teared up because I was taught the opposite.

Emotional trust

Pro-action cafe closing

Feeling others around me and how vulnerable people were. I could feel emotion because they were almost mine too.. But not quite.

I felt emotion when Laura taught me to slow down and take time to understand

When I opened my eyes on Sat & Sun morning

Feeling valued in the action planning cafe

Friday, December 9:

Physical/ South:

How does it affect your work? Physical - fuelling my body with nutrients to push myself to be present

Move with the movement

Home? Unsure of my sense of home. But home is also where the heart is. My heart is in my home. My home is in my heart. My home is also in your heart.

I’m trying to find a place of balance so I am tracking the moments when I feel and don’t feel in balance. Makes me more thoughtful, quieter and more deliberate

I am moving out of extreme physical challenges, into a place where spiritual strength is building and leading me

I’m tired, maybe not as present in the work

Didn’t work out today

Sunday, December 11:

Physical/ South:

From the moment I felt my senses came when I woke up Saturday and Sunday morning

When Jermaine led in exercise stretch

The exercise with rubbing hands together and sending energy inwards to our fabulous group

Breathing exercises

The sensory activity on Sunday

Flocking

My walk outside on Saturday, feeling the sun and crisp air against my skin

I connected with my physical self when I stepped and pounded on my chest to connect to poetry

Freezing outside

Playing with the kids, learning gymnastics from Bryton, making a 2 minute handshake with Eddie and dancing Saturday after supper with friends

Reminder when we use our feet, to find and keep rhythm, to move forward, to step back, to walk together

Getting up after supper to dance

I connected with my body when I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill with Eddie

Walk outside

Feeling emotionally drained leading to physical fatigue

Bringing Gerard home :)

Nourishing lunch, good meatballs. Yummy.

During the closing/ harvest poem. Feet and heart.

I felt connected to my body during the harvesting poem. It was challenging at first but then it felt completely easeful.

Feeling really tired from all of the reflection and sharing

Baapi (laughter)

Knowing when my body has hit it’s limit

The call of the people - the call of the drum

Super good food and laughter

Meditating

Walks in the cold, be in the now and present

Delicious meatballs, cold outdoor air and spirit fire

The fire outside and the cold of the fire outside, feeling my knees bend in the cold

Physical wholeness

Play, swim, sauna

Taking off my shirt and swimming in a pool… never happens

Dancing with everyone during Naty, Krista and Hannah

Dancing after the heart work, just dancing with my favorite people #danceparty

Listening to my body and following it. Not ignoring it and letting it flow. Through listening to body.

Dance parties with Robin, Naty, Lyric, Adam, Tues and Quinn

I need to think more about hosting my body. It is uncomfortable in my skin.

Friday, December 9:

Spiritual/ West:

Transparency with the struggle

Spiritual purpose - how to stand on my own and how do I help my community stand on their own?

I cannot care for my community if I am not caring for myself. I need to nourish myself so I can nourish others.

Learning that happens both ways - in often unexpected ways

I am able to give less of myself than I would love to give right now

Feeling disconnected from western, social “normal” groups/ initiatives and spaces. Also feeling energized by empowering youth identity through cultural and spiritual spaces

The fire I feel which motivates me is largely spiritual which doesn’t fit into our society very well. I have spent a lot of time in a mental space (school), but looking for tools and techniques to fit the spiritual into the physical and mental spaces of society

Being here is reminding me why I am where I’ve found myself. Why creation needs me to do my best work.

I close up/ communicate less/ I hide a little / I carry that burning empathy. I connect with my heart’s voice. I am forced to slow down.

Balance between both worlds

Have not prayed today

I want to connect with people who have the same spirit fire, with people who want to be ignited and I am ready to seek them out

Positive hope, faith, positive belief

It drives me to do more

Self-care is helping me push to becoming a youth worker

Moving from mental to spiritual makes me feel better so I can do better for my community

More committed to serve my community as spiritual healing

Sunday, December 11:

Spiritual/ West

The harvest poem

Telling stories of my community and our issues made me feel like I was home

I felt connected to spirit when Candace shared deeply with all of us

Songs by the firepit

Feeding my spirit while talking to youth and elders while having lunch

Spirit connection

When grandmothers shared

When we sat around the fire and shared song & story of grief - healing turned into sacred

Listening to the words and teachings of the grandmothers

Moment I connected with spirit was this morning when I intended to be a witness, however I felt spirit lead me to participate in the proaction cafe

When Cliff shared his life path and dreams with me

Felt spirit from the moment I opened my eyes on Sat & Sun morning

I felt connected to spirit in between - I felt spirit and love in conversations with Adam. When Tina & Laura opened up with song

Spiritual - song, expression, singing, don’t hold back

Magic unknown

Finding out where you are Indigenous and what is your teaching?

Being brought back to myself, my purpose, after a long spiritual drought, by the spirit of YSI circle and family

Prayer, song and sacred fire

Prayer, round dance songs, under the moonlight

Spirit - I am listening!

Dancing to grandmothers songs

I connected with my spirit during open space technology when I shared how I care for my spirit and my aha moment that helped me find my spirituality

When hosting open space, feeling confident that everyone was open and listening to what I was saying

Sunday morning ceremony

Sunday morning ceremony

Sharing my tweet from my open space discussion

Being surrounded by nature vs. the city

Ceremony felt the Thunders move within - gift and voice

Ishkode - fire

Being around the elders and finding connections

Feeling supported by such good people

Opening with Gerard

Food to spirit, sema to land, songs to hearts

Bravery - getting dirty

Singing by the fire

Seeing my feelings expressed by others from different spaces

Fire keeping

Singing at the fire

Songs around the fire

Even though I felt uncomfortable as a non-Indigenous person and very emotional, I felt my spirit strongly telling me to persevere in what I am passionate about and learned that discomfort is positive.

When we sang in the circle and were invited to join in

Being able to join in this space and saying hello, welcome in my language

Always looking for the stars, when I see them I remember how small I am and all the skies I have been under and I feel home

Through medicine and ceremony. When the elders offered their words. Through being in a safe space and feeling the outside through medicine.

Songs and teachings shared, especially at the spirit fire

Sunrise ceremony and prayer - surprise visit from Manee - giving tobacco and asking for my spirit name!

On sunday morning when we discussed how truth and empathy are a part of reconciliation

Making connections with loved ones I have known all of creation

Friday, December 9:

Mental/ North

My peers in the community inspire and motivate me

Logistics mid in planning and hosting this training

Between mental and emotional, allows me to be responsive, compassionate and intersectional

Mental intensity and emotional intensity are connected. It means I am not as attuned to conversation, more distracted. I’m also learning a lot of uncomfortable things about myself.

Education - it will make me eligible in regards to colonial systems to do what I do naturally - social work

Working for balance

If I forget my balance, 3 my inner work, I am of no use to my community

Makes me a tight and unbalanced loaded weapon

To approach and explore new concepts and ideas carefully, reflectively and with humility.

Limitless capacity for thought

Feeling called upon to help others in their journey on discovering their leadership capacity

All of Saturday

Clarifies my closest community and focuses my choices.

My intuition told me to use my own life experiences and learn tools and resources so I can further implement the help I’d like to promote.

Mental learning and my busy mind has made me want to do more, learn more and educate myself on things that matter.

Always doing brainwork, keeps my focus on mental work. Can limit my ability to stop and just be present when needed. To connect to a from a grounded, kind place

Working on spiritual is working on mental at the same time. To be mentally well, you godda be spiritually well

Sunday, December 11:

Mental/ North:

I used my mind all weekend while learning and retaining the information shared with me

Hosting an impromptu open space session

Inspired to think deeply about what work settler people can be doing to move ourselves toward truth so Indigenous folks aren’t always having to educate

Contentment and belonging

This is hosting, not facilitation

Living in the moment and not outside the room

Connected to mental self through conversations at cafe and action planning

Responsibility bestowed on myself

Smudge

Brainstorming

Humor and laughter - pray and smudge

Actively listening to the conversation

Taking breaks to ease the mind and not over think about all the stuff in the world

In moments where there was clear communication and what was communicated resonated with me through words.

Getting out of my head and letting my heart go with the flow.

The teachings from Tim and Tuesday.

Thinking through barriers to community engagement and transformative justice - articulating thoughts as questions rather than assertions - or trying to..

Tim and Tuesday’s teaches, felt my mind stretched. Logistics, logistics, logistics.

I connected with myself continually through the weekend. But especially at the observatory and during Gerard’s talk.

During the diverge/ converge teach

Going to pick up the elder from OLG

Listening and meeting Aviaq - possibilities of writing and reflecting on how writing helps to connect me to other people and myself

“There is no reconciliation without truth”, always checking back with the truth. CLARITY.

Diverge and converge teach

Advocating for 2 spirit - all aspects of self

Just moved… mental self is still back home

Reflecting on how I will change

Realizing that I am intelligent. I am good at other things that others aren’t. I can ask for help with things.

Thinking about reconciliation using diverge and converge

Proaction cafe

Sharing on Friday about current/ most connected to. I was in a focused work state.

Starting to understand my peers, myself and my intentions.

Hosting a conversation for world cafe

Indenamowin - thought and reflection

I didn’t experience mental very much. But this is good because was dominating me before. This weekend helped balance me.

Intellectual throughout

Fourfold practice and other teachings that help think about systems change work in a metaphorical way yet tangible and adaptable way

During each of the theory sessions at AoH

When I spoke of my hopes for a career to someone I had just met

Open space convo

Taking in the teaches

When I asked questions today

I feel connected to my mind when I reflected as a host on the questions and reflected on my/ our project

From the moment I opened my eyes to wake up on Sat & Sun

Talking to Naty about our work

[simsstorybook]

Chloe Koning

This is Chloe Koning. She is a girl youngelder searching for a loooot of love.  She is a romantic, paranoid and she’s having ambitions. She’s trying to be best friends with Bella Goth so that she can later cheat with Mortimer Goth... TO BE CONTINUED

[rahndarize]

6.30.17 Peace yall! Happy Friday! Sharing some wisdom courtesy of my Mama Chris!! Giving me a boost on this final day in June! She stay dropping gems!! Follow her!! 🌟👑💖 #elderwisdom #youngelder #divinediva #goddessqueen #nana #ginandleesmom #chrisannesmith #naturallyshesdope

[goseibonsu]

If you don't know already our Brother George Osei-Bonsu is being ordin as Elder!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉So lets all come and support our brother tomorrow. #PresentLeader #WeCan’tStayCalmOurBrotherIsAnElder!!!! #leavalleysda #youthministry #teenministry #youngelder — view on Instagram https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/vp/6e1c6ff07751bfd912c773d776f47224/5BECFCF3/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/p640x640/36818036_831642507037327_3075242922338156544_n.jpg

[mondodrag]

FRIDAY: Bathe yourself in fire ✔️ SATURDAY: Purify yourself in el rio ✔️ --- 2/18 at @elriosf @mondodrag @theasteroidno4 @youngelders #mondodrag #sf #psych #arthurbrown #prog #ridingeasyrecords (at San Francisco, California)

[mondodrag]

Lettin' all our people know we're playing at @elriosf on Saturday night w/ @theasteroidno4 & @youngelders #mondodrag #oakland #sf #psych #prog #ridingeasyrecords (at El Rio)

[mondodrag]

SATURDAY FEB 18 @mondodrag @theasteroidno4 @youngelders At @elriosf #mondodrag #jncojeans #ridingeasyrecords (at El Rio)

[mondodrag]

Jan 27 at @elismilehighclub w/ @mtntmr & @theheartlights Feb 18 at @elriosf w/ @theasteroidno4 & @youngelders #mondodrag #psych #prog #oakland #ridingeasyrecords (at Eli'S MILE HIGH CLUB)

[youngelders]

YLC’s Stories that Need to be Told, Vol. 2: Q & A’s with Candace Day Neveau 

[youngelders]

YSI support {shero}

My name is Myia and I have found myself to be the sometimes-silent, sometimes-thought-spewer note-taker and documenter for Youth Leadership Circle conversations. 

I am also the current Network Lead for YSI, and I was hesitant for my bio to be part of the Youth Leadership Circle introductions. But Jermaine told me that my presence with YLC was what YSI says we do in action; co-creating the supports for young people to organize and build new social realities and learning communities. So that's cool ;)

A bit more about me:I am a curiosity-driven, big picture and small details, grey-area explorer and I never want to stop asking why. I am energized and inspired by the work and vision of young people and am committed to the poetry of complexity (systems, processes, relationships, stories, and bodies). I have worked for twelve years intervening in health and education systems in Canada and the US through mental health and addictions supports for youth and women; community development, network coordination, leadership and health promotion work with racialized communities, and broader youth engagement, policy and advocacy work across Toronto. To YSI I bring experience and passion for co-creating magic moments and transformative youth-led spaces, youth sector linkages, and intersectional thinking using local economic development, social determinants of health and community arts frameworks.

[youngelders]

Ahnii boozhii, Wabanong Nimpkii Kwe Ndiznikas. (Hello my spirit name is Eastern Thunder Woman)

My name is Candace Day Neveau from Serpent River first Nation and Baawaatingnong (Sault Ste Marie).

My interests are Family, motherhood, culture, rain and thunderstorms, public speaking, nature and all of the natural medicines, social entrepreneurship, edge walking, trying new things, social experimenting, community arts, dreams, the spirit world, the great unknown, laughing at stuff, decolonization.

First things first I am a single Mom of two and I am very proud of my sons they are my drive and what makes me do what I do because I want to make their lives better.

I want to deliver innovative effective education geared towards all young Indigenous people in a way that will speak to them. Using oral history and a land based focus that creates a cultural understanding and a sense of belonging and Nationhood. Using techniques that I have been learning from all of the different workshops and training that I have participated in doing public speaking and facilitating. The biggest part of my practice is spirit and everything I have learned from my culture and ceremonies that help ground me and taught me how to walk in the two different worlds of Anishinaabe worldview and current colonial reality. Im a big dreamer who is aiming at the stars to help heal my people.

Chi meegwetch (Big thank you)

[youngelders]

About me.

My name is Sierra Nowegejick, and I am 22 years young. I'm born, and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

My interests are designing, art, creative writing (sometimes), swimming, and I love to watch Netflix! I also enjoy spending lots of time with family and friends.

I love what art programs can bring to the table, I'm all for them when someone is hosting an art workshop. They are so healing for me, they get me creatively thinking, and I love the amazing people I get to meet along the way. I also love to volunteer and do art at Definitely Superior Art Gallery. Right now we are decorating for the Hunger 11, basically in a nut shell decorating 5 venues for Halloween!

You can find me getting coffee at St. Paul Rotisserie, Calico, the Renaissance Cafe, or Seattle's Coffee House, and of course your beloved Tim Hortons.

My goal as a YSI Youth Leadership Circle Member is to actively collaborate with other members. I am so grateful for our small network for support from YSI and the Children's Peace Theatre, to keep me in their circle.