VACFSS

2022-10-12 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Vancouver)
UBC is hosting another webinar that is open to everyone. This month’s webinar, “Building the Yunesit’in Quen (Fire) Stewardship Program: Insights from the Field, ” will offer insights from speakers William Nikolakism, an assistant professor at UBC, and Russell Myers Ross, Chief of Yunesit’in Government
Date: Wednesday, October 12th, 2022 (PST)
Time: 10 a.m. to 11:30 am
Where: Online via Zoom
Presenters: W
illiam Nikolakis is an Assistant Professor, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia where he focuses on Indigenous led environmental stewardship.
Russell Myers Ross is from Yunesit’in, part of the Tsilhqot’in Nation. He holds a Master of Indigenous Governance at the University of Victoria. He has finished two terms, eight years as the Chief of Yunesit’in Government.
Sign up link: https://bit.ly/3xgAHAj

Employment & Training Fair
2022-10-12 10:00 - 14:00
The TWN Skills Centre is hosting an Employment & Training Fair event! This career fair will offer information on upcoming programs, current job openings, and other tools for success in your career. There are even door prizes, gift cards, and baskets to be given to participants of this event!

Arts BC Conference 2022
2022-10-13 - 2022-10-15
Arts BC invite you to join them from October 13th to 15th at their partnering host locations: Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Richmond Cultural Centre to share responsive ideas around the changing landscape in the BC arts sector today. It is a time of transformation, experimentation, and innovation! Come be part of this defining moment as they gather to share knowledge, stories, and ideas, hear from sector leaders, and find new ways forward, together. Learn more and register : artsbc.org

2022-11-01
Indspire is offering Bursaries & Scholarship opportunities for Indigenous youth going into Post-Secondary Education and Skilled Trades.
Just one application grants you access to hundreds of fantastic funding opportunities for university, college, or trades school.
The deadline for application is Nov 1st.
Their official website is : Indspire | A richer life for Indigenous youth starts here
Application link: http://ow.ly/VEQC50L3u81

Plaiting Stories: Reflections on Indigenous Networks
2022-12-16 12:00 - 15:00
“Plaiting Stories: Reflections on Indigenous Networks” is hosted by UBC this Friday from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM PST.
Ticket Link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/plaiting-stories-reflections-on-indigenous-networks-tickets-474509880827
#Indigenous #FirstNations #Aboriginal #free #workshop

Breakfast with Elder & Santa
2022-12-17 10:00 - 12:30
Join Britannia this Saturday, December 17, for their Breakfast with Elders & Santa. This free intergenerational family event takes place from 10am-12:30pm in Gym D. All are welcome.
Please RVSP or share your interest through this link to support this event:
Breakfast with Elders & Santa | Facebook
Breakfast includes pancakes, plantains, sausages, and rice & beans. They will also have a regifting table, hosted by Buy Nothing Grandview-Woodland, where you can find free items to re-gift to family and friends to share the joy! Feel free to bring regifting items for the table.
Elder Seislom will offer teachings on the change of seasons and giving. They are very grateful to have Elder Seislom, Tom, and folks from Wednesday Family Night Powwow joining them with the big drums.

Annual New Years Day Nature Walk
2023-01-01 13:00 - 15:00
Join Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve Society to ring in the new year with some fresh air on a leisurely guided walk around the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve followed by hot drinks & cookies!
This event is FREE and guided by the staff of the Nature Reserve!

Register here:
https://www.chilliwackblueheron.com/…/FREE-Event-Annual…

Puddle Jumpers
2023-01-02 09:30 - 11:00
Puddle Jumpers
Join us every Monday this fall to meet others in an outdoor social environment while the little ones (0-6 Years Old) play with fun toys like balls, hula hoops and more! This will be followed by a fun circle and story-time in the park.
Details:

No registration required, drop-in program

Mondays, September 26 – December 12, 2022, from 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM

At Castle Park (2252 Castle Crescent, Port Coquitlam)

Occurs rain or shine, snacks/beverages provided!

Before attending the in-person session:

Each participant must complete the BC self-assessment, your results must indicate “You don’t appear to have symptoms of COVID-19” prior to attending.

If you or a family member are feeling flu-like symptoms (fever, tiredness, coughing, or congestion), have been exposed to the virus, or travelled please do NOT attend.

We ask that you please practice physical distancing. If physical distancing cannot be adhered to, we recommend wearing a mask.

If you have any questions about this group or other programs, please email us at communications@westcoastfamily.org

Canadian Dental Benefits
2023-01-06
The Canada Dental Benefit has officially arrived!

The interim Canada Dental Benefit is intended to help lower dental costs for eligible families earning less than $90,000 per year. Parents and guardians can apply if the child receiving dental care is under 12 years old and does not have access to a private dental insurance plan.
Depending on your adjusted family net income, a tax-free payment of $260, $390, or $650 is available for each eligible child. This interim dental benefit is only available for 2 periods. You can get a maximum of 2 payments for each eligible child. Benefit payments are administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
The first benefit period is for children under 12 years old as of December 1, 2022 who receive dental care between October 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.

For more information or on how to apply, visit:
https://www.canada.ca/…/child-family…/dental-benefit

Direct calling: 1-800-715-8836.

2023-01-06 10:00
First Nations Health Authority Deadline extended for Gathering Our Voices Artisan Market Place, Entertainers + Keynote Speakers, Career and Education Fair and Volunteers!
There’s still have time to apply and be part of Gathering Our Voices 2023.
This event will feature keynote speakers, workshops, a career and education fair, as well as entertainment and an artisan marketplace.
The event newsletter for sign-ups

Aboriginal Business coffee connections
2023-01-12 13:00 - 15:00
Join Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business for the first Coffee Connection of 2023 on January 12th, at 1pm EST.

Get your coffee and settle in for a candid update and discussion on current accomplishments, events, and issues in the world of Indigenous business.

Sign up through Eventbrite.

Native Education College Open House
2023-01-13 08:00 - 17:00
Are you someone interested in continuing your education?
Native Education College is hosting an open house this February 8th.
Visit them in person from 12:40 to 5PM and gain academic advice, food, entertainment, $1,000 in #NEC tuition prizes, and time to create new connections!

Event Schedule:

1:00 PM – Indigenous Adult Basic Education

1:20 PM – Indigenous Justice Studies

2:00 PM – Indigenous Digital Leadership

2:20 PM – Health Care Assistant

2:40 PM – Indigenous Early Childhood Education

3:00 PM – Family & Community Counselling

3:40 PM – Indigenous Land Stewardship

4:00 PM – Office Administration & Employment Training

Their academic advising include support for outlining your academic career! Be sure to attend if possible.
Visit their official website here.

Documentary “Emerging Ancestors”opening
2023-01-13 18:00 - 21:00
The Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society (VACS) seeks to research and engage with arts co-creation in the local Vancouver community and beyond.
This Friday, January 13th, the documentary “Emerging Ancestors” happening between 6 Pm to 9PM at 181 Roundhouse Mews, Metro Vancouver, is free for registration.
The documentary is an examination of the ways in which humans respond to conflict and adversity, namely with art. What does it mean to be an Emerging Ancestor? “Emerging Ancestors” seeks to engage with this topic through Indigenous and Ecological interpretations of an ‘elder’, in the sense of a teacher. Through this strong BC indigenous lens, we seek to highlight the ways in which art can be used to move towards healing from trauma, struggle, the past, and more. Moreover, we seek to show death as a natural part of life, while still considering the need to fight for the sake of life in regard to the degenerating environment and social isolation. Our speakers range from Professors and Artists–such as comic artist and head of the UBC Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies, Dr. Bernie Perley; to independent Métis artist, Daphne Boyer; to local student and activist, Yunji Hwang; to President of the BC Wheelchair Floorball Association, Kyle Gieni–and many more! Learn more through this link:

Practice Guidance to Improve Cancer Screening Care for First Nations Families
2023-01-17 10:00 - 23:30
Join this session to learn more about cancer service gaps impacting First Nations in BC and how primary and community health care providers can work towards improving screening care and access. Discussion will focus on culturally safe practice guidance for screening and diagnostic follow up, making space to talk about wholistic care needs, and an overview of relevant Indigenous resources and support services.
Date: Tuesday, January 17th, 2023
Time: 10 a.m. to 11:30 am (PST)
Where: Videoconference OR internet webinar.
View system requirements
Registration: required to participate : Webinar Registration – Zoom

ONLINE: Indigenous Voices: An Evening of Poetry & Conversation
2023-01-17 19:00
Join them virtually on January 17 for a livestream of an evening of poetry and conversation with four Indigenous Washington poets. Laura Da’ (Eastern Shawnee), Rena Priest (Lummi, current Washington State Poet Laureate), Cedar Sigo (Suquamish), and Arianne True (Choctaw, Chickasaw) will read selections from their work and speak about poetry and the world through an Indigenous lens.

Indigenous Voices: An Evening of Poetry and Conversation is a presentation of the Washington Center for the Book, s’gʷi gʷi ʔ altxʷ: House of Welcome, Humanities Washington, and the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA).

The event is free and open to the public. You will receive a link to join the event upon submitting your registration.

Sign up here

Participants:

Laura Da’

Tribal affiliation: Eastern Shawnee

Laura Da’ is a poet and teacher. A lifetime resident of the Pacific Northwest, Da’ studied creative writing at the University of Washington and the Institute of American Indian Arts. She is Eastern Shawnee. Her first book, Tributaries, was published by the University of Arizona Press and won a 2016 American Book Award. Da’ has held residencies at the Richard Hugo House, Tin House, and Jack Straw. Her newest book, Instruments of the True Measure, is the winner of the Washington State Book Award. Da’ lives near Seattle with her husband and son. Website: http://www.laurada.com/

Rena Priest

Tribal affiliation: Lhaq’temish (Lummi)

Rena Priest is a member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation. She is the incumbent Washington State Poet Laureate and Maxine Cushing Gray Distinguished Writing Fellow. Priest is also the recipient of an Allied Arts Foundation Professional Poets Award and fellowships from the Academy of American Poets, Indigenous Nations Poets, and the Vadon Foundation. Her debut collection, Patriarchy Blues, received an American Book Award. Her second collection, Sublime Subliminal, was published as the finalist for the Floating Bridge Press Chapbook Award. Her most recent book, Northwest Know-How: Beaches, includes poems, retellings of legends, and fun descriptions of 29 of the most beloved beaches in Washington and

Oregon. Priest’s nonfiction has appeared in High Country News, YES! Magazine, Seattle Met, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. Website: https://www.renapriest.com/

Cedar Sigo

Tribal affiliation: Suquamish

Poet Cedar Sigo was raised on the Suquamish reservation near Seattle, Washington, and home schooled from the eighth grade onward. In 1995 he was awarded a scholarship to study writing and poetics at the Naropa Institute, where he studied with poets Allen Ginsberg, Anne Waldman, Lisa Jarnot, Alice Notley, and Joanne Kyger, among others. Sigo has given poetry readings at the Poetry Project at St. Marks Church, P.S. One Museum of Contemporary Art, the San Francisco Poetry Center, San Francisco Art Institute, and Beyond Baroque. He has collaborated with visual artists including Colter Jacobsen, Frank Haines, Cecilia Dougherty, and Will Yackulic. He is currently a mentor in the MFA program at Institute of American Indian Arts. He lived in San Francisco for many years and now lives in Lofall, Washington. Website: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/cedar-sigo

Arianne True

Tribal affiliation: Choctaw, Chickasaw

Arianne True (Choctaw, Chickasaw) is a queer poet and folk artist from Seattle. She teaches and mentors youth poets around Puget Sound and moonlights as a copyeditor. Arianne has received fellowships from Jack Straw, the Hugo House, and Artist Trust, and is a proud alum of Hedgebrook and of the MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts. She is currently the Seattle Repertory Theater’s first Native Artist-in-Residence. Website: https://www.ariannetrue.com/

Linley Logan (host)

Linley is a multidisciplinary contemporary artist, curator, arts program manager, cultural arts consultant, and designer. Linley is an award-winning artist, he has a 35-year history of exhibiting his work including internationally, and he has curated contemporary indigenous international art exhibits. He has attended by invitation, six International Indigenous Visual Arts Gatherings. Linley has provided consultation to numerous arts organizations and art events. He has served on numerous local state, regional, and art organization boards, including serving as a past Washington State Arts Commissioner. Website: https://my.getjealous.com/linleyblogan

Nurturing Our Spirit Parenting Circle
2023-01-19 11:00 - 13:00
January 19 – March 23, 2023 | 9 weeks

Every Thursday 11am – 1PM
Location: 2716 Sunridge Way NE & Online
The program offerings acknowledge and integrate Indigenous cultural teachings from our Elders and Knowledge Keepers that span over centuries. It is an intrinsic part of nurturing identity and purpose for the next generation—our children, the most sacred and precious gifts who are at the centre of this Circle. By nurturing the spirit of our children through their caregivers, they flourish within a beautiful exchange rooted in the story of resiliency and survivance.
Inspired by the 7 Nurturing Parenting Principles and aligned with the 7 Sacred Teachings of:
Wisdom – The Joy of Discipline
Love – The Joy of Attachment
Respect – The Joy of Empathy
Courage – The Joy of Nurturing of Oneself
Honesty – The Joy of Expressing of Feelings
Humility – The Joy of Expectations and Self Worth
Truth – The Joy of Gentle Touch
Balance and Resiliency
Transportation assistance and childcare may be booked during registration.
Registration is required:

Linda Collins: neconnector@miskanawah.ca or 403-700-8440
Lynette Persaud: nwconnector@miskanawah.ca or 403-714-4895

Baby, Baby, Baby! Literary Readings on Children, Caretaking, and the Future
2023-01-22 15:00 - 17:00
Baby, Baby, Baby!
Join hosts Micah Killjoy and Nara Monteiro for a stunning lineup of memoir, fiction, and poetry from Devon Borkowski, Suzanne Manizza Roszak, Hana Mason, Jacqueline Willcocks, and Aila Omar. Browse the work of cover artist Lisa LaRose and issue artist Otilia Sabina as their fellow contributors share their writing from Room Magazine Issue 45.4 Baby, Baby, Baby!
“What will become of the children? One of the oldest, most stressful, and, perhaps, oddest questions we ask ourselves as we already know the answer: they will love and be loved, they will suffer, they will struggle, and we will struggle with them. Simultaneously, we will endure all the complications: pregnancy as unlimited potential, pregnancy as ten months of a biological parasite, children wanted but impossible to have; children, abortions, and conception as symbolism for something new and something lost.” —Lead Editor Micah Killjoy
We are grateful to be coming together again at Massy Arts Society after two years of virtual events, and to welcome guests and readers both virtually and in-person in a hybrid fashion. Please note that the Zoom event will be recorded.
This event will take place on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are thankful to be living, creating, and gathering on this land.

Accessibility information:
Registration is sliding scale, open to all, and required for entrance. Massy Arts Society is wheelchair accessible and a gender-neutral washroom is on-site. Please refrain from wearing scents or heavy perfumes. For more on accessibility including parking, seating, venue measurements and floor plan, and more, please visit: massyarts.com/accessibility.
Masks keep our community safe and are mandatory with some exceptions for speakers (N95 masks are recommended as they offer the best protection). If you do not bring your own, one will be provided to you. We ask if you are showing symptoms, that you stay home. Thank you kindly.
Captions will be enabled for the virtual event.

Readers
Devon Borkowski is a writer, artist, and actor from the New Jersey Pine Barrens. She is also a proud member of the Rappahannock Powhatan tribe of Virginia. Devon graduated from Rutgers New Brunswick class of 2022, with a BFA in Visual Arts, concentrating in painting. Since then she has enjoyed the opportunity to guest lecture at VCU, about the arts as they relate to her Indigenous heritage. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in The Dillydoun Reveiw, The Closed Eye Open, and Rockvale Review, in addition to Room.
Hana Mason grew up in Calgary, Alberta and moved to Victoria in 2016, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Writing from the University of Victoria and is currently working towards her MFA. While at UVic, she served as Managing Editor and later Editor-in-Chief of This Side of West. Her fiction and poetry have been published in various literary magazines, including Little Fiction, Riddle Fence, Carousel, carte blanche, and untethered, where she is now a first-reader. Her work focuses on complicated relationship dynamics, desire, self-discovery, and sense of place. When she isn’t writing, you can find her trying to teach herself guitar, reading her friends’ tarot or contemplating getting another coffee. Find her at @hanamasonwrites on twitter and @hanaom_ on instagram.
Aila Omar is a writer living in Edmonton, Canada. She enjoys reading and writing stories that dig deep and leave us thinking about the characters and their voices long after turning the last page. Her short story ‘Missing Teeth’ was short-listed for the 2021 PEN Canada New Voices Award. Her poetry has been published in various Canadian anthologies, most recently in The Quarantine Review. She is an alumnus of the Banff Centre for the Arts, is a member of The Creative Academy for Writers, and she attends SiWC every year. She is currently working on a literary speculative fiction novel. Find her at IslaWriter on Twitter and Instagram.
Suzanne Manizza Roszak is an assistant professor of English at the University of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands, where she teaches literature and creative writing. Suzanne studied at UC Irvine for her MFA and spent several years as an adjunct lecturer at Los Angeles-area colleges and universities before moving with her family to Groningen. Her creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry have appeared in Bellingham Review, Colorado Review, The Journal, Ninth Letter, Poetry Northwest, South Dakota Review, and elsewhere. Her first book of poems, Ghost Family, is forthcoming from Contraband Books, and her second won the Lauria/Frasca Poetry Prize from Bordighera Press. She serves as a reader for CutBank and an editorial assistant for Seneca Review.
Jacqueline Trieber Willcocks is a writer and poet originally from Calgary AB. She is a graduate of The Writers Studio certification program at Simon Fraser University mentored by Joanne Arnott and completed their graduate program under mentor Aislinn Hunter. Her poems have appeared in Room Magazine, Line and Lens and Emerge 19. A former dancer and current Somatic Healer and yoga teacher she makes her home with husband and two children on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples in K’omoks on Vancouver Island.

Visiting Artists
Lisa LaRose is a pop surrealist painter, illustrator, and comics artist residing in Vancouver, Canada. She is best known for her paintings: Bizarre and Colourful artworks. She creates lively and exciting colour palettes and is always making something a little weird.

Otilia Sabina is a visual artist and designer born in Bucharest, Romania and raised on the unceded, ancestral, and occupied, traditional lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm, Skwxwú7mesh, and Səl̓ ílwətaʔ Nations of the Coast Salish peoples, also known as Vancouver. She graduated with a BFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 2013.

Hosts
Micah Killjoy was born and raised on coastal Salish land. They are a writer, editor, and BFA student at the University of British Columbia. They enjoy urban exploration, daydreaming, doggo walks, and solarpunk aesthetics.
Nara Monteiro (she/they) is a writer, editor, and nerd born in São Paulo, Brazil and raised on Treaty 13 land in Toronto. Nara is the Publisher at Room, as well as a Master of Publishing student at Simon Fraser University and a first reader for Augur . In their spare time, you can find them curled up with a book or sending snail mail. Keep in touch @notesfromnara on Twitter and Instagram.
Get your ticket at Evenbrite

Indigenous Stewardship Night | IMPAC5 Ocean Fest Speaker Series
2023-01-24 17:30 - 20:00
Join them at Tuesday, January 24, at Native Education College to learn about Indigenous-led stewardship and conservation!
IMPAC5 – the 5th International Marine Protected Area Congress – is being held in Vancouver this February. Ocean experts and leaders from around the world will exchange stories and science-backed solutions to protect marine ecosystems for a healthier future.
Join the excitement at IMPAC5’s Ocean Fest Speaker Series events in-person throughout Downtown Vancouver this January.
Doors open at 5:30 PM (PT), presentations starts at 6 (PM).
Ocean Fest Speaker Series is presented by IMPAC5 and CPAWS-BC

TICKETS
Tickets are free but limited to 50.
They invite attendees to make a donation of $10, or whatever amount feels right to you, to support ocean conservation in BC. Donations can also be made at the door.
Get Tickets here
SPEAKERS
Christine Smith-Martin
Christine is the CEO of the Great Bear Initiative-Coastal First Nations (GBI). She is a member of the Haida Nation and Lax Kw’alaams community.
Christine is passionate about creating opportunities for young people that instills in them the value of Traditional Knowledge when planning for future economic developments. She was taught by elders that “if we take care of our lands and waters they will take care of us.”
Emily Spencer
Emily is a master’s student in The Coastal Marine Ecology and Conservation Lab at Simon Fraser University. Her research aims to support the revitalization of Indigenous food systems through collaborative study. Emily partners with a clam garden restoration project in the Southern Gulf Islands led by nine Coast Salish Nations and Parks Canada.
The Clam Garden Network: What is a clam garden? Get a peek at clam gardens’ role in biodiversity and sustainability. A collaborative study with nine Coast Salish Nations, Parks Canada, Simon Fraser University, and Vancouver Island University, Emily’s master’s research work investigates the impacts of heatwaves on clam gardens.
Wylee Fitz-Gerald
Wylee Fitz-Gerald is a Métis Masters student at the University of British Columbia (UBC), studying the impact of atmospheric particles on ocean microorganisms. Her research has brought her to the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans.
The relevance of “Indigenizing” research at universities: In responding to the Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action, universities are in the process of figuring out what it means to “Indigenize”. Currently, these efforts are focused on undergraduate courses. While this is an essential step towards equity, it does not address how this will be integrated in the research environment. Wylee Fitz-Gerald with the Earth Science Experiential and Indigenous Learning (EaSEIL) team at UBC helped to bridge this gap by developing workshops for science labs focused on creating space for Indigenous Knowledges, practices, and sovereignty in the research environment.
Follow them for more details on Eventbrite.

NAAG - Nisga'a Alcoholic Anonymous Gathering
2023-01-25 17:30 - 20:00
Nisga’a Ts’amiks Vancouver Society’s Substance Abuse and Addictions Support (SUAP) team is made up of two staff members that facilitate and manage support for members who struggle with substance abuse, youth and adult addictions and intervention programs.
If you would like to make an appointment or speak to someone from their SUAP Team, please call (604) 646-4944 ext 100.
If you would like to receive updates on SUAP events, community programs and support, please visit here.
NAAG – Nisga’a Alcoholic Anonymous Gathering
Starting in January, Nisga’a Ts’amiks Vancouver Society will be hosting multiple Nisga’a Alcoholic Anonymous Gatherings in our Gathering Space till March 2023.
Join us at our Gathering Space, 525 West 10th Avenue at 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Meals will be provided before each meeting.
Join them on these dates:

Wednesday, January 25, 2023.
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Wednesday, March 22, 2023

If you have any questions, please contact Reginald at reginald@tsamiks.com or call (604) 603-1900.
Support and Services we provide:

Talking Stick Healing Circles
Nisga’a Alcoholic Anonymous Group
Psychological Counselling
One on One Discussions
Detox (Adults and Youth)
Treatment (Adults and Youth)

Adult Support Worker Contact Info:
Reginald Percival
Phone: 604-603-1900 and/or email reginald@tsamiks.com
Youth Support Worker Contact Info:
Kaisha Woods
Phone: 604-655-3881 and/or email kaisha@tsamiks.com

Hydrogen Energy Workshop (Virtual)
2023-01-31 10:00 - 12:30 | Online
Join the conversation to learn more about hydrogen energy, and opportunities for Indigenous communities across BC!
The workshop happens on Tuesday, January 31st, 2023, from 10 AM to 12:30PM (PST)
Please email Mark Blom at Mark. blom@fnemc.ca for registration.
A link to the zoom call will be shared with individuals that have emailed interest in the workshop.

Downtown Eastside Youth Outreach Team
2023-02-02 - 2023-02-06
Referral form Youth DTES Substance use services – Copy

The R2 Resilience Program
2023-02-02 14:00 - 17:00
BC Council for Families presents The R2 Resilience Program® — developed by Dr. Michael Unger and colleagues at the Resilience Research Centre in Nova Scotia — is a simple research-based framework that helps identify and strengthen protective factors that can build stamina. This lunchtime series will begin with an introduction of the R2 Resilience Program® and its 52 protective factors. Participants will be asked to complete two resilience self-assessments and will create a personal resource map identifying areas of strength and areas for improvement.
The three follow-up sessions are based on participants’ identification of protective factors that they would like to learn more about. Integrating small group work and dialogue, these follow-up sessions will further develop an understanding of how to build resilience to enhance overall well-being.
Dates: February 2, 9, 16 and 23, 2023
Time: 12:00PM to 1:30 PM
Cost: $100 (per person)
bout the Facilitator Kevin Chin, Ph.D., is an Educational Psychologist with more than 20 years of valuable contributions in the not-for-profit sector. Kevin is the Manager, Resilience, Health and Well-being in the People and Workplace Strategies Branch of the B.C. Public Service. Prior to moving to the West Coast, he worked in the child welfare sector at the provincial level, designing and developing training for new child welfare professionals in Ontario.
Their website for sign up

World Wetland Day Webinar
2023-02-02 19:00 - 20:00
Cost: Free
Location: Online via Zoom

Did you know that wetlands are one of Canada’s most imperiled and vital ecosystems? It is estimated that nearly 64% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1990.

Wetlands provide several vital “ecosystem services” to humans, including improving water quality (through filtration), reducing the impacts of floods (by storing and slowly releasing water instead), and most importantly, providing vital habitat to fish and wildlife. However, wetlands continue to disappear both in Canada and worldwide.

Join Habitat Committee Member Chloe Hartley as she shares her knowledge wetlands, their importance and which plants are used for soil remediation!

There will be information about how humans play a role and learn about how we need invasive plant removal and vital planting to restore biodiversity and support the ecosystem.

HOW TO ATTEND:
This event will be a VIRTUAL event and will be held through Zoom. You can register through the link: https://bit.ly/Wetland2023

After registering, you will receive an email confirmation from Eventbrite with your link to the Zoom session.

If you have any questions, please email: commscoordinator@wildbirdtrust.org

Moving from Intergenerational Violence to Healthy Indigenous Pathways-Panel
2023-02-10 13:00 - 15:00
This is a 4-part workshop series culminating in a panel on February 10th designed for CIAFV members and other frontline service providers.
This session will be guided through oral teachings on Fri, 10 February 2023, from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM MST.
The teachings will be provided outlining the cultural understanding of natural laws and healthy pathways.
Each session has provided the audience with trauma-informed resources, information on intergenerational trauma, and connection to local resources that align with government standards for working with Indigenous community members.
Previous topics covered in this series were:
Indigenous Men Moving Towards Health with Lloyd Yellowbird
Indigenous Children Moving Towards Healthy Circles with Kyle Campiou
Indigenous Social Action with Adrian Goulet and,
Indigenous Women & Child Rearing with Elder Beverly Keeshig-Soonias.
If there is a question or topic you want to ensure is discussed, please email your request ahead of time to info@ciafv.com.
Register for tickets here.

Reconciliation Hearts (Burnaby, BC, Canada)
2023-02-11 13:00 - 15:00
This workshop blends fabric art, learning about Indigenous issues, and gift-making.
Participants will explore Indigenous truth and reconciliation and make fabric hearts for donating to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.
For more information, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @Strideburnabyarts.
Sign up HERE

Remembering the MMIWG
2023-02-14 12:00 - 14:00
On February 14th in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver community gathers to remember and honour the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Started 30 years ago as a mother mourned her daughter who was murdered on Powell Street, the annual event winds through the neighbourhood stopping at places where women were last seen or found. The march is an opportunity to be a witness to ceremony and in remembrance alongside family members of those missing or murdered women.
More than 6 in 10 Indigenous women report having been physically or sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime, as do 4 in 10 non-Indigenous women. This number increases greatly for Indigenous women who are gay, lesbian or bisexual to 8 in 10.
About every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner; this number is increasing under the pandemic. Indigenous women in Canada today are 12 times more likely to be missing or murdered than non-Indigenous women; 16 times more likely than white women.
Four thousand Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people are missing or have been murdered in Canada in the last thirty years.
they invite you to :
1. DONATE: They hope to raise $1,000 to pay for the blankets given to grieving families at the opening ceremony of remembrance at the march. Donate at https://pushpay.com/g/standrewswesley
2. LEARN: Read the 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous, Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan: Ending Violence. https://mmiwg2splus-nationalactionplan.ca/
3. ATTEND: Online and in-person with us on Tuesday, February 14th from noon to 2pm.
Sign up for event here

Virtual Indigenous Engagement Circles to Create a Vision for Diabetes
2023-02-16 14:00 - 15:00
During this one-hour engagement event, the IDEA Diabetes team will share information about Bill C-237, An Act to Establish a National Framework for Diabetes, and the current separate Indigenous engagement process underway to inform this national framework process. The facilitators will provide information about how Indigenous people from coast-to-coast-to-coast can join the conversation and contribute their vision and ideas to improve diabetes outcomes for Indigenous people, families, and communities, now, and several generations from now. Lastly, participants will be invited to contribute real time ideas using interactive engagement tools.
Au cours de cet événement d’engagement d’une heure, l’équipe du diabète d’IDEA partagera des informations sur le projet de loi C-237, Loi établissant un cadre national pour le diabète, et le processus d’engagement distinct des Autochtones actuellement en cours pour éclairer ce processus de cadre national. Les animateurs fourniront des informations sur la manière dont les peuples autochtones d’un océan à l’autre peuvent se joindre à la conversation et apporter leur vision et leurs idées pour améliorer les résultats du diabète pour les peuples, les familles et les communautés autochtones, maintenant et dans plusieurs générations. Enfin, les participants seront invités à apporter des idées en temps réel à l’aide d’outils d’engagement interactifs.
Register for tickets here

Family Day events + Community events Family Day!
2023-02-17 08:00 - 17:00
Celebrate Family Day Weekend on February 18th-19th at the SLCC
Celebrate Family Day weekend* on Saturday, February 18th, and Sunday, February 19th with engaging Indigenous experiences at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. Join a Guided Tour on the hour starting with a welcome drum song, or take a self-guided tour or a Scavenger Hunt through the Museum, and enjoy colouring stations with First Nations artwork. Enjoy family lunch in the Thunderbird Cafe and browse the Gallery and Gift Shop.
Cultural Programming:
10 am – 4 pm – What We Treasure Tours including a welcome drum song
10 am – 5 pm – Scavenger Hunt, family colouring stations with First Nations artwork
Pricing:

Free Admission on Saturday, February 18 (10 am-4 pm), and Sunday, February 19 (10 am-5 pm)
20% off Annual Family Membership of $60, regularly $75. Purchase here, and enter coupon “slccfamily” at checkout. Available February 1 – 20, 2023. Early renewals accepted.
Membership benefits include 20% savings in the SLCC Gift Shop and 15% savings in the Thunderbird Café, and half-price admission for guests joining you.

Not close to your location?
Check out this list:

Black History Month Family Day (Coquitlam)
BC Family Day in Fort St. John
Chinese Canadian Museum (Victoria)
Family Day Fun in Kelowna
Family Fun on the Fraser (New Westminster)
Family Day in Richmond
Family Day at The Shipyards (North Vancouver)
Family Day at the Skw̲xw̲ú7mesh Lílw̓at7úl Cultural Centre (Whistler)
Family Day in Surrey
Family Day Weekend at Steveston Tram
Family Day at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society
Family Fest Weekend (Cypress Mountain)
Family Steam Day at the Exploration Place (Prince George)
Kids Take Over UBC (Vancouver)
Richmond Children Arts Festival
Royal BC Museum (Victoria)
VCT Family Day Open House (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver)

More activity ideas throughout BC

BC Museums Association
BC Parks and Recreation Association

"Indigenous Enough" Common Indigenous experience sharing circle
2023-02-20 18:00 - 19:30
Not feeling “Indigenous enough” is a common experience for Indigenous folks across Turtle Island. This is a direct result of colonization and no fault of your own, your family or your ancestors.
If you are searching, questioning, learning, un-learning, craving for a sense of belonging or to be heard, seen or understood you are welcome to this circle.
What to expect:

Welcome and open the circle in a good way
Circle check-in and opportunity to introduce yourself to the group
Group sharing in large or small break-out circles
Journal/reflection activity for a chance to connect to self (bring a pen and paper!)
Closing the circle with a reflection prompt

You are welcome to this circle if you are:

First Nation, Metis or Inuit
Indigenous from other parts of the world
Status or non status
Light skinned, dark skinned and everyone in between
Mixed heritage
Live on or off reserve
Grew up with or without your culture
A survivor or intergenerational survivor of residential or day schools
A survivor or intergenerational survivor of the 60s scoop
All genders are welcome
All ages are welcome

Topics the event cover:

Impacts of colonization/genocide
Discuss relevant things that are happening in the news or social media such as race shifting or the use of the term “Pretendian”
How those of us with light skin/white passing can use it in a good way
Personal stories/experiences of feeling “Indigenous enough”

Join this monthly circle to be heard, seen and valued for who you are and where you’re at. This circle will be held either the day before or day of every new moon to represent a new journey, new goals or a new start.
Sign up through eventbrite

About Your Host
Vanessa Lesperance is a mixed heritage woman on the journey of reclaiming her Metis heritage. For her this means unlearning and re-learning what it means to decolonize; walk in two worlds; and understand her privileges as someone who is white passing and represents both the colonized and colonizer.
A lot of her work centers around Indigenous entrepreneurship – mentoring Indigenous youth in BC creating pop-up business with the BCAAFC 3C Challenge and as the LIFT Circle Lead with the Indigenous LIFT Collective. Vanessa’s masters degree was centered on workplace spirituality and how we might use that to increase collective well-being at work and decolonize business.
She’s been published in SAY Magazine on Indigenous leadership and entrepreneurship, LiisBeth online publication with an article about decolonizing the media and the World Federation Association of Teachers Education on what children look for in leaders.
She is also the founder of The Mindful Managers that focuses on workshop development, facilitation and research.
Located on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territories of the Qayqayt, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations

Indigenous Principles for Startups
2023-02-21 06:00 - 19:30
This interactive session provides an understanding of Indigenous principles and the importance of relationships and connectivity for building meaningful businesses. Discover Indigenous business models and new pathways to doing business outside traditional ones.
Who Should Attend
Founders/Co-founders of small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs wanting to create a social impact and/or have a sustainability approach to their businesses or non-profits.
Benefits
Through this session you will:

Develop an awareness of Indigenous principles of sustainability for impact entrepreneurship
Discover how relationships and connectivity are imperative components of sustainable business practices
Learn what some Indigenous communities are doing to implement sustainability and social impact practices in their business and work.

Speaker
Lorena Garvey | Proud Indigenous Kwe, Consultant, Educator & Facilitator
Lorena is an Anishinaabe Kwe born and raised in Windsor, Ontario. An experienced educator with a demonstrated history of working in the nonprofit industry, Lorena specializes in the development and facilitation of training embedded in adult learning principles, trauma-informed approaches and Indigenous ways of knowing and worldviews. She is also skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Youth Development, Facilitation, Training Design and Delivery, and Proposal Writing.
Lorena completed her Master of Education at York University in April 2022, focusing on urban Indigenous Education.
Lorena prioritizes balance in all areas of her life and believes that culture, language, family, and mentorship have helped her become who she is today.

Eventbrite Link for Sign up.
