Journey to Strength and Healing
In spite of the oppression they have faced, many First Nations people remain resilient. Today they are reclaiming their inherent rights and finding ways to regain their strength. Agreeing to form the Partnership has been one step on the healing journey.
In early 2007, two communities, Webequie First Nation and Mishkeegogamang
Ojibway Nation, worked with Partnership assessment teams to identify urgent needs
and ways to address them. In 2008, another assessment team traveled to Pikangikum
First Nation to gather information on its needs for their community.
Four additional First Nations communities participated in Partnership
assessments in 2009: Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, North Spirit Lake, Kasabonika
LakeBearskin Lake. North Spirit Lake's Searching Together report will be posted
in the near future.
Pikangikum First Nation and Mamow Sha-way-gi-kay-win; North South Partnership for children are pleased the Mamow Na-nan-da-we-ki-ken-chi-kay-win; Searching Together report is completed. The community dialogues which started in February 2008, captures the state of the community when a team of 18 people along with Pikangikum First Nation members engaged in a four day dialogue. The report captures some happy moments and some tragic moments. We cannot say we captured everything but this initiative was to highlight some needs and strengths within the community.
Dean Peters, the Education Director of Pikangikum was instrumental
in ensuring the overall engagement of the people and was personally involved
right up to the publishing stage. “I am happy to see the finished product and very interested in seeing how we can move forward to bringing the recommendations to realization. It took a longer time to complete this project but now that it is here, let’s start the work”.
The Mamow Sha-way-g-ikay-win Searching Together team is very excited at the prospect
of continuing work in Pikangikum First Nation.
Read
Pikangikum Assessment Report May 09 (1.2 MB)
By understanding the community needs, Mamow Sha-way-gi-kay-win
is able to make links and broker with southern supports including: funding agencies;
volunteers; training resources and donations. Each “searching together” initiative is molded by the leadership and the members of the community. The nature of the support from southern partners is guided by the community.
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