KEYNOTE PANEL
Eryn WiseEryn Wise is the Media Coordinator for Sacred Stone Camp and the International Indigenous Youth Council as well as an Organizer for Honor the Earth. She is Jicarilla Apache and Laguna Pueblo currently living between Standing Rock, ND and Minneapolis, MN fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline and Line 3. Her work is done in homage to her foremothers and ancestors. She is a human being, just like you.
|
Cody Looking HorseCody Looking Horse, is Haudenosaunee and Lakota, Sioux. He resides on the Six Nations of the Grand River. An accomplished Rider, he joined the Dakota 38 + 2 from December 15th - December 26, in 2008 to retrace the footsteps of ancestor’s to honour them. President Lincoln hung 38 Chiefs on Christmas day, the largest mass hanging in US history. He hasn’t been home for Christmas in 8 years, instead rides in frigid weather across the open plains with his Father.
|
Trenton Casillas-BakebergTrenton Casillas-Bakeberg is a youth community activist and music artist from Eagle Butte, South Dakota. He is part Lakota, of the Mnicoujou/Itazipco bands from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation located in the heart of South Dakota. He envisions a world where all people co-exist and work together to reverse the damage done to the planet during the fossil fuel era, ensuring the futures of all generations to come.
|
Thomas Tonatiuh LopezThomas Tonatiuh Lopez is a college graduate from Metro State University of Denver with a bachelors degree in Technical Communications and a minor in Native American Studies. Born and raised in Denver,Colorado; Thomas identifies as Chicano paying homage to his Mexican, Diné, Apache and Hunka-Lakota roots. He is a grandson of Chief Leonard Crowdog and the son of Water Woman Sharon Lopez and Sundance Chief Thomas Lopez Sr. He spent months working with the International Indigenous Youth Council on the ground at Standing Rock to defeat the Dakota Access Pipeline. He is continuing his activist work; being a voice for those who have been silenced.
|
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dawn Martin HillPaul R. McPherson Chair in Indigenous Studies (Mohawk, Six Nations) She holds a PhD in Cultural Anthropology and is one of the original founders of the Indigenous Studies Program at McMaster University. She recently accepted a position as Chair in CIHR - College of Reviewers, Ottawa and is a member of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Health Research Training A – Post-PhD (HTA)" Awards Committee and CIHR - Indigenous Advisory Council. Her research includes: Indigenous Knowledge health research focused on Indigenous youth, women and spiritual traditions, traditional medicine and well-being, Indigenous Knowledge methodologies and pedagogy. The guiding principle of her research is contributing to solution based research in the area of Indigenous health while building capacity for community collaborations. Examples of community engaged research and teaching include the Indigenous Health Research and Development Program. Outcomes of the IHRDP included a successful community led SSHRC operational grant, Digitization of Hewitt Collection: Haudenosaunne Ceremonies for the Indigenous Knowledge Centre. She was involved in CIHR-APHI for 20 years as a co-investigator with the Indigenous Health Research Development Program, 2001-2015. |
Her own research includes the PI of CIHR catalyst grant titled, Tehtsitehwa: kenrotka: we (together we pull it from the earth again) – The Ohero:kon youth Health Intervention”, a female Haudenosaunne research team from Akwasasne and Six Nations focused on rites of passage for youth as a prevention strategy drawn from IK holders. Also a co-investigator for the Aboriginal Health Research Network for Aboriginal Knowledge and Ways of Knowing (AHRN-AKWK) which is a national network of regional hubs/teams. The goal of the three year network catalyst project (2014-2017) is to meaningfully engage Indigenous knowledge holders, practitioners, researchers, trainees and knowledge brokers to collaborate and advance health research that foregrounds Aboriginal knowledge and ways of knowing in all aspects of the research process.
She continues to be involved in community service as well. Served as Chair of the Indigenous Elders and Youth Council that promoted the protection and preservation of Indigenous Knowledge systems. She is called upon by her community for numerous purposes, most recently, serving as an expert witness on traditional medicine for defendant Six Nations by McMaster Hospital and led the reconciliation effort between both those parties and families of Makayla Sault and JJ resulting in McMaster Sick Kids improving health services to FN through the “Harmonization of Traditional Medicine” in partnership with Six Nations Health Services. Her international work includes numerous partnerships: Amazon Conservation Team, fostering the development of an expansive network of Indigenous healers. Lubicon Lake Nation environmental health initiative, Six Nations Community, Indigenous Knowledge dissemination projects include 3 films, ‘Jidwá: doh - Let’s Become Again’ 2005, a documentary cultural understandings of historical trauma and using Indigenous knowledge and traditional practices to heal communities. ‘Onkwànistenhsera - Mothers of our Nations’ 2006, which examines the need for Indigenous women to reclaim, restore and revitalize their traditional knowledge and the most recent film, “Sewatokwa’tshera’t – The Dish with One Spoon” 2008, a collaboration with the Six Nations Confederacy leaders, the film chronicles Haudenosaunee history, Great Law and current reclaiming of traditional lands.
She has published a peer reviewed book, chapters and technical papers including, Indigenous Knowledge and Power and The Lubicon Lake Nation, University of Toronto Press, 2007. 2nd Edition, Traditional Medicine in Contemporary Context, NAHO website, 2003. Jidwa:doh – “Let’s Become Again” Pimatisiwin A Journal of Indigenous and Aboriginal Community Health Volume 5 #2 December. She wrote Ganono’se’neyo’gwilode “One Who is Full of Our Traditional Knowledge”. Journal of Aboriginal Health “Traditional Medicine and Restoration of Wellness.” November 2009 Volume 5, Issue 1 - First Nations Communities in Crisis January 2010, Volume 6, Journal of Aboriginal Health, Issue The Decolonization of Health Through Indigenous Medicine
Her primary commitment is maintaining the integrity of Indigenous knowledge, methodologies and global traditional healing practices for diverse Indigenous populations. Her current projects include publishing Indigenous Medicine chronicling the contributions and evolution of traditional healing methods and practices. Haudenosaunne Women’s Medicine, inclusive of the youth intervention project funded by CIHR for 2017-18 respectively. She resides on the Grand River, Six Nations. She is a single mother of four with two teenagers at home and a grandmother of eight, her healthy family is considered her greatest achievement to date.
She continues to be involved in community service as well. Served as Chair of the Indigenous Elders and Youth Council that promoted the protection and preservation of Indigenous Knowledge systems. She is called upon by her community for numerous purposes, most recently, serving as an expert witness on traditional medicine for defendant Six Nations by McMaster Hospital and led the reconciliation effort between both those parties and families of Makayla Sault and JJ resulting in McMaster Sick Kids improving health services to FN through the “Harmonization of Traditional Medicine” in partnership with Six Nations Health Services. Her international work includes numerous partnerships: Amazon Conservation Team, fostering the development of an expansive network of Indigenous healers. Lubicon Lake Nation environmental health initiative, Six Nations Community, Indigenous Knowledge dissemination projects include 3 films, ‘Jidwá: doh - Let’s Become Again’ 2005, a documentary cultural understandings of historical trauma and using Indigenous knowledge and traditional practices to heal communities. ‘Onkwànistenhsera - Mothers of our Nations’ 2006, which examines the need for Indigenous women to reclaim, restore and revitalize their traditional knowledge and the most recent film, “Sewatokwa’tshera’t – The Dish with One Spoon” 2008, a collaboration with the Six Nations Confederacy leaders, the film chronicles Haudenosaunee history, Great Law and current reclaiming of traditional lands.
She has published a peer reviewed book, chapters and technical papers including, Indigenous Knowledge and Power and The Lubicon Lake Nation, University of Toronto Press, 2007. 2nd Edition, Traditional Medicine in Contemporary Context, NAHO website, 2003. Jidwa:doh – “Let’s Become Again” Pimatisiwin A Journal of Indigenous and Aboriginal Community Health Volume 5 #2 December. She wrote Ganono’se’neyo’gwilode “One Who is Full of Our Traditional Knowledge”. Journal of Aboriginal Health “Traditional Medicine and Restoration of Wellness.” November 2009 Volume 5, Issue 1 - First Nations Communities in Crisis January 2010, Volume 6, Journal of Aboriginal Health, Issue The Decolonization of Health Through Indigenous Medicine
Her primary commitment is maintaining the integrity of Indigenous knowledge, methodologies and global traditional healing practices for diverse Indigenous populations. Her current projects include publishing Indigenous Medicine chronicling the contributions and evolution of traditional healing methods and practices. Haudenosaunne Women’s Medicine, inclusive of the youth intervention project funded by CIHR for 2017-18 respectively. She resides on the Grand River, Six Nations. She is a single mother of four with two teenagers at home and a grandmother of eight, her healthy family is considered her greatest achievement to date.
Presentation: Indigenous knowledge and traditional ways of knowing methodology as youth intervention and prevention strategies to improved mental health
Exploring how IK and cultural interventions to increase mental health impacted by colonial policies that have exacted intergenerational trauma now experienced by the youth. Indigenous youth represent the leading driving force in First Nations communities, with over half of the First Nations population in Canada under the age of 25 and growing. With the highest suicide rates in the country for ages 8-25; western approaches has not led to improved outcomes for Indigenous youth.
Culture, language and traditional activities have all been associated as a significant tool in prevention and intervention of high risk behaviours among Indigenous youth. The 2009-2010 RHS data on First Nations youth supported this indicating that many youth (40.2%) identify traditional ceremonial activities as a community strength. An overwhelming 74.7% of youth identified the biggest community challenge as substance abuse. Another 42.6% of youth believed that loss of culture was a community challenge (RHS 2010)
IK led by community, Indigenous scholars needs to be prominent in the strategies to address historical trauma.One example is our CIHR-Aboriginal Peoples Health Institute research project, Ohero:kon Haudenosaunee rites of passage as an intervention and prevention project developed by Clanmother Louise McDonald. The Ohero:kon ritual is a “removing the husk” ceremony at the critical stage of puberty. Elders and the traditional mentorship system of the aunties and uncles who guide and support youth in their journey.
Culture, language and traditional activities have all been associated as a significant tool in prevention and intervention of high risk behaviours among Indigenous youth. The 2009-2010 RHS data on First Nations youth supported this indicating that many youth (40.2%) identify traditional ceremonial activities as a community strength. An overwhelming 74.7% of youth identified the biggest community challenge as substance abuse. Another 42.6% of youth believed that loss of culture was a community challenge (RHS 2010)
IK led by community, Indigenous scholars needs to be prominent in the strategies to address historical trauma.One example is our CIHR-Aboriginal Peoples Health Institute research project, Ohero:kon Haudenosaunee rites of passage as an intervention and prevention project developed by Clanmother Louise McDonald. The Ohero:kon ritual is a “removing the husk” ceremony at the critical stage of puberty. Elders and the traditional mentorship system of the aunties and uncles who guide and support youth in their journey.