Newsletter – Women Warriors

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Women Warrior Newsletters

Metis Cultural Days

Central Urban Metis Federation Inc. (CUMFI) hosted a Metis cultural gathering, celebration & fundraiser on Sept. 28th-30th in Saskatoon, SK. I was invited to attend the Metis Days Gala Fundraiser held at the White Cap Dakota Casino on September 29th. It featured an Indigenous art auction and silent auction… Read more

Dietary Practices of Indigenous Women

MA thesis learnings from our University of Calgary grad student, Megan Sampson It has been one year since I travelled to Lloydminster to conduct ethnographic research with the Women Warriors program. I will soon defend my MA thesis based on the results of that work, which explored the dietary practices of Indigenous… Read more

Our First on Reserve Program – Onion Lake Cree Nation (OLCN)

Twelve Weeks to Healthy Living September 25th – December 11th. On September 13th I welcomed our new OLCN facilitator, Jaeden Carter, our program and research coordinator, Alicia Oliver, and our backup facilitator and community health representative, Lori Lewis into my home for a full day of facilitator training. Onion… Read more

Back to School a Tough Lesson in Spending

The lazy days of summer are coming to end. I’ve had a wonderful summer full of adventures with my three daughters – we spent a month in Yellowknife – and we have returned to our home in Lloydminster, Alberta. Our school start date was September 4th and this year I’ve prepared… Read more

Tobacco & Cannabis Workshop

This past semester I undertook my own research project as part of my research methodologies course through the University of Athabasca. My exploratory study gathered preliminary information on smoking and cannabis behaviors, attitudes about upcoming legalization, opinions on community-driven tobacco interventions, and characteristics of the population, composed of participants from Women… Read more

Envisioning a Future Rid of Racial Intolerance

On the 10th anniversary of the Government of Canada’s apology for the Residential School system and its legacy, I would like to share with you how I honor survivors and how I teach my daughters ages 8, 7, and 5 about reconciliation. Last summer we visited the Glenbow Museum in… Read more

Keep Calm & Legalize On (Dr. Saah Interview) + Cannabis & Indigenous Women’s Health

Women Warriors Yellowknifer News Column. Printed May 16th, 2018 As cannabis legalization looms the questions surrounding safe usage, distribution and the stigma of drug usage is a swirling debate of misinformation and fear. As a leader of a health promotions program, I wanted concrete information and guidelines to share… Read more

Mother’s Day, Updates on Calgary & Indigenous Law Conference

A poem to celebrate all the amazing and inspiring Mother’s in our communities. I see you. The tired eyes.The leaky breasts. Yawns escape as we talk. Three hours of sleep. A cocktail of hormones and emotions. How is it possible to be drunk on love with borderline depression? No one… Read more

My Journey of Weight Loss

The Teachings of the Medicine Wheel. Losing weight is soul-crushing; it involves deprivation, shame, and guilt. Most weight loss programs, fads or diets require restricting calories, omitting food groups from your diet, and the sting of failure every time you step on that scale and it fails to reflect your… Read more

Social Media Spring Detox & Indigenous Fitness Leadership Certification

Why You Need to Take a Break From Social Media Last August I undertook my first social media detox and removed all my social media apps – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat and Pinterest – from my phone for two weeks while I was on family vacation with my… Read more

Truth Telling in Education with Guest Writer Dr. Marcia Anderson

Our third guest writer in our truth-telling series identifies as Cree-Saulteaux, and grew up in the North End of Winnipeg, with family roots in Norway House Cree Nation and Peguis First Nation. Dr. Marcia Anderson (Power of Mentorship profile featured below) currently practices both internal medicine and public health and is… Read more

Expansion to Treaty 7

Women Warriors 8 Weeks to Healthy Living Pilot – Facilitator Training It was an honor to present our program and research findings from the past two years, including University of Calgary Master’s student, Megan Sampson’s preliminary findings on food security to City of Calgary managers and stakeholders on Friday, March… Read more

Part 2 of 2: Plains History of Lloydminster & Area

By Megan Sampson, Graduate Student – Anthropology, University of Calgary Part 1 of 2 available here. The Canadian government responded to Indigenous peoples’ assertions of sovereignty in the region through the implementation of violent and degrading policies. The Indian Act, which was passed in1876, is widely regarded as racist, sexist, paternernalistic and aimed at… Read more

Indigenous Women’s Health, Colonization & Truth-Telling

Understanding How Indigenous Women’s Health, Colonization & the Truth of Our History Are Interwoven As we put the final touches on the Women Warriors facilitators manual and I prepare my slideshow to train the new facilitators in Calgary on March 16th and 17th, I am reflective of the importance of… Read more

Raising Indigenous Children in Saskatchewan After the Gerald Stanley Verdict

Insights from Indigenous Mothers Brandy-Lee Maxie is a storyteller, entrepreneur, and mother of three children ages 15, 12, and 9 from the White Bear First Nations in Saskatchewan. Tonight is a hard night to feel like Reconciliation in Canada is a possibility – that concept just got further away from being achievable. Racism… Read more

Advocacy & Leadership

My Letter to the Editor of the Lloydminster Booster/Source Last Sunday I had to remove myself from social media because of the explosion of hate-filled racist comments that were circulating online. I felt anger, frustration, but most of all sorrow. Some of these people were my friends on Facebook, and… Read more

Finding Hope: Ceremony, Relationships & Reciprocity

A Story of How We Are All Connected Yesterday, after Raymond Cormier’s acquittal of second-degree murder in the death of Tina Fontaine I watched as Native Twitter erupted: Heartbreak. Grief. Sorrow. Outrage. Anger. Frustration. Disbelief. I posted: My heart is broken for the family of Tina Fontaine. What does… Read more

Proud Metis

My Insights as an Indigenous Adoptee On January 20th, 2018 I attended my first North Slave Métis Alliance (NSMA) annual general assembly. This AGA was important to me because I did not grow up with my Metis culture or with my biological family. I was adopted at birth and I found my… Read more

Reconciliation in Health & Healing in the North

The Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation wins the $1 Million Dollar Arctic Inspiration Prize This article was published in the Yellowknifer newspaper on Wednesday, February 7th. It was based on the original Women Warriors newsletter, Reconciliation in Health Research: Spirituality & Science published December 14, 2017. When I met Dr. Nicole Redvers, the chair of the Arctic Indigenous… Read more

Being an Informed Indigenous Ally

Insights & Resources for Non-Indigenous Community Members. When I first moved to Lloydminster in 2009, I came from Edmonton where I attended the University of Alberta during the school year and lived in Yellowknife during the summer months. My family is from Yellowknife and I visit them on a regular… Read more

The Power of Mentorship

January 17th International Mentor Day January is Mentoring Month and today is International Mentor Day. I asked guest writer, Helen Knott, to share her experience with mentorship. Her piece below highlights the importance of mentorship, within our Indigenous communities, and how mentors can come in the form of our family members,… Read more

Success Takes a Village -Thank You For Helping Me

I started my journey with Women Warriors on June 8th, 2015 at the Lloydminster Friendship Centre. I was inspired to start this group after training for a half marathon for Team Diabetes, in honour of my birth father’s type II diabetes diagnosis, and witnessing that there were few Indigenous women… Read more

Reconciliation in Health Research: Spirituality & Science

The Arctic Indigenous Wellness Project Last Friday, November 24th I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Nicole Redvers, a Metis naturopath and Elder Be’sha Blondin at the Institute of Circumpolar Health Research in Yellowknife. I had reached out to Nicole in mid-September to discuss hosting an Indigenous health symposium. My podcast guest, Jean Cardinal and my cousin and… Read more

Reflections from the Tamarack Institutes “Evaluating Community Impacts” Workshop

Last week Megan, our graduate student from the University of Calgary doing her thesis on food security with the Women Warriors in Lloydminster (read her preliminary research findings here) and I attended Tamarack Institute’s “Evaluating Community Impact” workshop in Saskatoon, November 14th to 16th. Thanks to Rhett Sangster, Director, Reconciliation and Community Partnership, Office of… Read more

National Addictions Awareness Week 2017

In honor of National Addictions Awareness Week, November 12th-18th, 2017, I am sharing insights about addiction(s) from guests on the Women Warriors podcast. Each of these guests has struggled with addiction(s) and are open about their healing and recovery. Their full podcast interviews can be accessed on the podcast section… Read more

Food Security & Needs in Lloydminster

University of Calgary Graduate Student, Megan Shares Her Preliminary Findings from Lloydminster & Onion Lake Cree Nation As a graduate student from the University of Calgary’s Department of Anthropology, I have been partnering with Women Warriors over the past month and researching the nutritional realities of local Indigenous women (Cree… Read more

ReconciliACTION & Indigenous Women in Politics – Part Three

Three Female Candidates Share Their Insights From Running In Municipal & First Nations Politics Fostering Indigenous women leaders and building our participation in politics, and policymaking is an important form of reconciliation in Canada. According to the website Equal Voice, “the United Nations says that a critical mass of at… Read more

Indigenous Women in Politics – Part Two

Three Female Candidates Share Their Insights From Running In Municipal & First Nations Politics Miranda is Cree and a member of Thunderchild First Nation in Treaty Six. She ran in the Edmonton muncipal election for Ward 5 on October 16, 2017. The canidate elected was Sarah Hamiliton. You can view… Read more

Indigenous Women in Politics

Three Female Canidates Share Their Insights From Running In Municipal & First Nations Politics The 88th anniversary of Person’s Day took place on October 18th, and celebrates the Famous Five’s victory to include women in the legal definition of “Persons,” thereby marking women’s entry into the public and political spheres… Read more

Lloydminster Needs: Reconciliation in Media

Letter to the Editor of the Lloydminster Meridian Booster & the Lloydminster Source How Can the Media Do A Better Job of Representing Indigenous Voices In This Community? Reconciliation is about learning the truth of Canada’s history with Indigenous peoples, examining the ongoing legacy of colonialism, and acknowledging that we… Read more

Women Warriors Podcast Season 2 – Episode 12 & 13

Holding Space for Honesty, Healing & Hope. EP12 Jean Cardinal on Vulnerability as Medicine & Supporting Men on Their Healing Journeys (iTunes, Google Play & Libsyn) Jean Cardinal is the co-founder of Dene Wellness Warriors, an Indigenous focused wellness business based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories that offers one-to-one counselling, wellness coaching… Read more

Season 2 of the Women Warriors Podcast – One Episode & Bonus

Holding Space for Honesty, Healing & Hope. As a bonus for signing up for the Women Warriors email list, you get the first two podcast episodes one day early! Please do us a favour and rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! Please listen on our Libsyn account if you don’t… Read more

Program Expansion to Onion Lake Cree Nation

Our tentative plans to move the Women Warriors Program & Research January 2018 Last Friday myself, Onion Lake band councilor, Dolores Pahtayken, our Master’s student from the University of Calgary, Megan, Women Warrior participant, Ashley, Elder from the Ekweskeet Healing Lodge, Verna Buffalo Calf and gardening expert, Tracey Lepp met… Read more

Education is Power – Drawing Inspiration from Women Warriors

Over the course of two years, Women Warriors has welcomed Lakeland College students in our program. One student, Linda participated in Women Warriors for the full length of her degree starting November 2015 ending April 2017. Intially, Linda was shy and when I approached her about doing a Woman Warrior Wednesday profile… Read more

My Top 5 Lessons of Being Metis

Navigating Metis Identity as an Indigenous Adoptee *I have made a few addendums to the newsletter due to an email last night from someone respectfully asking that I remove their name. I’m a very accommodating person. Also, after I spoke with my dad last night he had a few excellent… Read more

My Social Media Break & Podcast Updates

Social Media Break by Shelley Wiart I took a social media break Because I was tired of being connected. I wish Katy and Nicki would remake Alanis Morisette’s “Ironic” Because they could never write their own intelligent lyrics “They don’t know what is what. They just strut. WTF.” WTF. I’ll rewrite it… Read more

Indigenous Women’s Health: Closing the Health Gap by Addressing Violence

Indigenous Women’s Health: Closing the Health Gap by Addressing Violence On May 9th, 2017 I was invited by researcher, Dr. Rita Henderson to attend the University of Calgary Group for Research with Indigenous People (GRIP) forum. We presented on Rise Up Mighty Warrior: Indigenous Women and Stakeholder Engagement for Meaningful Health Promotion. (Power point… Read more

Kent Monkman – The Truth, Residential School, and Not Saying Sorry Twice.

I am a parent that believes in telling my children the truth. I don’t shelter my girls from the evils of the world, and I tell them the truth as much as I deem appropriate for their age and understanding. I do not consider these painting too explicit for them.… Read more

Women Warriors Podcast Season Two

Why I Dedicated the Second Season of the Women Warriors Podcast to Healing. The first time I heard a residential school survivor speak was March of 2009 in my class at the University of Alberta Native Studies 380/Women Studies 494: Challenging Racism and Stereotypes. It is a vivid memory because I was… Read more

Being White Coded Metis and Proving My Indigeneity to Duncan McCue

Sharing my insights about reconciliation. It’s 8 am. I’m in the Lister Hall Cafeteria at the University of Alberta filling up on breakfast buffet for a full day of listening to speakers at the Writing Stick Conference. I spot Duncan McCue sitting alone at a table and I decide to… Read more

Healing on the Land: My Vacation in Yellowknife – Part 1

Sharing my insights about the land, healing, Reconciliation & Canada 150. Family Vacation June 15th-22nd Every year we visit my family for a week in Yellowknife to celebrate National Aboriginal Day AKA NAD2017 (now re-named by Trudeau as National Indigenous Peoples Day), and catch up with my family, the Enge’s.… Read more

Healing on the Land: My Vacation in Yellowknife – Part 2

Sharing my insights about the land, healing, Reconciliation & Canada 150. The New Generation of Reconciliation On the last week of school my seven year old daughter came home & told me what she learned about residential school in class. You can view the video I recored on my twitter feed which she stated, “the… Read more

Healing on the Land: My Vacation in Yellowknife – Part 3

Sharing my insights about the land, healing, Reconciliation & Canada 150. Onion Lake Powwow 2017 Onion Lake is hosting their annual powwow on July 14th -16th at the Onion Lake Heritage Park. I’m excited to bring our Women Warriors researchers from the University of Calgary, Masters student, Megan and summer student,… Read more

Healing on the Land: My Vacation in Yellowknife – Part 4

Sharing my insights about the land, healing, Reconciliation & Canada 150. Onion Lake Powwow 2017 Last Friday I welcomed two of our researchers from the University of Calgary, master’s student, Megan and summer student, Elsy to Lloydminster to attend their first powwow. Megan’s role in the Women Warriors research is investigating… Read more

We Are All Connected

Lessons learned from completing season one of the Women Warriors podcast & reflections on the Writing Stick Conference. My Top Seven Takeaways From Season One 1) No one will make your dreams come true, but you. Invest your own money into a project that you feel deeply about. If I had waited to raise all… Read more

Podcast Season 1 Finale with Hon. Caroline Cochrane

Please listen and subscribe to the Women Warriors podcast on iTunes! Please help us reach New & Noteworthy by leaving a review on iTunes. Here’s a quick “how to.” If you have an android device, we highly recommend the Podcast Addict app, or you can listen to the podcast section of this website! Please… Read more

Releasing Two Episodes for Reconciliation Week

Episode 7 – Helen Knott on Accidental Activism, Politics & Healing Addiction

Episode 6 with Karen Pheasant

Episode 5 with Tenille Campbell and Media Coverage

Releasing TWO Episodes Tomorrow!

Announcing the Women Warriors Podcast!

My name is Shelley Wiart and I’m the creator of the Women Warriors podcast! I’m sharing my passion for empowering Indigenous women with you! If you haven’t already, please subscribe to the iTunes version of the Women Warriors podcast! Thank you for sharing in my dream of creating a positive and inspiring community of Indigenous women… Read more