White Bear Rising

08/21/2026

Working from ego causes harm—whether someone is an Elder, an older community member, a lodge keeper, healer, or helper.

These roles carry influence and sacred responsibility. People often come to them while grieving, struggling, seeking ceremony, or feeling vulnerable. That trust must never be taken lightly.

When a person seeking help is met with humiliation, harsh criticism, judgment, manipulation, gossip, or control instead of kindness and understanding, the trusted person is no longer helping—they are misusing their position and causing harm.

Knowledge, age, ceremony, and titles do not excuse abusive behaviour. No role places someone above accountability.

True helpers do not use their position to feed their ego, silence others, or make vulnerable people feel small. They guide without controlling, correct without humiliating, and support healing without demanding power over others.

Respecting our Elders and ceremonial roles does not mean remaining silent about harm. Protecting vulnerable people is not disrespect—it is our responsibility.

08/18/2026

I am only the second generation removed from the full impact of colonization—and the first generation in my family expected to live almost entirely within Western society.

I was raised between two worlds.

I carry the teachings, strength, and resilience of my ancestors while learning to navigate Western education, employment, healthcare, laws, and systems that were never created with Indigenous people in mind.

My family’s connection to the land, language, ceremony, and traditional ways of living is not ancient history. The disruption happened within living memory. I grew up close enough to hear the stories, feel the losses, and witness the effects—yet far enough removed that I have had to intentionally reclaim parts of who I am.

Sometimes it feels like being expected to succeed in one world while grieving what was taken from the other. But I am not caught between two worlds—I am learning to walk powerfully in both.

When people wonder who I am or where my knowledge comes from, the answer is simple: I’m a girl from the rez who has navigated loss, addiction, trauma, parenting, growth, healing, and recovery. My knowledge comes from Western education, cultural teachings, and lived experience.

Lateral violence can appear when competition replaces collaboration, often rooted in generations of scarcity, exclusion, and colonization. It can weaken trust, relationships, and our ability to move forward together.

There is room for all of us. When we share opportunities, honour one another’s gifts, and work together, we strengthen our communities.

Healing, learning our history, returning to the land, and reclaiming ceremony are not steps backward. Healing also means recognizing harmful patterns with compassion and choosing collaboration, connection, and collective growth.

This is how we remember who we have always been—and create a stronger path for those coming after us. 🪶

08/13/2026

My workshops aren’t about fixing people because I don’t believe our people are broken.

They are about helping people see what I see when I look at us as Nehiyowak: the beauty, the strength, the resilience, and the fire that has always lived within us. 🔥

Our people have survived generations of systems that tried to disconnect us from our culture, our language, our ceremonies, our families, and even from ourselves—and still, we are here.

That strength didn’t disappear. Sometimes it just needs space to be remembered.

Through storytelling, culture, connection, ceremony, and honest conversations about grief and trauma, my workshops focus on what we carry—not only our pain, but our strength, knowledge, humour, love, teachings, and resilience.

Healing isn’t about becoming someone new. Sometimes it’s about remembering who we have always been.

Strong. Resilient. Connected. Nehiyowak.

The fire is already within us. My hope is simply to help people see it again. 🪶🔥

White Bear Rising — building from our strengths, honouring where we come from, and creating space for our people to rise.

08/11/2026

My work is still not done, yesterday we spent the day unloading and unpacking! I have to thank my children for all there help and patience leading up to and the aftermath of the camp! They put so much into this camp also, quietly and consistently! There is so much work that goes into these things. All the hard work, before, during and after is so very worth it! Especially after hearing all the positive feedback. Seeing all the grateful posts and beautiful pictures! It was worth every second of everything I put into it! We had our hiccups, things that could be improved..but overall….healing happened, connection, the love was felt, people were happy! So for that I am grateful! I love you all! I hope you all love yourselves also and remember how beautiful you are! 💙🙏

08/10/2026

What a beautiful week. 💙🌿

A week filled with love, healing, culture, laughter, tears, ceremony and connection on the land.

There were moments this week that are hard to put into words. People came together as there authentic selves, We shared stories, sat around the fire, learned from one another, laughed together, cried together, prayed together and made space for healing.

I watched children and youth experience culture and learn from those around them. I watched people find the courage to share pieces of their stories. I watched families reconnect, new relationships form, and people simply slow down long enough to be present with one another.

And through all of it, the land held us. 🌿

This week reminded me why spaces like this are so important. Healing doesn’t always happen inside four walls. Sometimes it happens sitting around a fire. Sometimes through ceremony. Sometimes through laughter, a shared meal, a teaching, a conversation, or simply knowing you are surrounded by people who care.

My heart is incredibly full.

A HUGE and heartfelt thank you to our sponsors and partners who believed in the vision and helped make this week possible:

💙 Treaty 8 Urban Child and Family Services
💙 Indian Reconciliation Fund
💙 MD of Opportunity No. 17
💙 Bigstone Cree Nation
💙 Nepinese Family Healing Centre
💙 Superior Propane

Your support helped create a space where our people and families could come together on the land to reconnect with culture, ceremony, community and one another. This kind of work takes a community, and we are incredibly grateful that you chose to be part of ours.

To every Elder, Knowledge Keeper, facilitator, oskapyew, volunteer, cook, helper, supporter and every person who came through our camp, thank you. Every one of you brought something important to this gathering.

What we created together was bigger than any one person or organization. It was community. It was connection. It was healing. It was remembering that we are all related, Wahkomaganuk. (All my relations)

There is still so much healing needed in our communities, but after a week like this, I am reminded that there is also so much love, strength, resilience and hope.

May we carry a little piece of what we experienced on the land home with us and continue taking care of one another long after the fires have gone out. 🪶🔥🌿

Until we gather again. 💙

08/03/2026

View details about Opportunity No. 17 AB, Canada on Apple Maps. Address, driving directions, images, nearby attractions and more.

08/01/2026

On monday morning at 11:00 a.m., we will begin our week together with an Opening Pipe Ceremony to kick off a beautiful week of healing, culture, and connection.

This gathering was created for anyone seeking a place to reconnect—with themselves, with one another, and with the land. Whether you come for the ceremonies, the teachings, the cultural activities, or simply to be in community, you are welcome.

I truly hope to see many familiar faces from our community at the campout. Let’s begin this journey together in a good way. 💙

08/01/2026