LITTLE CURRENT—Mnaamodzawin Health Services hosted its three-day 2019 Wellness Week at the Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre in Little Current recently, offering featured talks from guest speakers and seminars on cooking and healthy eating.
“The event was a huge success. We reviewed the evaluations afterwards and received overwhelming comments of the enjoyment of all participants,” said Craig Abotossaway, Mnaamodzawin Health Services’ executive director.
“I think we provided enough of a spectrum of speakers from cooking to mental health, physical wellness, traditional medicine and spiritual discussions, so we try to fit all aspects of the medicine wheel,” said Mr. Abotossaway. “We hope they can take something away from any one of the presenters that causes a little or a significant change in their life to put them on a better path to wellness.”
Derek Debassige delivered a keynote address on the first morning of the three-day event. He discussed ergonomics and body mechanics, making use of the human body and how the aging process impacts one’s body.
Then, Joe Pitawanakwat presented on various medicines made from local plants and shared plant teachings about some native plants to the area. He brought in two teas he had made and offered tastes for the attendees.
Finally, Pierre Harrison explored the ability for children to learn through play. He encouraged parents and caregivers to not hover over their children and advocated for unstructured play that would allow them to take risks and set their own limitations.
On Wednesday, Indigenous celebrity chef David Wolfman began the day with a presentation on nutrition and healthy cooking. Mr. Wolfman hosts and produces the show ‘Cooking with the Wolfman’ for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
He offered the room his recommendations for healthy and affordable shopping, cooking, planning and eating, including such tips as opting for frozen foods to find good nutrients without the high costs of fresh foods, or shopping for groceries seasonally to save money and support local producers.
Included with the presentation were several resources that could be consulted for healthy eating and healthy weight tips.
Following the lunch break, Mr. Wolfman entertained the audience with a live cooking demonstration. His wife Marlene Finn operated a camera for a close-up video feed of the cooktop action that was projected onto a nearby screen.
Mr. Wolfman prepared a collard green soup, polenta and baked salmon stuffed with sautéed vegetables for the eager audience that had gathered to ask questions and bask in the sensational sights, sizzling sounds and spectacular smells.
The collard green soup was finished first, which he served in small biodegradable cups for all to try. When the salmon came out of the oven, he served it with fresh lemon zest and rested it on a polenta base. Judging by the facial expressions of the audience members, this was a delicious and highly sought-after snack to close out the afternoon.
On Thursday, the final day of the conference, Diane Hill began the day with an exploration of ‘Ethnostress,’ or how colonization has changed Indigenous spiritual beliefs and practices. She stressed that people can still do good work even if they are being blocked from being their best, but that healing is required to reach one’s fullest potential.
“You can still be a wounded healer and help people, but to be whole you are more powerful,” she said. “Just know that peace, love and joy is available to you all the time.”
Then, Ms. Hill explored the residential school system in North America and how some 150,000 Canadian Indigenous children were part of these schools. Many lost their pride in their Indigenous heritage.
“It was a forced learning process. They wanted you to forget,” she said. “And it almost worked.”
She described the outcomes of this process as self-hatred and shame, with anger and fear being the main emotions left in shattered communities.
‘Ethnostress’ was defined as “a disruption of the aboriginal spirit due to the loss of a joyful and positive Native identity.” To illustrate this point, her assistants distributed cards containing negative self-statements to a random selection of people around the room. They were told to walk around and hold the negative affirmations in front of them to visualize the impact that past trauma can hold over a person.
Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people took part in this card activity, a decision by design so Ms. Hill could show the room that feelings of negativity and hurt extend to all cultures. Then, they were asked to stand at the front of the room. Some who had blank cards were asked to identify their own personal negative affirmations from their childhoods.
Then, there was another interactive activity using ‘energy sticks,’ tubes that lit up and played sounds when both ends touched the body and completed the circuit. Small groups of people stood in circles holding hands and, when one person let go, the lights would go out. This symbolized the power of community strength in healing.
Ms. Hill added that historical oppressors need to be loved too, because it’s hurt people who hurt other people, she said.
“You’ve got to have heart for the colonizers, too. We’re all in this together and have to be able to extend our hand to all others,” said Ms. Hill.
Ultimately, she said Indigenous teachings would be widely sought after in the future, although the question of when that might occur is difficult to answer.
“Peace, love and joy are universal,” she said. “Non-Native people will seek us out, and we need to be ready to teach them.”
At the end of her presentation, Jordan Teshakotennyon’s Miller discussed his R.E.A.L. (Reality Education and Applied Life skills) school that teaches leadership development and personal discovery.
That afternoon, Maria Montejo offered a complimentary session that built upon the lessons from the morning session. She presented on an Indigenous multi-dimensional approach to wellness, from the perspective of a Mayan worldview.
In what seemed like a short span of three days, the conference had concluded and the guests returned to their daily lives armed with the teachings and viewpoints that can only be garnered through community learning.
“Our presenters were top-notch level, and there were great things said about every one of the speakers that spoke this week. We look forward to next year’s,” Mr. Abotossaway said.
