Whitefish Bay’s Talon Fire Bird wants to make a difference in the world for Aboriginal youth.
“Ever since my birth, my mom was a social worker, she always did a lot for kids, she always went that extra mile,” said the 13-year-old Bishop E.Q. Jennings student in Thunder Bay. “I always wanted to be like my mom. I wanted to make a difference in the world and also make a difference in my life.”
Bird has volunteered with a number of organizations and events in Thunder Bay, including helping organize activities for children and youth at the Multicultural Youth Centre and the Regional Multicultural Youth Centre site at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, helping out at the 2011 Lakehead University Powwow and helping students from the northern communities feel comfortable in the city.
Bird also meets with school boards to discuss issues in the schools, such as racism, bullying, discrimination, violence and creating safer inclusive schools.
Bird was one of four youth recognized May 4 with Youth Achievement Awards for Community Leadership and Volunteerism during the 2011 Northwestern Ontario Aboriginal Youth Achievement and Recognition Awards in Thunder Bay.
“It feels great that I have a lot of people supporting me in my decisions,” Bird said about the award. “My future goals are to carve a better future for young Aboriginal youth right now and to carve a better future for myself.”
Marten Falls’ Lindsey Achneepineskum, Samantha Hennessey and Sachigo Lake’s Riley Barkman were also recognized with Community Leadership and Volunteerism awards.
Recognition Awards for Personal Achievement went to Pikangikum’s Shannon Mamakwa and Pic River’s Gerald C. Hynes Jr.; Community Involvement went to Naomi Abotossaway; Aboriginal Youth Mentorship went to Moose Cree’s Kristie Williams; Education went to Judith Mishibinijima; and Excellence in Diversity went to Wasaya Airways.
The Employment in a Chosen Field award was given to Lindsay Churchley, a Northern Ontario School of Medicine graduate who has applied for her status in Lake Helen and is now beginning a five-year obstetrics/gynecology residency in Thunder Bay.
“During my second year (of medical school), while working in a variety of small towns, I discovered the field of obstetrics and really enjoyed the happy part of medicine,” Churchley said. “It was while I was in Kenora and the outlying Aboriginal reserves that I started to think about doing women’s health in Aboriginal communities and locally.”
Churchley saw a need for guidance and education while she was working with women on the reserves.
“We really need to educate our young women about a variety of things, not just family planning but everything about women’s health,” Churchley said. “I don’t think we talk about that enough in our culture, so one of my goals is to work with women and also have a culturally sensitive practice regarding that issue.”
Youth Achievement Awards for Peer Mentorship went to Kiashke Zaagin’s Shayleen Wilson-King and Couchiching’s Morgan Krueger while Youth Achievement Awards for Advocacy and Activism went to Lilianna McKay and Couchiching’s Larissa Desrosiers.
Academic awards went to Mia Beardy, Courtney McKenzie, Eric Ritch, Jordan Davidson, Joanna Elkin, Brooke Wakegijig and Kingfisher’s Evangeline King.
Athletic Awards went to Jessica Meekis, Dakota Sagutch, Skyler Lentz, Moses Desmoulins and Couchiching’s Sydney Radigan.
Artistic awards went to Nakita Guillet, Erin Collins, Couchiching’s Talon Jourdain, Gull Bay’s Charnel Anderson and Northwest Angle #37’s Cynthia Edwards.
Personal Achievement awards went to Will Reynolds, Dollard Brisard, Aaron Reynolds, Grassy Narrows’ Caradine Swain, Whitesand’s Leslie Katchen, Neskantaga’s Aaron Yellowhead and Sandy Lake’s Sarah Fiddler.
The Sandra Kakeeway Cultural Awards went to Emmitt Mequanawap, Ginoogaming’s Allan Mendowegan and Animbiigoo Zaagi’gan Anishinaabek’s Kaine Kindla.
The Group Achievement award went to the Search for Jordan Wabasse.
The Where are they now award went to RJ Ogemah, a past winner of the 2009 Aboriginal Youth Achievement Artistic Award.
Ogemah has been accepted into the Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Italy this September.
When I was a boy growing up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, I was deathly afraid of looking at the full moon.
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I’m happy to see the ongoing support and assistance in our northern remote communities to help our people cope with so many lifelong and generational issues...