REGINA – Nearly 75 representatives from over a dozen community-based organizations in and around the city attended a two-day program to explore Aboriginal culture and issues.
“We’d like to see people going back to their communities, their own organizations with a greater understanding of different ways of helping support the people they work with,” said Chris Bailey, executive director of the Regina Work Preparation Centre.
The centre held the Medicine Wheel Training Program at The Gathering Place with funding provided by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. The program teaches aboriginal legends and traditions and their connection to the modern day workplace.
“We’ve lost our connection to the land, but these teachings help us restore that,” said Robert Kakakaway, one of the facilitators of the program.
Antoinette Pelletier, who is Aboriginal, found the program informative.
“It’s funny because I brought other people from my workplace with me that aren’t aboriginal, and so, some of the questions I asked, and some of the things I wondered about – they were like, ‘You didn’t know that?” said Pelletier, who works at Casino Regina and also heads the Public Service Alliance of Canada Local 40005 union.
The centre helps clients, 60 per cent of which self-identify as First Nations or Metis, remove barriers to employment. Aboriginals face some of the highest levels of unemployment in the province and country.
Lindell Haywahe became a client of the centre when her employment insurance ran out years ago. She struggled to find a job even though she believed she had the right qualifications.
“People are not conditioned to readily accept that they have racial profiling, but a lot of it goes on out there,” she said.
Haywahe isn’t sure what her situation would be like if she didn’t join the program and get back on track with her goals.
“I really think that I would still be struggling with my own issues of self-worth and how do I deserve success, and that kind of thing,” she said.
But, now with just one course left to finish before earning her English degree, achieving success is top of mind.
The program continues until the end of the week for 24 representatives who will take higher levels of the program.