Hello Friends of Clan Mothers Healing Village!
We hope that this finds you healthy and well.
In our relationship with you, we enjoy sharing updates and information as a way to convey our appreciation for your support. Without it, we would not be able to accomplish our continuous successes which move us closer to our vision.
Clan Mothers Healing Village activities are based on the cycles of the moon. LaRoyce Batchelor, the woman who has developed the Clan Mothers Healing Village Governance Model, guides with us her Indigenous wisdom, knowledge and beautiful spirit.
We would like to share some of LaRoyces’s teachings with you.
February 11 will bring the New Snow Moon. February marks the bulk of our snow fall. We also see a dramatic downturn in our temperatures. Intuitively we know this. We hunker down and prepare for the cold and the work associated with a lot of snow. February also marks the conflicting pulls in energy from hibernation and reflection to new tasks that often accompany spring. But it is also frustrating as there is little we can; unless we plant seeds in our homes as starters. I say this not only as a hint that we can garden even without access to our yards, but we begin to feel the pull to be more productive. Bears will often stir at this time. But their bodies are not ready to fully wake.
So what does all this mean? We feel the urge to get things off our desks and out the door. We feel the pull to be increasingly productive while at the same time we feel the conflict of deep winter. It’s a time of choice. We can start seeds. We can make lists. We can make a plan.
At this time, the Clan Mothers working team and committees are planning and reflecting on outcomes that will bring about the change we are seeking for marginalized Indigenous women, girls and 2 spirited people. Current projects that are in progress include:
-
“Pinesiis”- a short film series for Youth and Elders. The intention of this series is to support vulnerable youth at risk. The characters in the film series are finding their way home through Kokum’s teachings.
- EVA Project (Experiential Voices Alive)
The Lived Experience Council is reaching out to the participants of the national gatherings via an online platform that will soon be in the process of development. The Lived Experience Council has also designed EVA t-shirts for distribution to the women who contributed to the national gatherings. - TRC C-3 Project “ Care, Capacity , Compassion” : This is pilot program via online platform to reach corporate entities in an effort to develop awareness and education related to roots of sexual exploitation and guidance about how we can all respond with genuine care, increased capacity to respond from day to day and in the moment, and extending greater compassion through action to support marginalized people.
- Creating a core internal salaried administration group with a Finance Administrator, Project Manager, Project Administrator, Grant Writer, Governance/Social Enterprise Developer. This group will help to establish stability to the continuous growth we have experienced in Clan Mothers Turtle Lodge Inc and Clan Mothers Earth Enterprises Inc.
- Establishing an expanded Board of Directors, along with clarity of mission and vision in response to our goals, agency, efficacy and pathway to change.
- Authorizing the initiation of 4 studies: Legal Survey, Well/Drilling Investigation, Geo-thermal well test, and Geo technical study. This is getting us closer to ‘shovels in the ground’ !
- Meeting with Minister of Families, Rochelle Squires, and Minister of Health and Seniors Care, Heather Stefanson to maintain an ongoing relationship
- Developing a thorough fundraising plan for the Capital Campaign
- A process for greater transparency and consistency in communication with allies, funders and community
- Updating our official website, including current materials and content
- Expanding our social media outreach
- Continuously researching and responding to funding opportunities through grants
- exploring potential partnerships that will increase our potential in social enterprise
A re-cap of projects that we have proudly completed and continue to nurture are:
- 3 National Gatherings with lived experienced women and allies (Winnipeg, Kelowna, Thunder Bay)
- Publishing and distributing Clan Mothers Healing Village Corporate Profile
- Publishing and distributing Clan Mothers Healing Village Strategic Overview
- Development of policies and procedures manual
- Production and October 2020 launch of the online documentary: experientialvoices.ca
- Healing Program developed and documented; final version in progress
- Governance Model for the healing village: “Kimanitominowochi” is developed and documented
- Sacred Subscriptions (pilot project for Social Enterprise: interrupted by covid)
- Street Reach program for youth (interrupted by covid)
We have been busy and continue to work diligently toward our vision and mission to create an Indigenous model of healing and education based on the matrilineal values and principles of our original self-governance systems.
If you have any questions about our work and ongoing projects, please feel free to contact Jamie Goulet (jamie@clanmothersvillage.org) or Val Monk (val@clanmothersvillage.org).
We’d be happy to share more details with you.
Thank you so much for your ongoing support.