TĀPĀKŌMITOWIN
Adopting as Kin
The Objectives of the Tāpākōmitowin Program are:
-
Indigenous children, youth and adults will not only like who they see when they look in the mirror, but ultimately love themselves as an Indigenous person
-
Indigenous people will begin to learn and embrace their Indigeneity by engaging and participating in cultural teachings, workshops, ceremonies, and events.
-
Mentorship relationships will encourage and support Indigenous people as they seek out their cultural identity in a culturally safe process.
-
Indigenous children, youth, and families will begin to heal from the intergenerational trauma of colonization as they engage in conversations about building a relationship with Creator.
-
Indigenous families will begin to heal as they grow together in new ways and as they come together in culturally safe spaces, learning what it means to be family and how to be a family in a good way.
The cultural family gathering will focus on four important criteria:
-
Culture and Language Revitalization: This cultural gathering is like our cultural recharging station. Being able to hang out, share stories, and participate in activities that will restore cultural traditions and language. Elders/Knowledge Keepers play a pivotal role, in sharing ancestral wisdom and guiding participants in the intricacies of language revitalization. This gathering will foster a sense of unity, pride, and intergenerational transmission of cultural knowledge, ensuring a lasting legacy for the
community. -
Healing and Reconciliation for Communities and Families: At this cultural gathering, the emphasis will go beyond language and traditions; it’s a place where deep connections will be made, fostering meaningful relationships as we build community out on the land, strengthening our cultural bonds. It’ll be a time for healing from intergenerational trauma and restoring what was denied to us due to colonial policies and the residential schools. For the non-Indigenous participants, it will be an opportunity to reconcile the past and learn how to be an ally.
-
Dialogues involving Indigenous elders, spiritual leaders, and youth with a focus on Indigenous spirituality and culture: This cultural gathering will provide an opportunity where the generational flow of learning will thrive, with the Elders/Knowledge Keepers passing down ancestral knowledge, wisdom to younger members, ensuring that traditions, wisdom and language is shared through engaging activities and shared experiences.
-
Education and Community Building: This cultural gathering will uniquely integrate land-based learning where participants connect with their cultural heritage through hands-on experiences in nature, fostering a profound understanding of Mother Earth and how everything is interconnected and impacts traditional practices. This is a shared learning for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants. For non-Indigenous participants, they will be provided an opportunity to learn what it means to be in right relationship with Indigenous people.
Revitalizing the values and teachings of what it means to love one another, not only as a family but a community.
