Gwekwaadziwin Miikan

Gwekwaadziwin Miikan

by Gwekwaadziwin Miikan
Mental HealthWilderness
Season 3
Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin: Season 3, Episode 6 - Lisa Osawamick
Season 3, Episode 6: Lisa Osawamick – Healing, Purpose, and Living Mino Bimaadiziwin In this episode of Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin, Sam and Matt sit down with Lisa Osawamick—therapist, educator, author, and founder of Zhaagwadwin Counselling and Consulting—for an inspiring conversation about healing, resilience, and finding purpose through life's challenges. Lisa shares her remarkable journey from growing up in Toronto and Sudbury to reconnecting with her home community of Wiikwemkoong. Along the way, she reflects on being raised by a strong single mother, becoming a single parent herself, navigating personal struggles, achieving 25 years of sobriety, and earning her master's degree while raising five children. Through every chapter of her life, Lisa has remained committed to her own healing while dedicating herself to helping others. Together, they explore the importance of self-reflection, ceremony, education, and connection to culture in the helping profession. Lisa speaks candidly about the value of doing your own healing as a helper, the role of land-based practices in wellness, supporting youth and families, and why building meaningful relationships is at the heart of community care. The conversation also highlights the importance of Indigenous identity, mentorship, and creating opportunities for the next generation to thrive. Lisa shares powerful insights into private practice, community leadership, and the teachings that continue to guide her work, including the Anishinaabe concept of Mino Bimaadiziwin—living a good life through balance, purpose, and connection. Whether you're a helper, educator, student, parent, or someone on your own healing journey, this episode is a powerful reminder that healing is lifelong, growth is always possible, and each of us has the ability to bring light into the lives of others.
S3 · E6
Jul 7, 2026
58:48
Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin: Season 3, Episode 5 - Anne Marie Thibault & Stephanie Corbiere
In this episode of Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin, Sam and Matt sit down with Anne Marie Thibault, Clinical Director at Gwekwaadziwin Miikan, and Stephanie Corbiere, Team Lead for Withdrawal Management and Harm Reduction, to explore the growth of one of Manitoulin Island's most important new health services. Together, they share their personal journeys into the helping profession, the evolution of Gwekwaadziwin Miikan over the past eight years, and how a small weekend withdrawal management pilot has grown into a 24/7, year-round program providing culturally grounded support for individuals on their recovery journey. The conversation explores what withdrawal management and harm reduction really mean, addresses common misconceptions about addiction and recovery, and highlights how compassion, dignity, culture, and connection to the land are integrated into every aspect of care. Anne Marie and Stephanie also discuss the importance of meeting people where they are, supporting families, reducing stigma, and creating a continuum of services that extends from withdrawal management through treatment, housing, and long-term aftercare. Listeners will also hear about the innovative approaches being developed at Gwekwaadziwin Miikan, including culturally responsive programming, housing and recovery supports, community partnerships, and the organization's vision for expanding services to meet the growing needs of Indigenous communities. Whether you're interested in addictions services, Indigenous models of healing, mental health, or community wellness, this episode offers an honest and inspiring look at the people and programs working to create hope, healing, and lasting change across Manitoulin Island and beyond.
S3 · E5
Jun 30, 2026
1:07:06
Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin: Season 3, Episode 4 - Graham McWaters
Season 3, Episode 4: Graham McWaters – Hockey, Community, and Creating Opportunities In this episode of Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin, Sam and Matt sit down with Graham McWaters, founder of the Indigenous Hockey Equipment Drive, to discuss the power of sport, community, and creating opportunities for Indigenous youth across Canada. Over the past 11 years, Graham has helped collect and distribute more than 6,000 bags of hockey equipment, 10,000 hockey sticks, and hundreds of sets of goalie gear to Indigenous communities from coast to coast. What began as a simple effort to help one community has grown into a national initiative that continues to remove barriers and create opportunities for youth to participate in sport. Together, they explore the impact of hockey on mental health and wellness, the importance of mentorship and community support, the challenges families face in accessing sport, and the countless stories of young people whose lives have been changed through participation in hockey. The conversation also highlights the role of partnerships, volunteerism, and reconciliation in action, while reflecting on how sport can build confidence, connection, resilience, and hope. Whether you're a hockey fan, community leader, parent, coach, or someone interested in creating positive change, this episode is an inspiring reminder of what can happen when people come together to support the next generation. To learn more about the Indigenous Hockey Equipment Drive, make a donation, or register for the annual fundraising golf tournament, visit: Indigenous Hockey Equipment Drive https://www.theiropportunity.com/indigenoushockeyequipmentdrive
S3 · E4
Jun 23, 2026
1:02:02
Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin: Season 3, Episode 3 - Dr. Sharlene Webkamigad
Season 3, Episode 3: Dr. Sharlene Webkamigad – Indigenous Health, Identity, and Returning to Our Own Ways of Knowing In this episode of Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin, Sam and Matt sit down with Dr. Sharlene Webkamigad, Anishinaabekwe from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, nurse, educator, researcher, and community advocate. Sharlene shares her journey from growing up on Manitoulin Island to becoming a registered nurse, researcher, and professor. Drawing on her experiences in health care, academia, community-based research, and Anishinaabe teachings, she reflects on identity, belonging, Indigenous knowledge systems, and the importance of creating health and wellness approaches that are grounded in community. Together, they explore Indigenous health, cultural safety, community-led research, traditional foods and medicines, access to care, the impacts of colonization on health systems, and the importance of remembering who we are and where we come from. The conversation also highlights the role of family, culture, ceremony, language, and land in supporting wellness and healing. This thoughtful and inspiring discussion offers listeners an opportunity to reflect on what it means to bring your whole self to the work you do while helping shape a future rooted in Indigenous knowledge, self-determination, and community well-being. To learn more about Dr. Sharlene Webkamigad and her current projects, visit: Dr. Sharlene Webkamigad – Laurentian University Faculty Profile
S3 · E3
Jun 16, 2026
1:02:32
Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin: Season 3, Episode 2 - Taylor Sayers
Season 3, Episode 2: Taylor Sayers – Community, Culture, and Indigenous Policing In this episode of Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin, Sam and Matt sit down with Taylor Sayers, Director of Corporate Services for UCCM Anishinaabe Police Service, to discuss the evolving role of Indigenous policing and community safety. Taylor shares her journey into policing leadership and offers insight into what culturally responsive policing looks like in First Nations communities. The conversation explores community trust, proactive approaches to wellness and safety, innovative programs such as the Social Navigator initiative, employee wellness, youth engagement, and the importance of Indigenous leadership in shaping the future of policing. This episode highlights how Indigenous policing extends beyond enforcement and focuses on relationships, prevention, collaboration, and community well-being. To learn more about UCCM Anishinaabe Police Service, visit: https://uccmpolice.com/
S3 · E2
Jun 9, 2026
59:24
Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin: Season 3, Episode 1 - Paul Francis
In this episode of Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin, Sam and Matt sit down with Paul Francis to discuss Indigenous health leadership, traditional healing, and the future of reconciliation within Ontario’s health care system. Paul shares his journey from his Manitoulin and Thunder Bay roots to leadership roles in social work, education, mental health, addictions, and health care. Drawing on his experience at St. Joseph’s Care Group and his current work with the Ontario Hospital Association, he reflects on the importance of Indigenous-led approaches, cultural safety, and creating meaningful change within large institutions. Together, they explore the role of traditional healing alongside Western medicine, the importance of Indigenous representation in leadership, the ongoing impacts of residential schools and Indian hospitals, and what it takes to build health systems that are truly responsive to Indigenous communities. The conversation also touches on youth leadership, sports and wellness, mentorship, and the importance of staying connected to culture, community, and spirit. This episode offers an honest and thoughtful discussion about healing, health care, and the opportunities that exist when organizations commit to reconciliation as an ongoing relationship rather than a destination. To learn more about the Ontario Hospital Association and its work supporting Ontario's hospitals and health systems, visit: www.oha.com
S3 · E1
Jun 2, 2026
1:01:42
Season 2
Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin: Season 2, Episode 10 - Andy Aguonie
In this Season 2 finale of Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin, we share a wide-ranging and deeply grounded conversation with Andy Aguonie, Traditional Knowledge Carrier at Gwekwaadziwin Miikan, former Chief of Sheguiandah First Nation, land-based counsellor, and a lifelong man connected to the land. Andy reflects on growing up on Manitoulin Island, the pull of home, and the teachings that shaped his journey — from leadership and governance to healing, ceremony, harvesting, and time spent alone on the land. He speaks openly about community change, the responsibilities of leadership, and why real healing can’t be programmed, only chosen. Throughout the conversation, Andy returns to core teachings: planting seeds, trusting natural law, carrying knowledge rather than keeping it, and the lifelong work of becoming who you’re meant to be. From traplines and moose hunts to emotional intelligence, humility, and hope, this episode closes Season 2 with a powerful reminder that healing lives in relationship — with land, with people, and with ourselves.
S2 · E10
Dec 30, 2025
1:00:08
Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin: Season 2, Episode 9 - Reggie Leach
In this powerful episode of Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin, we sit down with Reggie Leach, Ojibwe from Berens River First Nation in Manitoba — Stanley Cup champion, NHL legend known as the “Riverton Rifle,” and one of the first Indigenous superstars in professional hockey. Reggie shares his journey from growing up in Riverton, Manitoba — learning the game on outdoor ice and practicing in the dark — to stepping into NHL dressing rooms alongside some of the greatest players in the world. But this conversation goes far beyond hockey. With honesty and humility, Reggie reflects on identity, racism, pressure, and what it was like entering the NHL at a time when there were no orientation programs, no mental health supports, and a culture where alcohol was everywhere. He speaks openly about his struggles with addiction, the moment he chose life, and the support systems that helped him walk the path of recovery — a journey he’s been on for nearly four decades. Now an Elder, speaker, and advocate, Reggie talks about finding belonging later in life, reconnecting with culture, and why listening to youth — truly listening — is one of the most important responsibilities we have as communities. This is a conversation about truth, resilience, healing, and what it really means to live a good life.
S2 · E9
Dec 23, 2025
1:09:26
Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin: Season 2, Episode 8 - Kathryn Corbiere
In this episode of Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin, we sit down with Kathryn Corbiere — welder, artist, fabricator, and proud Anishinaabe-kwe from M’Chigeeng First Nation. Kathryn shares her journey from growing up on Manitoulin Island, through sports and the trades, to becoming a full-time artist creating large-scale public installations across Ontario — including nationally recognized work. We explore how land, community, and culture shape her creative process, and how welding became both a trade and a form of artistic expression. This conversation dives into what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated field, the importance of trying different paths to find your own, and why Indigenous artists don’t have to fit into a single category to be authentic. Kathryn also reflects on mentorship, wellness, staying grounded in the work, and creating art that lives in public spaces for generations. A powerful and honest conversation about creativity, resilience, and trusting your hands — rooted in land, identity, and lived experience.
S2 · E8
Dec 16, 2025
1:01:24
Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin: Season 2, Episode 7 - Corey McDonald
In this episode of Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin, we sit down with Corey MacDonald, Land-Based Lead Facilitator with Noojmowin Teg. Corey shares his journey growing up on Manitoulin, leaving home to explore the world — including a memorable season working as an au pair in Switzerland — and eventually returning to the Island with a renewed connection to hiking, harvesting, and land-based living. We talk about learning food systems through experience rather than theory, his transition from vegetarian ethics into hunting and harvesting, and the teachings that come with taking a life, preparing meat, and feeding community. Corey reflects on buck fever, breaking down his first deer, trapline stories, beaver tail experiments, and teaching youth through hands-on land-based programming — from Nerf-gun deer targets to full deer breakdowns in the classroom. Throughout the conversation, we return to the teaching of gwekwaadziwin — honesty. Honesty with ourselves, with the land, and with those we teach.
S2 · E7
Dec 9, 2025
1:01:10
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