Well it’s been a while since my last blog post and a lot has been going on in my life. Some great things and not so great things.

Not so great things? I haven’t been able to go to the gym as much as I would like to. I need to change that. I can feel it in my body and mental state that it is affecting me. I feel depressed when I don’t eat healthy or exercise as much. So I just need to change that and commit to it. I started to make a “goal-setting” book. In it, I have cut outs from magazines of healthy recipes and tips for eating healthy. I just started it so hopefully it will be something that reminds me. The thing that really gets in my way is that I don’t have a set schedule anymore (like while I am in school or doing a regular job).

This leads me into the great things! I had the opportunity to sit down with someone I look up to and admire (including the work that her organization does). That person is Jessica Danforth! She is pretty amazing and does a lot of amazing work with Indigenous youth and women. Her organization is the Native Youth Sexual Health Organization and I did a little bit of transcribing for one of her projects with Metis Women/Youth. I don’t know much about Metis culture/practices but I did learn a lot about sexual health and environmental/land justice. So it definitely was something that I enjoyed doing for them.

Then during last month, I had the opportunity to put on a 2 day workshop on fighting stigma in the post-secondary classroom on campus! This project was funded by the Native Youth Sexual Health Network and Girls Action Foundation (big thanks to both organizations). This project was really fun and something that I enjoyed doing. I had an event planning business in high school that won 2 awards (one regional and one national). My experience in planning events really helped with this project. During the first day, the power went out in the main building! I thought “Oh, no! Of all things that had to happen, this just occurred!” I panicked a bit but the participants and speakers were both really awesome–they helped move the workshop outside and we had a little picnic under the sun. One of the speakers, Amanda Aikens, sang and drummed for the participants which was really beautiful. Then by the afternoon, when are our room was ready, we all moved inside for more food, and games with another awesome speaker–Cortney Aikens! She spoke on LGTB2QQIAA issues. What was really cool about this workshop is that I geared it toward undergraduate students on campus but a graduate student and several non-students also attended! There were lots of stories shared and great discussions that happened.  The second and last day went by with a breeze and less impromptu events! The speaker, Andrew Judge, was really awesome! He had shared some great stories and pictures with us. It was really an honor to have all 3 speakers there and the awesomeness of the participants.

In addition to all of this, I am going to an interview for the board-member position at Dale Brain Injury Association tomorrow! I am able to receive this opportunity because of a pretty-rad organization here in London ON called “Emerging Leaders.” This organization held an event back (I think) in April where the Emerging Leader members could meet other board members from other organizations here in London. I was super excited that Dale Brain Injury Association was there because I am a brain injury survivor myself. Today, I still volunteer with the Ontario Brain Injury Association (I have been volunteering on and off with this organization a year after my accident–which is almost 10 years now)!

I have also been able to attend some events in Toronto for the Aboriginal Peoples Commission and will be looking forward to the coming month with them! I will also be attending my first Assembly of First Nations Annual General Assembly! I am super excited for all the things that have happened or has been happening in my life since school is now over. Come to think of it all, I don’t think I would have been able to do all this awesome stuff if I didn’t lose my job 😉

I am hoping to be blogging more especially about recent news articles and the upcoming events!