Wîcihitowin Indigenous Engagement Conference

Wîcihitowin is Cree/Saulteaux term for “helping each other” or “working together”, which is an important component of delivering enhanced programs and services within an organization, government or community setting.

Now in its fifth year, the Wîcihitowin Indigenous Engagement Conference is commemorating the children that never made it home and is paying respect to the survivors of the Indian residential schools, Indian day schools, missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and the sixties scoop, by recognizing that they were, and continue to be, seeds for change. Nationally respected, the late Elder Walter Linklater shared many universal teachings that continue to help guide people on a path to reconciliation. To honour him, his teaching of ‘being a good person and trying to live a good life’ inspires the theme of this year’s conference.

The conference will focus on:

• Supporting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action by working towards respectful Indigenous engagement and inclusion in community settings.
• Highlighting the work and experiences of survivors, Indigenous leaders, educators, community members, and youth, as they related to the TRC’s Calls to Action.
• Honouring the survivors of the residential school system and sixties scoop.
• Focusing on issues concerning Indigenous engagement and human service delivery issues relevant to Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants.
• Providing organizations, levels of government and businesses with an opportunity to learn about inclusive representation of Indigenous people as employees, volunteers and decision-makers.