Opportunities – April 2018

It’s April and there’s no better time to come check out what is happening with AYO! (Aboriginal Youth Opportunities). Find below opportunities that Indigenous young people and community members are invited to attend. Please see the corresponding Facebook Page or website link for more details.

Inner City Voices: You can hear the ICV crew on the air 3 times this month! This is a weekly radio show where you get to hear about some inner city events and activities and music and people. We are Mondays on CKUW 95.9fm on the following dates

• April 9 – Inner City Voices, 5-6pm
• April 23 – Inner City Voices, 5-6pm
• April 30 – special episode of ROGUE VOICES,  our semi-regular collaboration with the rogue primates of CKUW!

---

Speak Cree?: Speak Cree is a weekly inter-generational conversational group that hopes to revitalize the Cree language right here in the city of Winnipeg. We meet Tuesdays from 6:30-8:00pm at Ralph Brown Community Centre, 460 Andrews. Check out our below poster and feel free to share with anyone interested in learning the language! Happening April 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th

---

Fearless R2W: Manitoba Child Welfare Education and Advocacy group meets every Wednesday at 6pm at Turtle Island Neighbourhood Centre at 510 King Street. Find below the topics of the learning circles for April

• April 4th: Manitoba Human Rights Commission
• April 11th: Designated Intake Agencies
• April 18th: David Livingstone Community School
• April 25th: Voices – Manitoba’s Youth In Care Network

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

---

Meet Me at the Bell Tower: Anti Violence and community building rally, open to inner city residents and anyone else!! Young people are encouraged to share their ideas on how we can address the challenges we face as a community with the rest of the village as their back up. Find below the themes or each Friday in April (its always at 6pm, and always at 470 Selkirk Ave):

• April 6: The Artists’ Bell Tower
• April 13: Share Your Culture
• April 20: Honouring Our Elders
• April 27: Bell Tower Pipe Ceremony

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

---

AYO Politix – Saturdays at noon! The only planned Brain Storm we have is the YOUTH ENGAGEMENT BRAIN STORM that is happening Saturday April 7th at Boogies Restaurant at 1155 Main Street at 12 noon. Hope to see you there!

---

Midnight Medicine Walk – Thunder Bay: On Friday April 27th at 10pm at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario! We will be joining our relatives from the Student Enterprise 2nd year class and residents of the community in smudging along the river of tears. Check out the FB event HERE for up to date info about the route and the official poster!

---

Grand Opening of Merchant’s Corner: On April 28th at 11:30am the Merchant’s Corner is having it’s Grand Opening! If you have ever wanted to be a part of what is happening with the revitalization of that former bar/hotel that has transformed into an educational and community hub (with a cafe coming soon). Check out the Merchant’s Corner website for more info!

---

Ottawa Fam: We have to give props to the Assembly of 7 Generations and the team in Ottawa, ON who began meeting weekly a month ago and are continuing to build community and celebrate First Nations and Metis culture! Follow their Twitter account here!

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Opportunities – March 2018

Do you want to get involved with the AYO team in Winnipeg? Take out your calendar and circle these dates!

Inner City Voices (radio show): bi-weekly, hour long radio program featuring a panel of real people sharing real stories, discussing real topics and celebrating real music. Listen to old episodes of the show by clocking  HERE.
Monday March 12, 5-6pm on CKUW 95.9fm
Monday March 26, 5-6pm on CKUW 95.9fm

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Speak Cree? (free community language nest): this weekly community space invites Cree/Inninew speakers of all dialects, ages and experience levels to learn and share the language!
Tuesdays: March 6, March 13, March 20 & March 27 @ 6:30pm
@ Ralph Brown Community Centre – 460 Andrews St

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Fearless R2W (Child welfare education & advocacy group): We meet weekly and invite parents and community helpers to come build their networks and system literacy.
Wednesdays @ 6:00pm @ Turtle Island Neighbourhood Centre
March 7 – Learning Circle with Winnipeg Boldness Project
March 14 – Advocacy & Crafts
March 21 – Topic To Be Determined….
March 28 – Sharing Circle

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Meet Me at the Bell Tower (anti-violence, community building gathering): weekly event for families and youth to encourage healthy living. We also connect members of the community with relevant supports in creative ways.
Fridays @ 6:00pm @ 470 Selkirk – Indigenous Family Centre
March 9 – Restoring Justice
March 16 – Food As Resistance
March 23 / March 30 – Topics To Be Determined….

AYO Politix (system literacy, self directed learning for Indigenous youth): We meet in local businesses to brain storm topics and plan solutions and actions to support our community and AYO initiatives.
Mental Wellness Brain Storm, Saturday March 17 @ 12:00pm
Newcastle Restaurant – 1010 Main Street 

Midnight Medicine Walk (cultural walk for those being sexually exploited on the streets): In response to the recent verdicts relating to Tina Fontaine and injustices across the country we will be meeting at
March 19 @ 11:45pm on Alexander & Waterfront

AYO To Celebrate 8th Birthday: Nothing has been planned yet, but keep your eyes posted to the page or surprise AYO team members with birthday gifts all month!

 

January 2018 Opportunities

 

We’re halfway through January, but it’s not too late to get involved with AYO! in 2018! Check out these opportunities for urban Indigenous youth and community members this month with Fearless R2W, Canadian Roots Exchange Youth Reconciliation Initiative, AYO Politix, Meet Me at the Bell Tower and Inner City Voices!

The Canadian Roots Exchange National Story Blanket Tour – Winnipeg Stop
Jan. 16 – Jan 18
EVENT: Jan 17 / 6-9pm
Canadian Museum for Human Rights – 85 Israel Asper Way

Join the Winnipeg Youth Reconciliation Initiative Team as they welcome the NATIONAL STORY BLANKET to Winnipeg at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights! Stories from youth leaders from across Canada of reconciliation, community and solidarity! There will also be an activity Wed January 17th from 6-9pm at the museum!

Fearless R2W Mental Health Supports
Thursday, January 18 at 6 PM – 8 PM
Turtle Island Community Centre – 510 King Street

Join the Fearless R2W team as we learn from the WRHA about what types of mental health supports we have available in the city!

Bell Tower Pipe Ceremony
Friday, January 19 at 6 PM – 8 PM
470 Selkirk Ave

Join us as we sit together in ceremony to pray for a good year with the bell tower family and the whole village! Ninoondawah Richard will be smoking his pipe, but all pipe carriers and drummers are welcome to come sit with us!!

The Culture Brain Storm
Saturday, January 20 at 12 PM – 1:30 PM
Newcastle Restaurant -1010 Main Street

Urban Indigenous young people are invited to come sit with the AYO leaders and discuss our CULTURE initiatives! We will also welcome any knowledge keepers to share their idea with us on how we can approach reclaiming this important part of our identity as First Nations, Metis and Inuit young people!

What type of cultural opportunities would you like to see? Ceremonies? Language? Elder/Youth activities?

We’ll also discuss the AYO culture initiatives:
– Youth Pipe Ceremonies
– BYOD – Bring Your Own Drum
– Midnight Medicine Walk
– AYO Language (Cree/Ojibwe)

**This is our first time going to Newcastle at 1010 Main Street, come on down and support a local North End restaurant**

2nd Inner City Voices Show of 2018
Monday, January 22 at 5 PM – 6 PM
CKUW Radio 95.9fm – 515 Portage Ave

New music, guests, and interviews on inner city topics that matter to you! Monday at 5pm on CKUW Radio 95.9fm in Winnipeg! Post in the event shout outs or events you want us to share on air
Listen to CKUW online here: www.CKUW.ca/listen

Fearless R2W Sharing Circle
Thursday, January 25 at 6 PM – 8 PM
Turtle Island Community Centre – 510 King Street

Monthly sharing circle, come share with us!

Mental Health Bell Tower #BellLetsTalk
Friday, January 26 at 6 PM – 8 PM
470 Selkirk

This week we discuss Mental Health and also encourage those in attendance to take action in various ways: Participating in the #BellLetsTalk Day Jan 31,2018; supporting one of the BLT Winnipeg organizations; Do one of the 5 simple ways as discussed by bell; or Access supports with the WRHA. We will also have guest speakers Andi Sharma and Shania Pruden in attendance to share their stories with us! What other ways can we share to help people improve their mental wellness? You’re invited to join us and record a message of HOPE we can share via Video on the MM@BT Facebook page!

Rogue Voices (Inner City Voices)
Monday, January 29 at 5 PM – 6 PM
CKUW Radio 95.9fm – 515 Portage Ave

Sometimes in 2018, there’s a 5th Monday in a month….and on those Mondays we bring you ROGUE VOICES!! Rogue Voices is an hour long episode from 5-6pm combining Inner City Voices and Rogue Primate shows together focusing on topics of ecological importance and how they can relate to inner city living. Tune in to CKUW Radio 95.9fm for this special collaboration! Guests will be announced, but we can reveal one of the voices we’ll be hearing from is Audrey Logan, a local knowledge keeper! 

Fearless R2W Page Added to AYO Website

We have added a new page to the AYO website! We have been hard at work over the last few months trying to regroup the way we organize our website and are going to be sharing the updates with all of you.

Fearless R2W is the initiative that we are working on to empower parents and families in the North End of Winnipeg who are working with the child and family services system.

Click here to visit the site!