Peguis First Nation hosted another in a long line of annual Mino Pima-tis-i-win Youth Conference at the Birchwood Inn in Winnipeg on May 21-22, 2024.
The Mino Pima-tis-i-win conference brings Peguis youth and from other northern Manitoba First Nation schools together in Winnipeg for a multi-day event focused on healthy living, wellness, and the long-term impacts of drugs and alcohol.
Loud Eagle Singers at the conference.
The conference held May 21-22 at the Birchwood Inn on Portage Avenue drew many students from Peguis school and partner communities. The event combined motivational speakers, workshops, entertainment, and cultural activities aimed at encouraging youth to make positive choices while strengthening their sense of community and identity.
Organizers said the goal of the gathering was not simply to lecture students about addiction, but to create an atmosphere where young people felt welcomed, included, and empowered.
Peguis Central School Principal Nelson Mason said the conference is something that is a reward of sorts for students to attend in Winnipeg. He’s been the principal for the last three years, planning on coming back next year and living in Fisher River First Nation, his home community.
“Our kids get an opportunity to meet other students from different areas, First Nations and different zones,” said Mason. “We have 59 students from Peguis First Nation from grades 6 to 12.”
He also mentioned that in addition to cultural components and entertainment that students also get to take workshops in areas where youth have issues to deal with from addictions to health and identity.
For Mason, the importance of connecting with students remains a powerful goal.
“I don’t wear a suit and tie. And everyday, I am there to greet the students as they get off the bus,” said Mason.
The conference volunteers were credited throughout the event for coordinating activities and ensuring students remained engaged throughout the two-day gathering.
Dr. Onowa McIvor is a maskiko-nehinaw (Swampy Cree) and Scottish-Canadian scholar whose vital work focuses on the preservation and revival of Indigenous languages in Canada.
She leads the national NEȾOLṈEW̱ Research Partnership, the first large-scale, Indigenous-led project in Canada focused on understanding and supporting adult Indigenous language learning.
Though not at the conference, a lot of her ideas and research relate to what the conference achieves.
For example, a lot of Indigenous education research stresses that language is not just communication — it carries worldview, values, relational systems, humor, ethics, and concepts of land/community.
Researchers consistently find that culturally grounded education strengthens identity and belonging. That matters because students who feel invisible or stereotyped often disengage from school psychologically long before they leave physically.
Entertainment and cultural activities also played a major role in the conference atmosphere, including live performances during the gala portion of the event.
Daniel Stevenson, spokesperson for Loud Eagle Singers – a drum group, said “We were born into this and this is all we know. We’re singing and taking care of the Grand Entry, Honour Songs and the Naming Ceremony.”
The conference also played host to a Gala Banquet on the second evening of the gathering.
Presenters and entertainers included Tia Wood, Sherry McKay, Bernie and Shelley McCorrister, YK The Mayor, Ally’s Ribbons, Floyd and Faylene Sutherland, Warren Stevenson, United Thunder Dancers, Natasha Fisher, Loud Eagle Singers, Katina Cochrane and Shayna Spence, Vanessa Cook, and others.
Natasha Fisher performed at the conference, left. Her promo pic on the right and she wishes that you find her on social media.
Conference organizers expressed hope that future gatherings can continue expanding and involve even more schools and students in the years ahead.
Mason said time was also given students at the end of the conference so they could take some time and do some shopping while in Winnipeg.
Paid by Peguis School Board
