An unwrongable Bison Burger!

Ok, so you cannot come to Canada without tasting a bison burger!

Mmmmmmmm..... it is unwrongable!

The Saskatchewan Roughriders

The Saskatchewan Roughriders is the local rugby team in the Canadian Football League. Whilst in Regina we made sure to soak up the atmosphere in the last game of the year! Gooooooooooo 'Riders!!!

After the game the players posed for fan photos!

The Circle Project

Our visit to the Circle Project was delightful - and we even made their website!

Here is their News story:

On Friday, October 23, 2015, Circle Project was thrilled to have five Australian nursing exchange students and their instructor join us and experience who we are and what we do at the Circle Project. The students were given a tour of Circle Project’s Infant and Toddler Centre, Children’s Centre and our main office the “Big Circle.” The nursing students learned a little bit about each centre—and we made new friends.

At the Infant & Toddler Centre, students were able to experience the calm and nurturing atmosphere, ask questions, and make comparisons between childcare and early childcare education in Australia and Canada.

At the Children’s Centre, students got a full tour of the centre and were surprised to hear our Children’s Centre is made of straw bales (enclosed in walls of course!). They had the chance to learn about the inclusive and holistic environment at the Children’s Centre and, in particular, the new “Marvelous Me” school age literacy program staff created for school aged children who are falling behind in reading and writing.

The last stop was Big Circle where students learned all about the programs and services offered at the Circle Project. They had the opportunity to interact with both program and administrative staff to learn more about “how it all works together.” They also learned about the how the medicine wheel and its teachings are incorporated into all our programs and services at the Circle Project and how, through holistic healing practices, we encourage people to help themselves.

At the end of the tour, staff and our visitors gathered, and each student and their instructor was gifted with a hand-beaded Circle Project key chain made by a staff member. The instructor accepted a piece of artwork, painted by a former Circle Project program participant, to take back to Australia. We then shared stories, experiences, and bannock! What a wonderful afternoon we shared, learning about how much we are the same and also how different we are!

At the “Big Circle” we love having visitors to our “home.” We were humbled by being invited to host these special guests and thrilled to make new friends from so far away.

(http://www.circleproject.ca/cp2015/australian-nursing-students-visit-circle-project/)


Here are some pictures from the day:

Love that their kids centre is built out of straw and clay - look at those thick walls!

The famous chilli challenge - go Circle Project!!!

The Circle Project is a registered not-for-profit charity supported by the City of Regina, Regina United Way, Provincial Departments, Service Clubs, and the community at large.

Since its beginning in 1988, the Circle Project has engaged and worked with the Aboriginal community, helping individuals and families reach their full potential. Individuals and families are given access to a broad range of programs and services delivered in a community setting by the Circle Project, an Aboriginal organization, so that they may enjoy the benefits that are a natural outcome of education, employment, and firm attachment to the economy.

With Saskatchewan leading the country in family violence, our interest is also in helping individuals who are at risk of detachment from the economy as a result of lifestyle or relationship issues or family violence. We have begun the work of identifying and responding to the risks that lead to economic detachment by individuals and families. We plan to continue working in this area because reattachment to the economy is more difficult to achieve and brings with it a whole different set of complex challenges for individuals and the community.

Groceries and Flu Shots!

We went shopping - and check out what is located in the middle of the shopping centre - a flu vaccination station! Very practical in the battle of the winter flu - and it is FREE! Well done, Canada.

Also, look what I found...Poppers! Jalapeño and cheddar cheese goodness - love them and cannot find in Australia a-n-y-w-h-e-r-e!

To top off a long day...Burger King. With crowns and all (oh, the joy of travelling with young and boundless energy) - this is what happens when you combine one piece of selfie-stick and one piece of Alex...

Cheerio!

Native Health Services

Receiving health care in a hospital can be a stressful experience for anyone. It is even harder if you are not from the majority culture, speak a language other than English and have different beliefs about how to deal with your personal well-being. These are difficulties that can be faced by Native patients requiring hospital care.

Using the wellness model, Native Health Services assists clients in finding and maintaining a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. Responding to clients with an awareness of cultural and spiritual diversity, Native Health Services provides an alternative for clients seeking traditional Aboriginal approaches to health care.

Counselling services are designed to reflect the importance of nature, spirituality, prayer and the circle. They speak to the four primary points of the medicine circle - physical, mental, spiritual and emotional. They promote the traditional, humble way of life. Elder Harry, who welcomed us so warmly, plays a key role in counselling on lifestyle management.

As First Nation and Métis people, they themselves have the right to control own health in regards to matters that are important to communities, cultures, identities, traditions, and languages.

They will achieve success through the strength of the people, with respectful and honest partnerships and by taking personal responsibility for own health.

The four guiding values are:

Respect will guide relationships, decisions, and actions.

Humility is the quality that permits us to go more than halfway to help others. 

Honesty is to proceed in a manner where responsibility and change go hand in hand.

Compassion is our caring approach to people, families, and communities.

Also Elders are the foundation of culture and are the teachers of traditional knowledge. They are the link with past, present and future. They are spiritual leaders and teachers and have the wisdom and experience to provide down to earth guidance and advice on how best to improve and ensure the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health of all communities.

They also work to increase cultural awareness and provide practical holistic knowledge to staff working in the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region. We had the opportunity to spend a day at Native Health Services - enjoying the company of, and receiving teachings of Rick Kotowich, Elder Harry Francis and George Favel.

Notice the building is round - according to Aboriginal traditions there are no corners and so there is nowhere to hide and we can all be open and share. 

This is the healing room.

We were invited to take part in a smudging ceremony with the Elders. The smudging ceremony is a purification ceremony. Any one of the four sacred medicines can be used. Sometimes all of the sacred medicines are used. The most common one is mshkwadewashk, otherwise known as sage in English.

The burning of various medicine plants to make a smudge or cleansing smoke is used by the majority of Native North American peoples. It is a ritual cleansing. As the smoke rises, our prayers rise to the Spirit World where the Grandfathers and our Creator reside. Negative energy, feelings, and emotions are lifted away. 

Glasses and rings can interfere or block energies and must be taken off.

Generosity and sharing meals is an important part of Aboriginal peoples’ cultures. To honor these traditions First Nations Peoples usually share soup (meat and vegetable) & bannock (like polar bread) with guests. Rick's sister had generously cooked and we all shared a feast.

Typical Prairie food!

Notice the star blankets in the background. The meaning of the blanket is a complicated story. To give a blanket is to demonstrate great respect, honor and admiration for an individual. When receiving a blanket as a gift, the giver holds the individual in very high respects for their generosity and accomplishments. It is believed that receiving a blanket will bring good dreams and prosperity.

When a blanket is placed on an individual, it is like wrapping the respect and admiration of everyone in the community around them physically and spiritually. Blankets are meant to be “circular” or wrapped around a person so that no square edges or corners. Just fluid lines of color and texture, which convey a sense of motion. They feature frequently in this region and they are beautiful.

We listened to stories and shared experiences for several hours

(Rick has ran away with my phone and is on a photography spree, haha)

After the delicious foods we once again gathered in the healing room for exchange of gifts and thank yous.

Rick also took us on a tour of Regina General Hospital.

Look at that - the nurses' stations are located in the Hallways!

The final stop of the day was to explore the famous robots used in health care education and delivery in Canada!

What an eventful day! We are very grateful to have had this experience.

Meegwetch! 

(means thank you in Cree language)