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Scott Ward [windspeaker confidential]

Author

Windspeaker Staff

Volume

29

Issue

12

Year

2012

Windspeaker: What one quality do you most value in a friend?

Scott Ward: A friend who has my back when I needed them.

W: What is it that really makes you mad?
S.W.: People who constantly complain about things and don’t make changes in their life.

W: When are you at your happiest?
S.W.: When clients are so happy that they had brought my hypnosis show and workshops into their community.

W: What one word best describes you when you are at your worst?
S.W.: Frustrated

W: What one person do you most admire and why?
S.W.: My Dad because he has given me our culture.

W: What is the most difficult thing you’ve ever had to do?
S.W.: Dealing with Cholera in Guyana, South America. I was dealing with it for nine months, including being unable to walk for a short period of time.

W: What is your greatest accomplishment?
S.W.: Becoming a father and then performing my Comedy Hypnotist Shows across Turtle Island!

W: What one goal remains out of reach?
S.W.: Being the first Native headliner in Las Vegas. Anybody out there have $500,000 (US) to sponsor my comedy hypnosis show on the Las Vegas Strip?

W: If you couldn’t do what you’re doing today, what would you be doing?
S.W.: Going back to the classroom and teaching Aboriginal students in high school.

W: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
S.W.: If you want to get into self-employment you need to plan for it! (Just like if you want to go on a trip to Hawaii. How are you going to make it happen?)

W: Did you take it?
S.W.: Hell ya! Seven years performing comedy hypnosis shows and haven’t looked back! (I’ve subsequently been to Hawaii twice since performing full time.)

W: How do you hope to be remembered?
S.W.: As one of the most successful Aboriginal entertainers in Canada who has made it to mainstream!

Scott Ward and his family are Ojibway/Métis from Selkirk, Man. He and his brothers were regulars at the Selkirk Indian and Métis Friendship Centre where they would perform at various functions and powwows in and around the area of North and South Dakota and Saskatchewan.
His dad played a large role in his exposure to his Aboriginal culture. He remembers famous fiddle player Teddy Boy Houle as a part of his childhood and Teddy Boule taught him jigs and reels that he ended up performing publicly. Of this particular memory, Ward says, “I am honoured to have my great grandfather’s fiddle. He is  from Sandy Bay Ojibway Nation.”

Ward went to the University of Alberta and when he received his Bachelor of Education, he began working as a career counselor at the government of Alberta in Red Deer. During this time he took hypnotherapy training and eventually found himself as an Aboriginal Frontline Program Teacher in the Red Deer Public schools. While building his teaching career he became a father twice over to two boys. While his children were still very young he decided to change from teaching in the public school system to performing and leading workshops using his hypnosis skill set. Of his decision to take on the risk of self-employment Ward answers, “My boys were and still are my motivation for continuing with my success in the entertainment and workshop field. I love to empower band office employees by building team work with my workshops and I love to entertain communities with my personal brand of Aboriginal hypnosis shows. Ward credits his mother with encouraging him in the healing arts and performing on stage while his sense of humor is from his father. Ward says, “My dad makes everyone laugh around him and I hope to do the same throughout my life.”

Ward has moved his family to Vancouver Island to be closer to family and give his sons a closer connection to their cousins and Mooshum. To learn more about Scott Ward and his hypnotic ways, visit his Web site at www.scottward.ca