Education group faces challenges

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When the Ontario Native Education Counselling Association (ONECA) met in Toronto Nov. 27 to 29 for its annual conference, laughter found a place on the agenda.

"Laughter brings us together as a group," said Cindy Fisher, ONECA's departing 2002-2003 president. "We come back next year to laugh."

Established in 1985 and based in Naughton, ONECA "is one of the longest-standing Anishinabe organizations," according to Fisher. One of the association's key aims is to offer professional development opportunities to its 150 members.

Eighty per cent of them attended this year's conference.

They work in the fields of education, health and social services, including drug and alcohol counselling, career planning and employment.

"Our focus is on the young people and how we can best help them," said Fisher, who is from Pic River First Nation.

Over the next year, ONECA faces two serious challenges, and both could affect how the organization operates.

Most significantly, at the provincial level, proposed changes to health regulations "will severely impact Native counsellors," said Fisher. The legislation results from a review of the Regulated Heath Professions Act, and if the changes go through, many groups, Aboriginal counselling services among them, will not meet the new rules.

According to Kimberly Smith-Spencer, ONECA's 2003-2004 president, this regulation will affect all Native education counsellors, Native programs and visiting Elder arrangements. The proposed regulation states that only psychiatrists and psychologists will be allowed to practise emotional counselling. This will make it very difficult to counsel in elementary and post-secondary schools, in band clinics or in healing and wellness programs.

"It would be very difficult to counsel anyone on just education or career issues without knowing the emotional side to their life," said Smith-Spencer, who is from Birch Island and Cutler. "Several issues could not be raised in a counselling session due to this legislation, which severely impacts your ability as a counsellor to counsel efficiently."

To deal with the effects of these changes, ONECA members voted to join the Ontario Coalition of Mental Health Practitioners, represented at the conference by Jeff Wilbee, chairman of the coalition's advocacy committee. This new coalition, started by the Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists and Psychotherapists, brings together more than 20 counselling and social services groups.

Smith-Spencer said, "This health coalition is getting as many interested parties together [as possible] to try to show the government that this legislation will not work due to several areas of concern. We will be joining the coalition in order to have our voices heard as Native counsellors and Native people."

The other challenge ONECA faces is that anticipated cuts to federal funding may make it difficult to continue holding conferences.

The conference this year, with the theme Empowering Self, exhibited members' work so that funders and others had the opportunity to "see the good work that we do," Fisher stated.

The event featured 14 workshops geared to helping members do their jobs better. Topics ranged from funding of post-secondary students, to trauma response plans for schools, legal trends surrounding physical altercations in schools, and strategies aiding First Nations' counsellors in colleges and universities. One of the more innovative segments supporting the personal growth of counsellors-Singing With Thunder Voices From Within-showed how music promotes healing. Representatives from First Nations Technical Institute, Sault College, Trent and Laurentian universities manned booths showcasing their programs.

Elder Jim Windigo (Nicickousemenecaning First Nation) offered prayers in Ojibwa as he opened the conference each day. Windigo also led a session called Education the Traditional Way. Other sessions dealt with how to use traditional teachings with conselling and social work.

Robert Beaudin (M'Chigeeng First Nation) and Bonnie Depencier unveiled Shki mawtch taw-win en-mook, the "Path to New Beginnings" Native studies curriculum project. Developed by the pair for the Rainbow District School Board on Manitoulin Island, this groundbreaking initiative for grades K to 8 meets Ministry of Education requirements. "Excellence, equity and Native inclusiveness," were the values that guided them in its creation, said Beaudin, who added that they "wanted Native studies to inform the curriculum, not be a separate subject."

He is executive director of Kenjgewin Teg Educational Institute on the island and represents First Nations on the board.

An advisory council of cultural leaders gave direction on "what should be included and what should be left to the community," Beaudin said about the new curriculum. Beaudin and Depencier hope "to get it in as many schools as possible. Many First Nations have expressed interest in buying the pilot project."

Victoria Pezzo, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada gave the delegates an update on funding and reporting procedures, and also reviewed the education programs supported by INAC.

Darren Thomas (Seneca, Bear Clan), whose workshop You're REAL Awesome: Go For It looks at how humour, creativity and personal experience effect positive change, took the stage at Friday evening's banquet. Aided by members of his comedy troupe, Thomas had delegates laughing and applauding skits showing how humour aids in building self-esteem and creating positive results.

Also at the banquet, ONECA bestowed life memberships on Mike Brant (Tyendinaga), Graham George (Kettle and Stoney Point), Rose Jacobs (Walpole Island), Barb Nolan (Garden River), and Wiley Kewayosh (Walpole Island).

Fisher praised Nolan, who acted as emcee for the evening, as "a very special woman who has been with the organization since it started in 1984." Nolan completed the first Native counsellor training program in 1978. Administeed by ONECA, the longest-running Aboriginal program in Ontario now has 450 graduates.

The Counsellor of the Year award went to James Antone (Oneida), who works at Thames Valley High School. ONECA also recognized 40 of its members with "10 years and plus" certificates. A fundraising draw, with prizes donated by members, raised money to support the association's two scholarship programs. Each year, ONECA awards five $1,000 scholarships to Aboriginal students pursuing counselling as a career.

Joining Smith-Spencer and Fisher on the 2004 board of directors are vice-president Rae Anne Hill Beauchamp (Six Nations), secretary Loretta Assinewai (Wikwemikong), and treasurer Warren Huff (Chippewas of the Thames). Representatives from 11 provincial districts sit on the board.

ONECA's plans for 2004 include suicide intervention skills training on Feb. 16 and 17, and Walking the Path-a five-day, train-the-trainer course for education counsellors and directors, parents and teachers that will run from April 19 to 23. Both courses are offered in partnership with the OPP First Nations' program and Anishinabek Police Services, and will take place in Whitefish Lake First Nation and Sudbury.

If funding is in place, in summer 2005 ONECA will offer Native education counsellors a refresher program of four courses, dealing with advanced counselling techniques, action research (bringing the classroom teacher into the research process) in First Nations' education, Aboriginal and community healing, and contemporary issues in education.