AICHO
  • Home
  • About Us
    • History
    • Programming & Services >
      • All Services & Our Model
      • Zaaga'Iganing Anishinaabe Food Sovereignty >
        • Resources
        • Spotlights
        • Cultural Arts & Food Sovereignty
        • Niiwin Indigenous Foods Market
      • Youth Engagement
      • Giinawiind Giginitaawigi'gomin
      • Cultural Arts Program >
        • Art Exhibits
        • Artist Spotlights
        • Indigenous First Art & Gift Shop
      • Domestic Violence Shelter >
        • Dabinoo'Igan
    • Water Protector Mural
    • Regional Cultural Treasures
  • Events
    • Dabinoo'Igan Concert Fundraiser
    • Aanjitoon: Anishinaabe Art Through a Contemporary Lens
    • Brave Art Youth Exhibition
    • Group Art Exhibition 2022
    • Indigenous Food & Art Markets
    • Community Events
  • News
    • Blog
    • Newsletter
    • Outreach Materials
    • Videos
    • 2023 Art Exhibitions
  • Resources
    • Suicide Prevention Resources
    • COVID-19 >
      • COVID-19 Information and Response
      • AICHO Artists Respond to COVID-19
  • Contact
  • Tenant Resources
    • Family Activities
    • Work Orders & Maintenance
  • Gift Shop
  • Food Distribution

Wisdom from our youth

11/8/2022

 
It's National American Indian Heritage Month. AICHO asked some questions to our Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin: Together We Grow Youth Program participants to share their perspectives of what it means for them to be American Indian and what they would want to share with others about their Indigenous experience. Miigwech to these youth for their leadership, bravery and knowledge in sharing their Indigenous worldview with all of us. Let's listen to their Nibwaakaawin - their wisdom.
Imagine that a friend came to you and asked you to explain what Native American Heritage Month is. What would you tell your friend? 

Kendal: To tell them of how far our native ancestors that went through many struggles to be here today. To be grateful that our heritage is still being practiced because of what they did.
 
Ayeden: If a friend or someone asks me then I would tell them that it is a month to recognize Native American people who were here before colonizers.

Elijah: I would explain that Native American Heritage month is to recognize and remember all that there is that has led past generations down towards the current path this current generation walks, every hardship, every sweat, blood and tears that has laid down the pavement for this future we live now is recognized.

Patience: Native American heritage month is a way for people to either learn more about their own culture, the history, the feeling, the beliefs, stories, teachings, etc. Also, for people to learn of others heritage, to bring awareness to our(native Americans) heritage and culture. ​
Picture
Pictured: Kendal. Portraits of AICHO Youth by Ivy Vainio.
Picture
Pictured: Ayeden
Picture
Pictured Elijah
As youth, how would you describe how being Native American affects you today at home, school, and in the community? 

Kendal: It’s the missing piece of who I am. It completes who I was meant to be. To show that there is not just one way to look at life or, things in life. Take advantage of every lesson taught and use that new profound knowledge to look at things another way. - Kendal Kot
 
Ayeden: I would say sometimes I think its a struggle between all the racism that happens between the community but it doesn't really affect me because I correct them by telling them what's right.

Elijah: As an indigenous youth I think being Native American will be with me wherever I go, it’s an inherent part of my identity that I carry within every cell in my body.

Patience: Well in today's way of society, it really doesn't matter on your race, yes you get asked questions on /what's it like/ or explaining things they've heard about /indians/ in a home, you get to learn teachings, 7 generations, your language and your history. At school, you get questions on your race rarely, but you are able to choose things to express your heritage, for example ; drumming or Ojibwe language classes. And in the community, if somebody is unknowing of their culture, you can teach that (being your from the same one). You can express yourself in many ways. 
What challenges or teachings have you overcome/learned being a Native American in 2022? 

Kendal: It’s ok to have different ideologies, You don’t have to agree with what most people say or think. Don’t let people tell you how to live your life and stay strong amidst the fiercest of storms because, all storms eventually fade away.
 
Ayeden: I learned that this is who I am and that I can do a lot in my culture and I will stick with learning more about it and I want to continue to do stuff and also I learned how to stand up for my culture.

Elijah: Through early January I was dealing with a lot of battles and work I needed to put in, and throughout this process being able to take my ojibwe language classes helped me with overcoming my battles through my connection with language.

Patience: I've learned the 7 generations, I've learned the medicines through nature, the way to play a hand drum, our medicine dance, every child matters movement, and much more. There's a lot you can learn about this heritage. And native Americans heritage month, is the perfect place to start. ​​
Picture
Pictured Patience

The Importance of Culture in Recovery Session

9/7/2022

 
Picture
Join AICHO and our community partners Mashkawisen and St. Louis County, Minnesota Public Health for a session with Sharyl Whitehawk recovery programs with culturally based teachings, ceremonies, and curriculum help Native American struggling with addiction.

Date: October 5, 2022
Time: 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. CT
Virtually on Zoom

Register by Friday, September 30, 2022 at 5pm.
Registrants will receive the Zoom link on Oct. 3


Whitehawk is a Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe tribal member and is a Level III Addictions Counselor & LADC at the Khunsi Onikan Native Women’s Treatment Program at the American Indian Family Center in St. Paul, MN.

This webinar/zoom is part 1 of a 3 part Indigenous Health Series that AICHO is putting together in partnership with St. Louis County Public Health.

Free and open to the public, but know that this will center on the American Indian/First Nations experience.
Sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Division via our Waaseyaa Healing Grant and St. Louis County Public Health.
​
Flyer: Moira Villiard

AICHO youth attend cultural community feast

8/29/2022

 
Picture
Photos by Kayla Jackson
Picture
​Our Giinawiind and Gimaajii kids participated in the Fond du Lac Band Gitigaan’s Gitigaan Wiikondiyag Garden Feast today. We played traditional lacrosse for a couple hours, went swimming at Kiwenz Campground, then toured the Gitigaan garden and ate food from the Feast. It was a full eventful day. 

Miigwech to Giinawiind and Gimaajii Youth program staff Kayla Jackson for bringing these youth to this event where they got to learn about and reconnect with culture, traditions, Indigenous food and to the land. The youth also volunteered and helped at the event as well. 

Photos by Ivy Vainio

Manoominike Ready: AICHO youth make ricing poles

7/14/2022

 
Picture
Photos by Ivy Vainio
Youth learned to make traditional Anishinaabe wild rice poles through AICHO’s Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin: Together We Grow Youth Program.

​Through this hands-on workshop, guided by Michaa Aubid (East Lake Anishinaabe) and Veronica Skinaway (Sandy Lake Anishinaabe), program participants learned the importance of treaty rights, how to operate power tools and how to knock rice with rice knockers. This knowledge is important when participating in the wild rice harvest, called manoominike in Anishinaabemowin.
If we are to preserve culture, we must continue to create it.” - Johan Huizing, historian
​Last year, the program youth learned how to make wild rice knockers in a workshop taught by 1854 Treaty Authority, passing harvesting knowledge to the youth. In September, the Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin program will participate in the annual manoominike with Ron Willis, under the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College CYFAR Grant activity.
AICHO says miigwech to Michaa Aubid and Veronica Skinaway for teaching our program youth and staff about manoominike, the Anishinaabe words connected to harvesting rice and for allowing our youth to make ricing poles.

Miigwech to AICHO staff Ivy Vainio for coordinating this cultural activity with assistance from Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin program coordinator Kayla Jackson, Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin Children’s Program coordinator Mia Menendez and Cheryl Stone and AICHO’s property caretaker Scott Thompson.

This event was funded in part by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Division.

Reconnect: AICHO Youth field trip to Indigenous farm to learn traditional medicines and foods

7/1/2022

 
Picture
Photos by Ivy Vainio
​To learn about medicinal properties of various Indigenous plant infusions, Anishinaabe food and traditions, AICHO youth visited the Native Wise LLC farm on the Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe Reservation on June 30, 2022
Picture
David and Patra Wise fo Native Wise LLC guided youth from both the Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin: Together We Grow Youth Program and Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin Children’s Program came together in making a salve. Youth chose two Indigenous plant infusions to make into salves.
Picture
David took the group on a nature walk and introduced numerous Indigenous plants they walked past and explained the traditional uses of the plants.
Picture
After the walk, the group ate smoked moose sausage with jalepeño and cheese, all made on the farm, wild rice hotdish made with moose meat and home processed beef burger.
Picture
Such a wonderful time for everyone, especially our youth who were connected to Anishinaabeg cultural foods, plants, traditions, stories, and wisdom. We are grateful.
Picture
AICHO says miigwech to David and Patra for sharing their knowledge to AICHO youth. Photo by Patience Thompson, 13 year-old Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin program participant.
Picture
Miigwech to Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin program coordinator Kayla Jackson and AICHO staff Ivy Vainio for organizing the field trip, and miigwech to Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin Children’s Program coordinators Mia Menendez and Cheryl Stone and intern Ellie Waring for assisting. Photo by Channing Powers, 10 year-old Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin program participant.
Programs are funded in part by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Division, Northland Foundation, United Way, Sheltering Arms Child Development and Family Support, and Statewide Health Improvement Partnership.

    AICHO Blog

    Keep tabs on some of the exciting things happening at AICHO! Blog posts managed by volunteers as they are available.

    Click here to subscribe to our E-Newsletter for story highlights.

    Click here to view all our newsletters.

    Categories

    All
    Awards And Recognitions
    Campaigns
    Community
    Community Events
    Cultural Arts
    Cultural Preservation
    Events
    Giinawiind Giginitaawigi'gomin
    Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin
    Highlighting AICHO
    Permanent Supportive Housing
    Together We Grow
    Youth Engagement

    RSS Feed

Web design by Moira Villiard.
  • Home
  • About Us
    • History
    • Programming & Services >
      • All Services & Our Model
      • Zaaga'Iganing Anishinaabe Food Sovereignty >
        • Resources
        • Spotlights
        • Cultural Arts & Food Sovereignty
        • Niiwin Indigenous Foods Market
      • Youth Engagement
      • Giinawiind Giginitaawigi'gomin
      • Cultural Arts Program >
        • Art Exhibits
        • Artist Spotlights
        • Indigenous First Art & Gift Shop
      • Domestic Violence Shelter >
        • Dabinoo'Igan
    • Water Protector Mural
    • Regional Cultural Treasures
  • Events
    • Dabinoo'Igan Concert Fundraiser
    • Aanjitoon: Anishinaabe Art Through a Contemporary Lens
    • Brave Art Youth Exhibition
    • Group Art Exhibition 2022
    • Indigenous Food & Art Markets
    • Community Events
  • News
    • Blog
    • Newsletter
    • Outreach Materials
    • Videos
    • 2023 Art Exhibitions
  • Resources
    • Suicide Prevention Resources
    • COVID-19 >
      • COVID-19 Information and Response
      • AICHO Artists Respond to COVID-19
  • Contact
  • Tenant Resources
    • Family Activities
    • Work Orders & Maintenance
  • Gift Shop
  • Food Distribution