Nikan Awasisak Agency - Reconnecting, Healing, and Empowering Families in Cross Lake

Land-Based Counselor

Mandy Smith, who serves as a land-based counselor with Nikan, emphasizes the agency's commitment to family unity. "Our main goal is to keep families together," she explains. "We do this through land-based activities that not only reconnect our people with the land but also with each other." This approach is rooted in the belief that healing and strength come from understanding and embracing one's cultural roots, a philosophy that guides every program and service offered by Nikan.

Chief of Pimicikamak

The community-centric approach of Nikan Awasisak is a core aspect of its mission, and one that resonates deeply with local leaders. David Monias, Chief of Pimicikamak, highlights the importance of this model. "Nikan started as a way to make child and family services more community-based," Chief Monias notes. "But they've grown to do much more, like land-based teachings and positive parenting. The kids get to witness and participate in ceremonies, learn from Elders, and understand the importance of their heritage."

CEO of the Incorporated Community in Cross Lake

This cultural reconnection is not only vital for the youth but also for the entire community. The agency's programs are designed to empower families, offering them tools to thrive while staying true to their heritage. As Nikan continues to sponsor recreational activities and community-based initiatives, it becomes a cornerstone of communal strength and pride.

Darlene Beck, CEO of the incorporated community in Cross Lake, sees Nikan as an essential resource. "Nikan is a positive resource in our community. They run a lot of activities, but my vision is for all our organizations to partner more, so we can reach more people," Beck shares. Her vision reflects a broader desire for collaboration within the community, a sentiment echoed by many.

George Muswaggon

Knowledge Keeper George Muswaggon, who hails from Pimicikamak, acknowledges the significant improvements in the services provided by Nikan. "The quality of services is improving," Muswaggon says, but he also calls for a continued evolution in the child and family services (CFS) system. "The system still needs to be challenged. We can help change the narrative by empowering families and allowing more flexibility in sharing information so that it's not a case of us versus them. It should always be about the best interest of the child."

Executive Director of Nikan Awasisak Agency

This challenge of changing perceptions is something that Josie McIvor, Executive Director of Nikan Awasisak Agency, understands deeply. Working for her home community presents unique challenges, but for McIvor, it is a labor of love. "It's a lot more meaningful work for me to be able to give back to the community that supported me through my education," she says. "I feel like I have an obligation to give back to my community, my people, and my family."

Josie emphasizes that Nikan's focus is increasingly on prevention rather than intervention. "The stereotype is changing, albeit slowly. We're not seen as just about apprehending anymore. We're seen as funders for recreational activities and facilitators of those events within the community. I hope the perception of CFS changes as a result because we provide a lot of support in the community," she explains.

Annual Sundance Ceremony

One of the most profound ways Nikan Awasisak connects the community to its roots is through the annual Sundance Ceremony, which has been brought back to Cross Lake after a century of absence. This sacred event, organized with the collaboration of community leaders, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers, holds immense cultural and spiritual significance. For four days, participants engage in fasting, intricate dances, and enduring personal sacrifices, all as acts of profound devotion.

Traditional Teacher, Healer, and Elder

David Blacksmith, a Traditional Teacher, Healer, and Elder from Pimicikamak, sees the revival of the Sundance as crucial. "We have to get it back-our spirituality, our connection to the earth, to the animals. That's what we were," he says. His wife, Sherryl Lynn Blacksmith, who has danced in the Sundance for four years, reflects on the ceremony's challenges. "People say it's hard, but in life, life is hard," she shares. "For me, being a Sundancer, you're uncomfortable for four days, and that's it."