Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre
439 Dundas Street East M5A 2B1 Toronto, ON, Canada

(Photo's message) April 16th and 17, 2022. Last month several Toronto Youth Groups took a trip to Georgina in Williams treaty territory to learn how to scrape and tan buffalo and elk hides! This was done in partnership with Suzanne smoke, Tabu community centre, and Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre.... Upon arrival, the youth were introduced to Elder Lisa Bellanger, an Ojibway Elder from Pipestone South Dakota and the national Aim leader. From there the boys worked to start the fire for the weekend. Starting off the day in a good way, opening acknowledgements were given by Elder Lisa, then an opening drum song, and something to eat. The first task the youth took on was making the frame for the buffalo and elk hides to be stretched upon. During this process, they had to keep the hides wet in preparation to be put on the soon-to-be-completed frames. When all of the frames were made the youth broke for lunch, then returned to start stretching the hides onto the handmade frames. After some time another break was taken to drum and hear teachings on why the buffalo was so important to the people, as well, they learned that in Dakota teachings the buffalo guards the gates to the spirit world. At this time the youth gave tobacco offerings to the fire while thinking of someone who might need the offering. Getting back to it, the youth learned how to scrape and tan the hide and continue to stretch the rest. In the evening the girls participated in a Full Moon Ceremony and the boys went fishing. The night was spent in a hotel graciously provided by Suzanne. The next morning and afternoon was spent scaping more hides and putting any extras on the frames to be finished by Suzanne. By the evening most hides were done, the youth even managed to put up a tipi! To end the day, Suzanne and Elder Lisa held a final dinner and closing ceremony, asking the drummers for one final song. Elder Lise ended this ceremony by giving each of the youth an Eagle Feather, she told them how impressed she was with them and all the work they do in the community. This message and Feather is a great honour for the youth.

We just posted the photos from our trip to Georgina island where our Youth learned how to scrape and tan buffalo and elk hides!

Our third episode from the Legacy Celebration series is now live! In this episode of the We Are Strong podcast, the team is joined by three researchers from the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC). Olivia, from Wahta Mohawk Territory, Sara who is non-Indigenous, German, Scottish and Irish, and Leanne whose family is from Tyendinaga First Nation, join the team to discuss what Reviligizing means from an analytical research lens and the importance of working with youth to empower them to share their knowledge and learned teachings with future generations. #revillagizing #TCFNCC #councilfire #Indigenous #native #anishnaabe #haudenosaunee #cree #oneida #ojibwe #ojibway

Don't miss tonight at 6pm EST! Storytelling with Lance Logan Keye. The Story of the Peacemaker. Register with Kevin at [email protected]

Calling all #RisingYouth grantees and Alumni! @takingitglobal’s #RisingYouth is hosting an end-of-the-year regional celebration from 7pm-8:30pm all youth from Ontario. Join this event to hear from youth in your region about the accomplishments of your fellow youth and to celebrate the amazing work you did for your community! ... Click here to register: https://bit.ly/2P86MXP The first 10 people who register will receive a #RisingYouth swag bag and ALL who register will be put into a draw to win a $50 gift card!

In honour of the Strawberry Ceremony on February 14th, Toronto Council Fire’s team and youth have put together a video Compilation wearing red to Honor the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Transgender and 2 spirit people of Turtle Island. This project was inspired by the the red REDress project created by Jamie black. The REDress project focuses on the issues of missing or murdered Indigenous women, girls, transgender and two spirit peoples of Turtle Island. It ...is an installation art project based on an aesthetic response to this critical national issue. The project has been installed in public spaces throughout turtle island as a visual reminder of the staggering number of indigenous women, girls, transgender and 2 spirit people who are no longer with us. Through the installation Jamie black hopes to draw attention to the gendered and racialized nature of violent crimes against indigenous people and to evoke a presence through the marking of absence. While Jamie Black attended a conference in Germany on indigenous issues in Canada, she heard the now deceased Jo-Ann Episkenew, a native woman who was the director of the Indigenous People’s Health Research Center at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, speak about the hundreds of indigenous women that had gone missing or were murdered in Canada. Therefore, Black wanted to take immediate action. She talked to professors at the University of Winnipeg’s Institute for Women’s and Gender Studies about having a workshop on MMIW, also discussed a vision she had of red dresses. They asked her to put up an installation of those dresses, and the University helped collect the clothes from the community. In 2011, the first REDress Project was born on the University of Winnipeg’s campus. Now, the exhibition has gone on to be shown all over Turtle Island. The color red was part of Black’s initial vision. To her, it is the color of lifebloodit connects all of us and it is sacred, but it is also an allusion to what is happening to our women, she says. But she hopes that everyone can bring their own meaning to the color. Different cultures all around the world have different spiritual meanings for the color red, and I want people to bring that to the dresses, says Black.

Upcoming dates for COVID-19 Community Pop-Up Testing at Fred Victor (located at 40 Oak Street). OHIP card is not required. Wednesday February 17 (1:30pm-4:00pm) Wednesday February 24 (1:30pm-4:00pm)... If you have any symptoms, or think you may have been in contact with someone with COVID-19, get tested. #InThisTogether

Just a reminder that tonight we will be launching the very first session of the Creative Writing for Healing Series, in partnership with Firefly Creative Writing. Join us from 6:30pm-8pm EST, as we explore themes of healing and reclamation. Tonight we start things off with the them of identity and transformation. To register, visit: https://bit.ly/3cy9T4O

Gathering Prayers, Not People - 16th Annual Virtual Strawberry Ceremony Sunday February 14th 12:30 to 1:30 pm organized by No More Silence. We ask that you take time on Sunday February 14th to honour missing and murdered women, girls, trans and two-spirit people and their families in your own ways.... Ways to show support: - Offer tobacco in a space that is meaningful to you (ex. park, water, yard) - Take a moment on Feb.14th to pray for the safety of Indigenous Women, Girls, Trans and Two-Spirit Peoples, and for those who are missing to return home. Say the names of loved ones that have been lost. - Share a photo of what you’re doing to mark the Strawberry Ceremony remotely to honor families, raise awareness, and fight to put an end to MMIWGT2S - Tune in to the live videos shared in the Strawberry Ceremony Facebook event - Eat a strawberry (the green part too! ) Rather than a community feast we are encouraging sponsors and individuals to donate to any of the following initiatives: Families of Sisters in Spirit: https://fsismmiw.wordpress.com/donate/ Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin - They Feed the People: https://www.gofundme.com/.../dashmaawaan-bemaadzinjin... NaMeRes: www.nameres.org/support/

#MentalHealthMonday Engagement and Self-Awareness.

Maad’ookiing Mshkiki Sharing Medicine is a virtual hub that provides culturally relevant and trauma-informed information about COVID-19 vaccinations for First Nations, Inuit and Métis. It aims to share traditional knowledges and healing practices across our cultures with western biomedical scientific information while also acknowledging traumatic experiences in healthcare. These resources provide information to enable and empower people to make informed decisions about thei...r own health and wellbeing. Access all of the resources at http://bit.ly/Sharing-Medicine #SharingMedicine

Join us tomorrow evening at 7pm-8:30 for the first of three free digital events for Block by Block 2020's 'Beyond Block by Block' series! We will hear from community members, Miguel Avila and Waleed Abdulhamid, who will discuss the ongoing effects of gentrification in Regent Park and Parkdale, housing, community activism and more. Share with your networks! ... Registration via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/in-conversation-community-care- To learn more about Block by Block visit: wardmuseum.ca/blockbyblock

This November, let's #ShineTheLight and stand together The goals of the Shine the Light on Woman Abuse campaign is to raise awareness of men’s violence agains...t women by turning communities purple for the month of November; to stand in solidarity with abused women and support them in understanding that any shame and/or blame they may feel does not belong to them but to the perpetrators of their abuse; and to raise the profile of the community agencies that can provide abused women with help as they attempt to live their lives free from violence and abuse. Purple is a symbol of courage, survival and honour, and has come to symbolize the fight to end woman abuse. See more

November 16 marks #LouisRielDay, a day where we honour the life and legacy of Métis leader, Louis Riel by celebrating Métis culture and contributions across Turtle Island. We also acknowledge the resiliency of Métis brothers and sisters, and will continue to do our part as a community to use our good minds to work for peace, harmony and friendship.

#MentalHealthMondays Ways we can support our children! Share with your networks.

Taking a moment of silence to remember and honour our elders, families and communities #WeRemember #RemembranceDay2020