A key to success is believing in and trusting your new brothers and sisters when you join the team within ISN Maskwa. The courses offered to First Nations peoples are intended to ensure and provide knowledge into both fields of Emergency Management and the duties of a Community Support Personal (CSP) for unexpected gatherings.
The first lesson learned within this company; we are a family. It feels like all employees of Maskwa work with the kindness of their hearts and bring a special attribute we all have in us – respect and resiliency. Working alongside individuals that share the same passion, truly fills your soul with empowerment and hope for First Nations working alongside each other during emergencies into the future.
From day one of the journey at training there is a positive reaction that causes a spark in you that makes you see and want to be a part of the change that ISN Maskwa is providing across the Nation. There are many deceptions of what native communities look like “natives are all the same”. Due to this stigma and lack of education, native peoples on/off community are subjected to racism, disrespect, and sometimes harassment. It appears to be normalized in our lives. This is my story of working with ISN Maskwa and why I want to be a part of the change Maskwa is contributing to First Nations Peoples across Canada.
I have always felt the need to speak up for my community, myself and all Nations to educate my fellow classmates, teachers, and leaders on what we have experienced throughout history. It feels like in all my past workplaces I was the Native girl on the team. I always felt displaced because of the teachings and education of Native people. I would always have to stick up and correct my fellow co-workers on the Indigenous perspective. I am only one person, yet I feel like I share similar experiences with other First Nations across the Territory. As an Indigenous Anishinaabe female, it feels as if the inter-generational, trauma, feeling of despair and anger of mistreatment continues to happen in society to all Indigenous Nations. Some days I felt disbelief that there is a huge gap in education of First Nation’s history and trauma our people endured.
I wanted to be surrounded by my own people, I wanted to be around like-minded people, I wanted to see more Indigenous people in the workforce. Most times we are turned away because of the predetermined misconceptions individuals have of us, only based on our skin color. Most of the time we aren’t even given the opportunity to work.
ISN Maskwa, I feel is starting to change the negative perception in society of Native people’s worth ethics. ISN Maskwa is Indigenous led; this is a dream come true, from boots on the ground as Community Support Personnel to management during unexpected gatherings. By doing this, we are proving our ways, proving to all of those individuals that never gave us a chance that we are hard workers and dedicated to the line of work.
Each training that has been hosted by ISN Maskwa, “Community Support Personal” or the “Incident Management System”, I feel has a major turnaround for Indigenous peoples being trained and out in the work field afterwards, either in their own communities or with the company. Both of the trainings prepare you for any incident you may come across working with other First Nations. Maskwa does their best to prepare their staff to handle it to the best of their abilities, while taking a First Nation approach. I could not believe how much of an asset my Mental Health and First Aid training would be in this field.
ISN Maskwa was able to create a course that will prepare you for what you may encounter while being deployed with their teams. The Evacuation Specialist Community Support Training offers our people the ability to become certified in CPR, First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, Search and Rescue and Security.
Being Indigenous and walking in two-worlds, the course and its trainers take care of your spirit, body and mind. These individuals, staff and trainers care truly of the entirety of the team of Maskwa. All courses are designed for a First Nations perspective, this eases some of the course load and which causes a cultural outlook on the heavy subjects, and provides many resources specially designed for First Nations Communities and from this you do see a positive future for First Nation Initiatives.
Written by Alabama Bressette, Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, ISN Maskwa CSP and IC Team Member
