In the wise words of Paul Syrette, our Community Safety and Well-Being Planner, “ISN Maskwa looks to 2024 as an opportunity to keep moving forward in a good way”. Using the Seven Grandfather’s Teachings as a template we are excited for the future.

If we always remember the Grandfather’s Teachings which are – for anyone who is not familiar with them – Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Wisdom, Truth, and Humility then we can not help but to succeed in our journey of helping First Nations help First Nations.

We honour the Grandfathers when we show respect for all of the communities we work with and for the team who does the work. Our team is diverse with Indigenous and non- Indigenous members; and we welcome the wisdom that all members of the team bring through their collective experiences. It allows us to bring the best possible service to the communities we are engaged with.

If we are honest to ourselves, we need the wisdom everyone brings to succeed and this is a simple truth. The diversity of our team is in essence the core of the strength that allows us to move forward with bravery. We know we can respectfully draw upon the wisdom of others to provide the most effective assistance to communities who engage us to help them in times of need and crisis.

A common theme when talking with team members of ISN Maskwa is they often say “I love what we are doing”. I completely agree. I love the communities we work with and the team members who work so hard to make things better. ISN Maskwa has evolved in the past three years into an amazing team. Everyone gives 100 percent or more in everything they do.

Humility is sometimes the most difficult of the Grandfather’s Teachings to follow. It is hard to admit mistakes or acknowledge shortcomings. In the last three years, our team at ISN Maskwa has faced some incredible challenges as we have learned how to support other First Nations. With the help of the communities we have worked with, we have learned 30 or 40 years of emergency management in three years. To say this has been humbling is an understatement. Our experiences have shaped us into a team who with respect, bravery, honesty, truth, love, wisdom and humility, are looking forward to working with all of our partners in 2024.

Miigwetch,

Ernie Louttit

Emergency Planning and Community Engagement Co-Ordinator ISN Maskwa