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Here is the latest Honoring Indigenous People Rotary News and Events, projects, blogs, photos, films, resources, and a letter from Chair, Rotarian Chris Snyder. Here are the major initiatives and resources available to you and your Rotary club. From our vantage point, there are many good things happening. If you have a good news story, please send it to us. Be sure to go to the HIP Website for the complete Newsletters. Here are some highlights from their brand new September 2018 HIP Circle newsletter.....
Be sure to read the brand new HIP Circle for September 2018. Here is the link.
Some Rotary Happenings
What is your club doing? Please email Julie Dunaiskis (julie@eccgroup.ca) with a brief summary so we can post on the HIP website and provide an update in upcoming newsletters. This will help other clubs and provide a sense of how we are involved. We do not know the precise number of clubs across Canada who are involved in educational and awareness activities, however, our guess is we are close to 150 and growing. Some clubs were involved well before HIP, many on their own and some because of our encouragement and leadership.
Other Happenings
THE HIP CIRCLE - please note, we will be publishing brand new issues monthly. For any back issues of the Monthly Newsletters, please click here.
Request a Speaker - Would your club like to have a Speaker at an upcoming meeting? If so, please check the list of available speakers on our website under Resources/Speakers List. Or contact Julie Dunaiskis (julie@eccgroup.ca) who will pass along to Ingrid Sproxton, our new speakers' co-ordinator to propose a date and a subject you would like the person to speak about i.e. a) about HIP, b) a project, or c) awareness of the issues. Ideally, these talks will inform members and guests and hopefully engage members in becoming involved in an Indigenous program, donating money and developing a relationship with the local Indigenous community. We are happy to help you connect with the community close to you.
Other
A reminder, you can find our slightly revised brochure on our website under Resources (Rotary HIP - HIP Brochure). If you would like to use it, you may print and distribute to your networks. If you need more, contact us and we can send. We have also improved our Facebook page and added a twitter handle. We have over 200 FB followers and 60 twitter subscribers to date. If you would like to be a friend on our Facebook page, click : https://www.facebook.com/HonouringIndigenousPeoples/ to see our new site. You can like, follow and share. We also encourage you to check our website and contents regularly. Encourage your friends too. Also send Julie (julie@eccgroup.ca) the email address of anyone who you think would like to receive our newsletter.
Approved Projects (Rotary HIP - Approved projects)
Check the HIP website to see full project descriptions and updates. We hope you or your club can support any of the projects mentioned as follows. We need much more financial support. Please join in. Not only will you help the project become reality and assist with the educational needs but you will learn a lot as well. We are also reviewing several new initiatives. When approved, we will be providing a brief outline with a link to the project. All of the projects below have been approved by our project committee and have the full support of the Indigenous community.
Blog (Rotary HIP - Blog) - As always, there have been many news and events recently that have been added to our blog.
Resources - Films & Documentaries (Rotary HIP - Films & Documentaries) - If you have recently viewed a good film or documentary or read a book not on our list with an indigenous theme or message, please email Julie Dunaiskis (julie@eccgroup.ca) and Janet McLeod (jmm@nexicom.net) to add to our list.
HIP Membership & Donations - We would like you, your club and friends to become members. You do not need to be a Rotarian to join. You can join today by selecting (Rotary HIP - Become a Member) on the HIP website. Complete the online form and send us a cheque for $100 made payable to HIP. By becoming a member, you are saying we like and support what HIP is doing. Here is $100 to help move the cause of education and awareness forward. Please note, HIP membership payment cannot be done online as it is not tax-receiptable. Please send a cheque c/o 100 Simcoe St., Suite 110, Toronto M5H 3G2 and reference the online form or send a note with your name, address, email and club(if applicable) to the above address. We will send you an acknowledgement and ensure you will receive our monthly newsletter. We have had a number of new members in the last few months. This is great... keep them coming. We are through reviewing our membership structure. This was set up originally to encourage people to join. We have reached a stage of growth where we need to ensure we have ongoing core funding and having paid members is one option. Growth is a challenge but our success is good news.
Charitable donations are accepted online through our website (Rotary HIP - Make a Donation) and the donor will receive a tax receipt immediately. You may designate funds to a specific project or to general projects focusing on education. Thank you for your continued support of our projects, in particular, we have had a terrific response to our ask for support for the transportation costs for shipments to the fly-in communities. If you are able to help with this or other initiatives, a tax receipt will be issued. You can also send in a cheque payable to HIP and post-marked to c/o ECC Group, 100 Simcoe St., Suite 110, Toronto, ON M5H 3G2.
Message from HIP Chair, Chris Snyder
I was very excited to receive an email recently from the Rotary Club of Cochrane (Alberta) asking if there are some synergies in working together. Indeed there are! What was more exciting, though, is the work they are doing with the town and First Nations communities to improve relations with the various First Nations people who live close by, specifically the development of an Indigenous Awareness Educational Program.
HIP started in southern Ontario but our mandate from the get go was all of Canada. It was wonderful to see and be part of what is happening right across the country.
In the west (Winnipeg), HIP Directors David Newman and Diane Redsky are doing great work. David played a huge role in First Contact, outlined separately. The first showing in Winnipeg was also attended by our Executive Director, John Currie.
John went on to meet and speak with Rotarians and Indigenous people in Winnipeg, Kenora, Dryden and Thunder Bay. In Thunder Bay he teamed up with HIP Director John Andras who has been working with the Dennis Franklin Cromarty School and continued to learn, build relationships and seek opportunities to support Indigenous education initiatives.
In Ontario, Pat and I were also very excited to attend an Indigenous Life Festival in Collingwood in late August. This was co-ordinated by the Native Friendship Centre in Owen Sound and HIP Director, Lisa Farano played an enormous and very influential role too. As always, I learned a lot as did the many people who came to view films, participate in a symposium, learn about Medicine Wheels, interact in the Broken Circle and Circle for Reconciliation and listen to some indigenous music. As we all know, interaction between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples is a great way to develop better relationships.
Further east, HIP Director Fred Lawlor spent time during holidays to chat with many in the MiKmag community and local Rotarians. Stay tuned!
What is exciting about all of the above is the role Rotarians are playing by working with the First Nation communities and advancing relationships. I hope in the months ahead, there will be many more stories from across Canada we can share.
Migwetch (Thank You),
Sincerely,
Chris Snyder
Chair, HIP
snyder@eccgroup.ca 416-364-0181 Ext. 2501 905-990-1735
Rotary Club of Toronto