Earl Quewezance, from NCCABC, returns to the UBC Learning Circle on Wednesday, Dec 7th, 2011 to discuss “Intergenerational Effects of Residential School.”
Presentation Notes: Native Courtworkers and Counselling Association of BC – intergenerational effects
About the Speaker
Earl Quewezance is of the Saulteaux First Nations, which is northern Ojibwa, in Kamsack, Saskatchewan, on Keesee koosee Reserve, in 1967. I had first come to Vancouver BC, when I was 9 years old with my mother and sisters. From that time I have moved away but have always come back to Vancouver and is my second home.
My professional career started in the Fine Arts, I attended the Spirit Song Native theatre company in 86. I had received my training in a multitude of disciplines. One as a professional dancer in Afro jazz, and had won a competitive scholarship to study for two years with Jenny lagong, here in Vancouver. I had then gone to work and training professionally for the next 14 years, both here in Canada and the United States and had recently completed a European international Indigenous theater exchange program with the Sami National theatre company out of Norway in 05. This career was to span the technical aspects of theatre, but to performances, and eventually move into the realm of TV and some film. The highlight of which was a two year stint as a recurring guest star on the prime time TV show “Northern Exposure’. For this work I was nominated and had won several awards, as well as attend the inaugural SAG awards show in Los Angles.
I had started my second career in the social services field in 1989, when I had worked as the program manager for the WOW or Work Orientation Workshop for street entrenched youth, at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Center. This Federal program ran for 2.5 years, and for the last two years had run at 85% to 90% success rate, which was unheard of, at that time.
I had started working for the NCCABC in 1993, as an alcohol and drug consellor and have worked on and off for the Association since then. I had decided to go back to college and further attained a number of associated degrees in a variety of fields, in criminology, forensic psych. ASAM, American model of addiction management, First Nations Studies and a general studies degree. I have been an Honors Student in college and have been on the Dean’s list for my college work, and was awarded the Bronze medal for Academic Excellence by the Governor General of Canada.
I am currently finished off a Bachelors of Arts in Family Studies, which is a academic social work degree at the University of BC, I have completed my pre requites for my Masters program in Counseling Psych program, and once finish my BA, then will continue into my graduate studies. I am also currently working for the Vancouver Coastal healthy Authority in the aboriginal addictions branch in the Vancouver Detox facility, the Daytox program and the Vancouver sober unit.
