It Takes A Village Training with Denise Findlay

Community of Gitxaala

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2015

The social challenges that exist in our communities are complex. Internal conflict manifests in a variety of forms.  Although there are no easy answers it is important and Denise will assist in shedding light on these complex issues in this session; including discussing the root causes of such problems and how to manifest change for generations of today and the future. 

Working Together Towards Healing

We humans are social creatures who thrive in togetherness. We are not meant to go it alone. The need to belong is one we can all identify with. Belonging brings us great joy, a sense of identity, security and most importantly relationships with those whom we have something in common. In the long ago our communities were founded on our inter-generational relationships with each other. All of our working, living, and celebrating unfolded in the spirit of inclusiveness and belonging.  Village life provided the context for us to all be on the same side working together for the benefit of everyone. Contemporary life has changed the way we live today and those of us who have experienced the alienation of not belonging can speak to the deep wounding affect this has on our body, mind and spirit. The oppressive effects of colonization and residential school have impacted many generations resulting in a break down of relationships in families, organizations and in communities. There is much hope though. Through our resiliency we can repair our relationships and begin to heal our communities. 

Session Video

Learning Topics:

•       Understanding the effects of oppression
•       Defining what lateral violence is and what it is not
•       Learning about aggression and bullying
•       Understanding importance of: belonging, vulnerability and empathy
•       Communicating with kindness…eliminating toxins
•       Developing a contemplative practice….self awareness, resilience, vulnerability
•       Working on our relationships…reducing gossip and undermining
•       Learning ways to minimize conflicts
•       Reviewing the definitions of: leadership, power, integrity and trust
•       Understanding how to create an ethic of care

About the Presenter:

Denise Findlay, CPCC, ACC – Educator, Facilitator and Consultant, Owner of Kweykway Consulting – is a First Nations Facilitator who weaves together years of professional and personal experience working with people.Denise’s journey has led her to working in First Nations communities throughout Canada, including her own community The Squamish Nation where she currently works  providing parent support to families who have children with FASD and other developmental disorders. 

Denise is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Education at Simon Fraser University focussing on Contemplative Inquiry and Approaches in Education (https://denisefindlay.wordpress.com) and has completed a 2 year Advanced Studies program through the Neufeld Institute (http://neufeldinstitute.com) where she learned to apply developmental attachment theory in the healing of communities. She has spent a significant amount of time studying Process Psychology as it applies to relationships and groups navigating change and experiencing conflict with Dr. Stephen Schuiteveorder as her mentor. As well, Denise draws on Dr. Martin Brokenleg’s Circle of Courage model for reclaiming youth.

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PDF version of her PowerPoint Presentation:

• It Takes A Village Pdf