April 13th, 2021 – Nenqayni Wellness Center Society: People of the Land

Cecil Sheena is a knowledge Keeper at Nenqayni Wellness center.

My spiritual name is Eagleshield,

My borrowed name is Cecil Sheena,

I’m Okanogan 1st nation, born and raised in Merritt BC 43 years old, my father is Abraham Sheena Syilx 1st nation (Okanogan nation) and mother Janice Sheena Maiden name George Nlaka’pamux (Thompson nation), Iam the 8th child out of 9, 5 sister and 3 brothers.

My spouse is from the Chilcotin 1st nation, one son and four daughters, one granddaughter and one grandson.

William Bill Mansell has worked for Nenqayni Wellness Center for 16 years as a knowledge keeper, cultural wellness provider, and addictions coach. William is active in preserving and sharing First Nation traditional dancing, drumming and oral histories.

Taylor Ormiston is the Youth Family Inhalant Program Coordinator and equine-assisted learning (EAL) facilitator at Nenqayni Wellness Centre. She has been with Nenqayni for 3.5 years, and is originally from White Rock, BC. She completed her bachelor’s of arts at The University of Victoria in 2015 and is currently working on her masters in applied counselling psychology through Athabasca University. Taylor is the owner and founder of Connect Uniequus, an equine-assisted learning and personal development company. She created and operates Nenqayni’s EAL program which serves community members in the youth and family program, as well as offering staff training and professional development. Taylor has been working with horses in this capacity since attending a residential treatment program in 2004, and became a certified equine-assisted learning coach through EAL Canada in 2016.

Tamara Brigden is an LPN who graduated from the Practical Nursing program through Thompson Rivers University in spring of 2011. She has completed additional university courses in psychology and biology along with a number of shorter certificate courses relevant to trauma informed care, mental health and addictions as part of continuing education. She is currently in progress for entry to the Interprofessional Substance Use Practice Certificate program through Thompson Rivers University. Tamara worked for Interior Health Authority for 7 years following graduation, primarily in emergency but also within medical/surgical units and ambulatory care. She then spent 3 years working in a rural on-reserve First Nations nursing clinic providing a variety of clinic and home care nursing services. Tamara then began working within the mental health and addictions field first at the local Withdrawal Management unit last spring and subsequently at Nenqayni Wellness Center in October of last year. Tamara is a Diabetes Canada Food Skills for Families Facilitator and has secured funding from Diabetes Canada to offer concurrent programming in both the family and youth programs.

Cora Fraleigh

Hello my name is Cora Fraleigh and I am the youth counselor for Nenqayni Wellness Centre’s youth & family inhalant program.  I am of Irish, English and Shoshone decent and I have lived on Secwepmc and Tsilhqot’in territory most of my life. My educational back ground is as a registered social worker with a graduate certificate specializing in Indigenous child and youth mental Health.  I am proud to say that I am currently taking my last class in Masters of social work degree.  I love working with the youth at Nenqayni and walking beside them on their healing journey.  As a counselor for Indigenous youth, I utilize the traditional two-eyed seeing approach which is to bring the best of the western knowledge and the best of Indigenous knowledge for all the people I am blessed to work with.