ohpikinâwasowin/Growing a Child

Leona Makokis is an Elder and member of the Kehewin Cree Nation and has dedicated her life to supporting the growth of programming that balances iyiniw language and worldview with contemporary experiences. Dr. Makokis is a former president of the University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills.Ralph Bodor is an associate professor with the Edmonton-based Central and Northern Region of the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary.Avery Calhoun is a retired associate professor from the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary.Stephanie Tyler is a PhD student at the University of Calgary and a sessional instructor at MacEwan University.

• : Introduction: Entering the Circle (Leona Makokis, Ralph Bodor, Avery Calhoun, and Stephanie Tyler): iyiniw tâpwêwin ekwa kiskeyitamowin (Leona Makokis, Ralph Bodor, Avery Calhoun, Stephanie Tyler, Amanda McLellan, Ariel Veldhuisen, Kristina Kopp, Suzanne McLeod, and Sharon Goulet): miyawata. Family Teachings on Turtle Island (Carolyn Barker): kayiwatisi. Indigenous Program Indicators (Carol Turner and Ralph Bodor): ayahpatisi. Practice as Ceremony (Amber Dion, Stephanie Tyler, Christie Pace, and Karen Delver): tâpwêwin. Foundations of wīcihitāsowin (Angie Pinder and Avery Calhoun): kîseyihtamowin.  miyo ohpikinâwasowin: Igniting Spiritual Fires (Kristina Kopp, Caleb Anacker, Angie Pinder, and Bonda Thompson): ayawawasowin. pe kīwe Come Home: Indigenous Adoptee Re-Connection with Self, Family and Community (Fran Kuefler Jose and Judy McRee): kakehtawewin. Bringing Ceremony Home: An Inaugural kiskinohamakewin (Stephanie Tyler and Avery Calhoun): Conclusion: Closing the Circle : Glossary: English Meaning and Pronunciation of nehiyaw Words: Glossary: English Meaning of nehiyaw Kinship Terms: References: Index

The book’s contributing authors – 15 social-work and social-services practitioners, not including the editors, from nêhiyaw, Métis, Anishinaabe and non-Indigenous backgrounds – examine the over-representation of Western worldviews, values and practices in the lives of Indigenous people and present an alternative to current child welfare services. Using the nehiyaw Turtle Lodge Teachings, the book provides several decolonized wisdom-seeking (research) projects and service provision changes. One example is that, instead of focusing on chronological age, the book instead uses the lens of the eight interconnected stages of life based on the lived experiences of children and youth.While the book is rooted in Indigenous tradition, the material is presented in a decidedly contemporary context – QR codes in the first chapter, for example, lead to videos of teachings from Elders on everything from Creation stories to relational accountability.“Right now, social work is very focused on trauma-based theory, trauma-based approaches – however, once you understand trauma, what’s next?” Bodor says. “With Indigenous children and families, we need to move into healing. So, all our work is focused on ceremony-based healing.”— Zoltan Varadi, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary