The Village © Workshop Series

Gila’kasla / Welcome!

 

The Village © Workshop Series

experiential reconciliation workshops

Elders remind us that we are to make the world a better place for our children, grandchildren and great, great grandchildren to come. The choices and decisions that we make today will impact generations to come.

Living our values:
LOVE, RESPECT, GENEROSITY, KINDNESS

Kathi Camilleri facilitates experiential reconciliation workshops Building Bridges through Understanding the Village© and strategic planning workshops Paddling Together© for diverse groups of people and organizations in communities across Canada and the U.S. Kathi’s work, including keynotes and webinars, is focused on the revival of culturally-based values in order to increase collaboration among all people.

What is Cultural Safety? :

“Cultural Safety is about the transformation of relationships where the needs and voices of Aboriginal children, youth and family take a predominant role. It is about analyzing and responding to power imbalances, institutional discrimination, colonization and colonial relationships.”

Jane Buchanan, MA

“Cultural safety within a First Nations, Inuit and Métis context means the practitioner, whether Aboriginal or not, can communicate competently with a patient in that patient’s social, political, linguistic, economic, and spiritual realm. They advise “be respectful of many traits. These include nationality, culture, age, sex, political and religious beliefs, and sexual orientation. A culturally unsafe practice is “any action that diminishes, demeans or disempowers the cultural identity and well-being of an individual.”

– National Aboriginal Health Organization. (2003). Analysis of aboriginal health careers education and training opportunities.
– Ottawa: National Aboriginal Health Organization.

About The Facilitator

Kathi Camilleri

A CULTURAL SAFETY PRACTITIONER, WORKSHOP FACILITATOR, KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST

I am Métis with connections to Cree (York Factory) and Ojibwa through Turtle Mountain in North Dakota. Both My Marion and Laderoute ancestors settled for a time in St. Boniface, Manitoba and Olga North Dakota. I was born in Treaty 4 territory. I am a citizen of the Métis Nation of BC. My mom is a survivor of Canada’s policy of assimilation. My own healing journey brought me to do this work. I am Irish on my father’s side with connections to Moville, Donegal Ireland.

I created and facilitate the Building Bridges through Understanding the Village © workshop to increase cultural competency for organizations across Canada.

I have almost 28 years of leadership experience in facilitating, counseling, developing, directing and coordinating Aboriginal community-based programs. I have facilitated and managed culturally-based strategic planning sessions, conflict resolution and counseling strategies for groups and individuals, developed community workshops to create understanding and support for families who are experiencing the generational effects of the trauma of residential schools, and I have developed networking circles to bring service providers together and to increase cultural competency.

My work has been inspired by Jann Derrick’s teachings of ‘The Circle and The Box’ along with the input and teachings of many, dear Elders who often co-facilitate with me. I have certificates in Re-enactment Therapy for Trauma Survivors, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Trauma, and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), and hold a Master of Arts in Leadership. My thesis, Returning Home to the Values of the Village focused on the revival of culturally-based values in order to increase collaboration among staff within an Aboriginal service-providing agency.

Testimonials

“Chi Miigwetch, great thanks to you, Kathi, and all of the elders and organizers for delivering this amazing workshop. There was so much love, support, and wisdom in the room that it felt like an incredibly safe space to examine trauma and emotions around the impacts of colonization on our lives and families. I have been talking to many people all week about my experiences there”

“It was a deeply moving experience, and I can see that it is an incredible tool for education and healing.”

Contact

To learn more about Kathi or the workshops, or to book a workshop for your organization, please contact Kathi directly by email or phone.