Walking Beside Youth:My Experience with MKO’s Youth Justice Program

By Nowsheen Kamal, 2nd year MDP student

During the summer of 2025, I had the opportunity to work with Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) in their Youth Justice Program. I first began learning about the program last fall as part of my Capstone project, and over time I realized how much it brought together the themes of my MDP journey—history, youth justice, structural racism, Indigenous ways of living, sustainability, biocultural conservation, and more. Above all, it allowed me to observe restorative justice in action.

Based in Winnipeg, the Youth Justice Program works in collaboration with Manitoba Justice to support Indigenous youth involved with the criminal justice system. The program reconnects youth with culture, language, and identity through ceremonies, community-based interventions, and reintegration supports with families and home communities. Starting with 50 youth—some incarcerated at the Manitoba Youth Centre, some on probation, others back in communities —the program also works alongside partners such as Selkirk Mental Hospital, Whistling Wind Action Therapy, social workers, probation officers, Reciprocal Consulting, and Marymound.

Over the last year, I have worked with six dedicated team members who put their minds and hearts into addressing issues rather than condemning the person. With them, I participated in a wide range of activities: sweat lodge ceremonies, pipe ceremonies, picnics in the park, pumpkin carving in the fall, bannock-making classes, lunches on day leaves, and board games with a youth at Selkirk Mental Hospital. I saw youth take part in drum-making, medicine pouch workshops using moose hide, and beading sessions with action therapists. I accompanied them to probation appointments, court hearings, and community reintegration meetings, while also helping with practical supports like obtaining SIN numbers, driver’s licenses, or birth certificates. Sometimes it was the smallest details—picking them up safely and on time without them having a phone, remembering their favorite pizza order, or encouraging a quieter youth without pushing their boundaries—that built trust and connection.

One of the strongest memories I carry is from a courtroom, where we sat in a half-circle with a youth before the judge. I watched as each supportive member spoke with voices that grew heavy with emotion—recalling the youth’s growth, recognizing their efforts, and expressing pride in how far they had come. Together, they strategized a path forward, showing that justice can be about collective care and accountability rather than punishment.

This summer, MKO’s Youth Justice Program taught me what healing through restorative justice truly looks like.

Feast After Ceremony – Every gathering ended with a shared feast. MKO staff always made sure the youth felt included, preparing food that reflected their preferences. These moments of eating together created space for connection, care, & laughter.

First Nations Waste Minimization

By Mohamed “Mo” Crossman-Serb, 1st year MDP student

Taanshi, my name is Mo (he/him), I am a Libyan-Metis who was born and raised in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 and the homeland of the Red River Metis. This summer I am lucky to do my local field placement at the First Nations Waste Minimization (FNWM) team at the Green Action Centre. FNWM works to support First Nation community initiatives at reducing waste such as increasing recycling, composting programs and community awareness. My role for the summer is the community engagement coordinator.

This role has me doing a multitude of tasks. I develop and deliver school presentations on waste minimization for both urban and in-community First Nation students. Promote and distribute Protecting Mother Earth for the Next Generation Activity Booklets. Developing the 2023-2024 RISE Webinar series, we ran our first one in June on an introduction to waste minimization. I was also lucky to work on the ground with the pathfinder team, going to landfills in communities across the province to help with their vital work.

The position had me travel to six different First Nation communities so far across Manitoba where I made new relationships and saw many friends from previous travels. I look forward to staying on with the team on a part-time basis over the school year!

 

Growing and Learning… Just like a Plant

By Andrea Dsouza, 1st year MDP student

Hello everyone, this is my second update for my placement with CFTC this summer!

 

My work really took a deep dive as I learnt about the different elements included in a cost-benefit analysis and about indoor growing units. I considered myself to be a highly relational person. I enjoyed my placement this summer because it allowed me to connect with those engaged in the indoor growing community. I had many exciting conversations about hydroponics and the strengths and weaknesses of different options currently available on the market.

When it came to putting the information together, I was given the freedom to do so in a way that made sense to me. This was incredibly empowering, if not a little nerve-racking, at the start!  When I finally presented my deliverables to my supervisors, I was glad that my work also made sense to them! What a relief!

Over the past year in the MDP program, we learnt the importance of providing an intersectional analysis in our work. This aligns with CFTC's values. My final deliverable contains information about the strengths and weaknesses of different options available on the market. Additionally, it includes details like the companies engagement (or lack of engagement) with Indigenous communities and some of the known challenges of particular interventions. Together these elements help build an integrated analysis that can serve as an essential resource for communities investing in technological solutions.

I wonder if, without the covid-19 pandemic, I might have had the opportunity to connect more closely with Indigenous community members and understand more of their needs and vision for the future. However, I know that my supervisors were in close contact with their community partners, which gave me a sense of confidence that my work was on the right track. I also look forward to presenting my work to other members of CFTC and to Indigenous community partners during September!

This project has given me a sense of confidence in myself and my work as a development practitioner! I am grateful to the MDP program for helping me secure this placement and the staff at CFTC for their support and guidance throughout the summer!

Indigenous community engagement – My experience in the Kalinago Territory, Dominica

By Racheal Kalaba, 1st year MDP student

Racheal doing community outreach

My international placement was in the Kalinago Territory with the Kalinago people of Waitukubuli in the Commonwealth of Dominica. The Kalinago are the only surviving pre-Columbus Indigenous people that hold reserve land in the Caribbean. The uniqueness of the territory is that the Kalinago people fully own the land as part of the Dominica constitution. In my quest to understand and work with the Kalinago, I reflected on the principles of engaging communities based on my objectives of supporting communities in the area of disaster management and planning with an Indigenous perspective.

Red Cross team meeting with Kalinago

youth as part of the 1st meeting to set up

the 1st Red Cross Branch in Kalinago Territory

My placement aimed to work with Indigenous people and support existing systems and structures dealing with disasters, especially after The Commonwealth of Dominica was hit with Hurricane Maria in late 2017.  I reflected on ways of engaging with communities positively, taking into account that I was just there for a few months. In my engagement, I aligned myself with policies based on the situations I encountered with different stakeholders in the community. Firstly, I took the time to define what the word community meant to me and my placement. During that time, I engaged in Indigenous ways of doing and being. I also acknowledged that, for a community to function well, I needed to be aware of Indigenous knowledge, self-determination, governance, and community participation. I knew that I was there to support and build on what the community was already doing, and hence, my role was to facilitate the self-determination, participation, and engagement of community members.

Why then community engagement: Throughout my time in Kalinago territory, I learned that Indigenous communities are expecting you to be part of them, engage with them, and share ideas and work with them. My role as an MDP student during the placement was to be part of the community and position myself and my role. Furthermore, to share with the community my role, which was shared learning, I was there to learn and to support and vise versa. 

Racheal with a community member known for her

amazing chicken and her storytelling ability

My takeaway during the placement is that communities have vast knowledge, and due to disasters, they face a lot of stress after disasters, which makes it difficult for them to rebuild back their communities. Key learning during my experience in Kalinago is to be aware of Indigenous principles. Some Indigenous principles are respect for protocol, culture, language, reciprocity, relationships, and wellbeing are vital. I noticed my involvement with the Kalinago peoples is that culture is more about living and or staying in the territory, but it is also families, workplaces, social, religious, and political associations. I was privileged through the support of Mr. Irvince Auguste and his family for having allowed me to experience Indigenous community life and work and be able to share their stories and daily life. I also want to thank the Chief of Council, the Councilors and community members of the Kalinago Territory in Dominica.

Community Knowledge at the Core

By Erika Vas, MDP student

 

Boozhoo, Tansi, Aaniin, Wotziye, Ho/Han, Tanshi, Asujutilli, Hello!

Michael Redhead Champagne & Erika Vas Photo Credit link

As mentioned in my previous blog post, I completed my domestic field placement working with University of Winnipeg (UW) and Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) co-creating and assisting in the delivery of the first-ever Human and Indigenous Rights Executive in Residence Program in Canada. A key component of this program were the featured presenters both local and national, some of whom I knew personally. The relationships I have made during my studies have been foundational in my life in Winnipeg. The support and mentorship from individuals has allowed me to become a part of some amazing communities, and to learn from and with them. These people have made Winnipeg feel a lot more like home. Through my work in creating and implementing the Executive Leadership Program, I hoped that I could share with the participants some of my learnings and experiences from these communities.

Program participants during Indigenous Day Live Round Dance Photo credit: Trevor Hagan (Winnipeg Free Press)

A highlight of the placement was my responsibility for planning and organizing a line-up of speakers to complement the curriculum and modules. I am grateful to the individuals I’ve met during my time in Lethbridge and Winnipeg who presented at the program and demonstrated what “leading by example” could look like in a wide range of areas. The significant contributions of Theodore and Morgan Fontaine, Michael Redhead Champagne, Jenna Liiciious, Mitch Bourbonniere, and Alex Neve contributed to the program’s success and presented several experiential learning opportunities in the community. Together, the participants had the opportunity to learn from these leaders about Residential Schools, Truth and Reconciliation, Leadership and Engagement, and Human and Indigenous Rights and Intersectionality.

The “Community Engagement & Relationships” module, which I was responsible for creating, drew from community capacity and the expertise of those in the community. It consisted of engaging with community and learning how to establish relationships based on respect, relevance, reciprocity and responsibility. This included a panel conversation about leadership and community engagement with Michael Redhead Champagne, Jenna Liiciious, and Mitch Bourbonniere, local leaders who are making a difference in the community, nationally, and internationally. To take learning beyond the walls of the museum, the participants also had an evening outing to Meet Me at the Bell Tower in Winnipeg’s North End. They were welcomed by Michael, Jenna, Aboriginal Youth Opportunity (AYO!) leaders, and community members. 

Meet Me at the Bell Tower

Meet Me at the Bell Tower was created to foster a greater sense of community in Winnipeg’s North End. Every Friday at 6pm, rain, snow, or shine, the community comes together to explore a wide range of issues such as child and family welfare, violence, racism, education and reconciliation. The Executive Leadership participants had an opportunity to be a part of the community, observe youth leadership, participate in the Bell Tower raffle, and assist with kitchen activities.

While this program was a memorable for participants, it was a memorable time for me as well. It marked my first summer in Winnipeg and gave me so many opportunities to learn from and with participants, presenters, and community and create new friendships. It is opportunities in the MDP Program such as this domestic field placement that have influenced my learning journey and lead me to new paths.  

To all of you who have helped me along the way, I am forever grateful.