Walking Beside the Mhuysqa in Sesquilé

By Rayna Daniels, 2nd year MDP student

When I first arrived in Sesquilé, a small town in Cundinamarca, Colombia, I knew my Master’s in Development Practice placement would be an opportunity to learn. What I did not expect was how it would change me. Working with Dr. Gabriel Nemoga, our focus has been on Indigenous tourism, exploring ideas and funding that could support the community while honoring Mhuysqa traditions and values. My part of the project has been to analyze a tourism proposal for Sesquilé, compare it with examples from other places, and suggest ways it can strengthen the community.

But the real lessons have come outside the research. The Mhuysqa people have welcomed me into their homes and ceremonies like the temazcal, hoska, and kozmuy where I have learned about spirituality, resilience, and the connection between culture and land. Everyday practices such as gardening, bird watching, and orchid conservation have shown me how environmental stewardship is an important part of daily life.

Life in Sesquilé has challenged me to grow in unexpected ways. Learning Spanish has been difficult, but each conversation brings progress and connection. Sharing meals of arepas, ajiaco, and bandeja paisa has opened doors to friendship and laughter. With the support of my colleague Leslie Kirkness, I have built strong relationships and discovered that respect and collaboration are at the heart of meaningful development work.

I have also come to appreciate how tourism, when guided by community voices, can be more than an economic activity. It can be a way of honoring traditions, protecting the land, and creating opportunities that align with local values. Watching how the Mhuysqa blend spirituality, environment, and community together has improved how I think about development itself.

As my time in Sesquilé comes to a close, I see how much it has changed me for the better. Working alongside Dr. Nemoga, learning from the Mhuysqa, and living close to the land have taught me that development is not just about projects or proposals. It is about listening, humility, and walking beside the community as they pave the path forward. 

Finding My Way Back to Education at Gonzaga Middle School

By Britney Champagne, 2nd year MDP student

Taanshi! My name is Britney Champagne, and I am a Red River Métis woman completing my second and final field placement with the MDP program. I had the privilege of working with Gonzaga Middle School (GMS) in Winnipeg’s Point Douglas community.

Gonzaga Middle School (GMS) is an independent middle school serving students in Grades 6 to 8 in Winnipeg’s Point Douglas and North End communities. GMS takes a holistic approach to education, recognizing that student success extends beyond academics. The school combines academic programming with social, emotional, cultural, and spiritual supports while drawing from the Jesuit Nativity educational model and adapting it to meet the needs of the Winnipeg community. Through mentorship, enrichment programming, meals, transportation, extended programming, and its Graduate Support Program, GMS works to reduce barriers and support students throughout their educational journeys. What stood out to me most was the strong sense of community that exists between students, staff, graduates, and families.

During my placement, I worked with the Graduate Department as a researcher. My primary project involved exploring the experiences of GMS graduates after transitioning out of high school. I conducted interviews with graduates, analyzed themes from their experiences, and completed a qualitative report that will support GMS in reflecting on their graduate programming and identifying opportunities to continue strengthening their supports for future students.

Beyond my research role, I had the opportunity to become involved in the broader GMS community. I participated in school events, attended the Grade 8 graduation, connected with graduates and families, and facilitated dance enrichment with a group of Grade 8 girls where we learned a K-pop dance. These experiences allowed me to see the relationships and sense of belonging that GMS has intentionally built within its community.

This placement was especially meaningful because it helped me reconnect with my passion for education. As I completed my Bachelor of Education, I found myself questioning my place in the classroom and what direction I wanted my career to take. My experience at GMS reminded me why I chose education in the first place. Working with students, hearing their stories, and building relationships with them showed me that education is about much more than academics; it is about creating spaces where young people feel valued, supported, and encouraged.

I am incredibly grateful to the GMS community for welcoming me and allowing me to learn from their students, graduates, staff, and families. This placement strengthened my skills as a researcher and educator while reminding me of the importance of relationship-building, community engagement, and listening to the voices of those we work alongside.

 

What is First Nations Data Sovereignty?

By Leona Star, MDP student

The ability of First Nations people to practice their ceremonies, speak their languages, sing their sacred songs, and connect to the lands, waters, and all beings is a direct act of sovereignty that sustains the well-being of their Nations; these practices have been passed on throughout the generations that recognize and uphold the Nations' sovereignty and self-determination. Nations have always acted upon their inherent responsibilities to teach and educate children through the transfer and protection of their cultural and traditional knowledge, which is rooted in their languages, ceremonies, and protocols, in relation to the lands, waters, and all living beings.

Data Sovereignty is not new to First Nations people, as Nations, we have always asserted sovereignty over our information, our data, and stories were carefully held and protected until the transfer of the information and data (i.e.. Songs, ceremonies, teachings, etc.) was ready to be received and cared for in the same way it was given, ensuring the integrity and values continued to be upheld. Walter and Carroll (2020) define Indigenous Data Sovereignty as, “affirm[ing] the rights of Indigenous Peoples to control the collection, access, analysis, interpretation, management, dissemination and reuse of Indigenous data”. First Nations governance and oversight of data are prerequisites for asserting Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDS). The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) article 31further supports IDS as, “Indigenous peoples’ right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as their right to maintain, control, protect and develop their intellectual property over these” (United Nations, 2007). 

Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN)

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan. The Federation is committed to honouring the spirit and intent of the Treaties, as well as the promotion, protection and implementation of the Treaty promises that were made more than a century ago.

FSIN is one of 10 regions across Canada working in partnership with the First Nations Information Governance to create stand-alone First Nations Data Centers as a pathway to assert First Nations Data Sovereignty, supporting the needs of the families and Nations they serve.

The FSIN Data Sovereignty team will be hosting online webinars on the following topics:

·        What is First Nations Data Sovereignty?

·        How are First Nations protecting data and information across Canada?

·        What is OCAP, and how have Nations implemented OCAP?

·        What is Free, Prior and Informed Consent and why is it important?

·        What is a First Nations Data Center?

·        What is an Information Sharing Agreement, and how can it support First Nations Data Sovereignty?

For more information, please contact martin.paul@fsin.com or murall.bird@fsin.com

Leona Star and Martin Paul

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.