CIES students ‘Going M.I.L.E.S.’ against bullying
By Sharon Weatherall
BEAUSOLEIL FIRST NATION – Grade 6, 7 and 8 students from Christian Island Elementary School (CIES) recently learned how negative words can have a negative impact on life itself.
“Everyone is responsible for their own future. Life is what you make it, not what it makes you,” said Dakota House – president/founder of ‘Going M.I.L.E.S.’ – a workshop program that teaches kids how to improve their life through positivity at school, at home and in the community.
Writing on balloons, House got the students to identify some of the main issues that were bothering them including things like cyber bullying, fighting, swearing, teasing, drugs, gossip and rumours and more. Later the balloons were broken.
“Words have the capacity to bring you to tears or bring you up and make you feel good. If you are being sworn at it has a profound effect on you – no one likes to be sworn at or spoken to like that,” said House.
“The longer gossip goes on the more those lies become the truth – don’t listen, shut them down. Bullying affects every single one of us and comes in many different forms.”
Ten years ago House traded a successful acting career to become a motivational speaker sharing messages of inspiration, motivation, leadership and empowerment to help people succeed. Dakota House, the popular young actor who is best known for his role as ‘Tee Vee Tenia’ on the CBC television series ‘North of 60’, was born in Manning, Alberta and grew up in the inner city of Edmonton, Alberta. It was a rough neighbourhood. He is a father of four children who had learned many of life’s lessons the hard way and therefore House now devotes much of his time to educating youth on leadership, self-esteem and making positive choices.
House spends most of his time visiting communities and organizations across North America. He has delivered keynote presentations and facilitated at youth conferences and other events for over a decade. His goal is to bring hope and inspiration to youth and adults of all ages.
When House visited Christian Island he presented an exceptional two part program which involved interactive exercises in school on the first day, followed by an evening program on the second day which invited participation from parents and community members. The workshop was sponsored by the National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP) and the Beausoleil Family Health Centre (BFHC).
Beverly Cheshire – Mental Health Worker for BFHC said she thinks workshops like Going M.I.L.E.S. are very important to building awareness for the challenges that youth face on a daily basis.
“That’s why it’s important for me as a worker to connect, provide life skills and let the youth find their Identity,” said Cheshire.
CIES Grade 7/8 teacher Bill Lyte thinks it is crucial for students of this age who are getting ready for high school to learn to cooperate and get along together.
“In the workshop Dakota is doing a good job addressing issues like bullying and self-confidence,” said Lyte.
This is not the first time Dakota House has spoken to the students at CIES and achieved excellent results. Principal Angela Johnson says his workshops bring a positive message to students.
“I am glad that Beverly Cheshire organized the workshop because there is definitely a need. Unfortunately some of our students are suffering from low self-esteem and having Dakota here is such a positive experience. Some of the strategies are so simple but the kids just need to be taught them,” said Johnson.
“Dakota has been here before and the kids really enjoy him – they can relate to his personal stories. He makes everything down to earth using easy concepts. The kids are out of their element but not afraid to be who they are, have fun and enjoy those silly moments. They see they are all equal in a non-threatening environment and that everyone is there to have fun and learn something that will help them with everyday life and life skills.”
House touched on cyber bullying which many of the students brought forward as an issue being dealt with today. He said on his Face book and social media if one person leaves a disrespectful message he will “block, delete and remove” them from his network.
“Don’t reply because you will only get into a bigger battle,” said House.
“Always use your good voice to make each other feel good. It’s good to have as many friends as you can because you never know when you will need that friend.”
While House works mainly with First Nation Schools, his message is for everyone. To find out more information on these inspirational workshops call Dakota House at (877) 600 – 4977 or (780) 217-2447 or visit: goingmiles.org