Creating a safe space through expanding understanding

By Rick Garrick

THUNDER BAY — Garden River’s Dave Jones and Daniel Jones and the Turtle Concepts team shared their own personal journeys during the Expanding Your Understanding LGBTQ2S+ Workshop on Oct. 27 in Thunder Bay. The Nishnawbe Aski Nation Women’s Initiatives department hosted the workshop for Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) parents and community members at the Best Western Plus NorWester Hotel and Conference Centre.

“We’re sharing our own personal journeys and trying to help [the participants] get the confidence and realize the safety needed to have this conversation at home in their community,” says Jones, founder of Turtle Concepts. “Is it time? We definitely feel it’s time because the internet has exploded with influence on young people and our young people are searching for safety, searching for safe places, searching for guidance, and we’re trying to suggest very strongly that new ways aren’t bad ways. But is the bold approach the best way? Or is there a kind approach that we can come in so we get all the generations to stay connected, to stay loving, to stay awesome.”

Daniel says they have been very busy with Turtle Concepts, noting that there has been an increased need with regards to confidence in general and how it impacts every facet of a person’s life.

“The amount of feedback that we receive in our sessions and after sessions and the ripple effects that has is just incredible,” Daniel says. “It’s a much-needed topic of discussion and it’s much-needed area that we are always exploring.”

Daniel says confidence is a journey, whether a person is a child or an adult.

“It’s something that has to be maintained and it’s something that we need to check in with on a regular basis in order to keep that moving forward,” Daniel says. “There will be times when [there are] challenges you are faced with, but I think at the core value, the more you work on and continually develop confidence, it just opens up a ton of doors. I’ve lived a pretty amazing life and I know that is thanks to understanding and recognizing the need to continually always grow and better myself as a human being and directly linked to confidence.”

Mary Jane Metatawabin, a Fort Albany citizen who lives in Chapleau, says she learned about the importance of being honest and the belief that people have the right to empower themselves in order to make the right choices and go in a good way down the road during the workshop.

“I talked about what is culture, what is language to me,” Metatawabin says, noting that she is a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. “My culture defines when I hold the drum and that’s the four areas of the physical aspect, the mental aspect, the spirituality, and the social aspect in our lives, that’s why we hold the drum and that basically gives us the instinct of who we want to be when we get older.”

Jenny Magiskan, an Aroland citizen, says she learned about confidence and “finding out who you are” during the workshop.

“You don’t have to have a label,” Magiskan says. “Personally for myself, I’m going through a journey with my children and I’m getting more information on how to deal with them, accept them how they are, and just live confident with them.”

Magiskan adds that it was good to hear about the experiences of some of the other participants.

“It’s what I’m going through, too, so I’m grateful. I know my kids will be OK as long as I keep telling them I love them every day,” Magiskan says.