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First Nations Studies 2024-2025 Webinar Lecture Series: Gakina gegoo gaa-miinigoowiziyaang onizhishin (Everything that We Have Been Given as Anishinaabe People to Live an Anishinaabe Existence is Good/Beautiful)

Event Date

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 -
4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
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Event Description

First Nations Studies 2024-2025 Webinar Lecture Series (February)

Gakina gegoo gaa-miinigoowiziyaang onizhishin (Everything that We Have Been Given as Anishinaabe People to Live an Anishinaabe Existence is Good/Beautiful) with Miigis B. Gonzalez

Miigiz Gonzales
 

About the Lecture Series
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) - American Indian Studies Program in partnership with CESA 12 is offering a unique opportunity to participate in a series of webinars to continue your journey of personal and professional development around First Nations Studies.

These monthly 1.5 hour webinar lecture series workshops will begin in November 2024 and continue through June 2025. The lecture series will feature various Native American scholars in the fields of history, literature, education, among other academic content areas. At each session, you will have the opportunity to hear from and learn from Indigenous authors and speakers.

*NOTE: You must be present during the advertised date and time(s) to participate and watch the webinar. The webinars will NOT BE RECORDED. Additionally, participants do NOT have permission or authorization to record either via video or audio the contents of the session attending.*

Date and Time: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 4:30pm -6:00pm | Zoom Video Conference Opens at 4:00pm (Pre-registration Required)
 
Presenter: Miigis B. Gonzalez, MPH, PhD (Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe), Assistant Scientist
 
Title: Gakina gegoo gaa-miinigoowiziyaang onizhishin (Everything that We Have Been Given as Anishinaabe People to Live an Anishinaabe Existence is Good/Beautiful)
 
Description: There is emerging research that captures the role that Indigenous language and cultural revitalization plays in Indigenous health outcomes; none are as persuasive than experiencing these results in your own life. Speaking my language, understanding my language (especially in ceremonial spaces), and praying in my language always grounds me, fulfills me, and brings me joy. These are visceral feelings that my Elders would indicate that I have found my purpose. I have paired learning Ojibwe language and culture with leading research that supports language and ceremonial revitalization. The ultimate vision is health sovereignty led by teachings that exist within our language, ceremonies, and oral histories. ‘Research as a tool’ empowers me to use my innate and acquired skills to care for all that is sacred while unearthing evidence for the sake of Indigenous health sovereignty. The themes that consistently emerge from both my research and non-research activities are love, belief, spiritual connection, and purpose.
 
This presentation will cover three topics:
1) Results from two qualitative studies focused on wellbeing perspectives of Ojibwe Elders;
2) Using ‘research as a tool’ to care for/love my People and our Indigenous Futures; and
3) Creating self-love in my work.
 
Bio: Dr. Miigis Gonzalez (Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe) is an Assistant Scientist for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Indigenous Health, Great Lakes Hub. Her research is grounded in her values, beliefs, and personal experiences as an Anishinaabe woman, mother, and leader. Her research promotes Indigenous language and culture as the means to improve wellbeing among Indigenous Peoples. Her work supports what is innately understood among Indigenous people – that language, culture, and spirituality are inseparable components of Indigenous wellbeing; and that we cannot deny contemporary experiences of loss and disconnection. Conversations with Elders, especially first language speakers and ceremonial leaders, have created a foundation for her research development. Personally, Miigis is dedicated to engaging her young family in language immersive and ceremonial spaces because it is within these spaces that Anishinaabe teachings are alive and transferable.
 
 
Participant Outcomes
As a result of attending this webinar series, participants will have an opportunity to:
  • have an opportunity to continue their journey of personal and professional development around First Nations Studies.

  • learn about and gain an understanding of the unique circumstances faced by Native people in the past and today and the effect it has on today's students, families, and communities.

  • receive information, resources to identify books, and strategies to support teaching and learning about Native peoples, communities, and nations.

  • deepen their understanding of the American Indian experience through stories and information shared by the speakers.

  • understand the historical experiences and contemporary issues of American Indian peoples and nations through storytelling, language, literacy, etc.

Target Audience
  • District Administrators and Principals
  • Classroom Teachers
  • Curriculum Specialists, Directors of Instruction, and Library Media Specialists
  • School Counselors, Social Workers, and Psychologists
  • Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESAs) Administrators and Staff
  • Tribal, Community, and School Liaison's (Home-School/Title VI/Johnson O’Malley Coordinators and Staff)
  • Tribal Education Directors and Staff
  • Head Start, Early Childhood, and Preschool Staff
  • College and University (especially Schools of Education) Students, Faculty, and Staff
  • Library and Museum Staff
  • Any others with an interest in American Indian Studies and education.
Facilitator
David J. O'Connor
Bwaakoningwiid David J. O'Connor, American Indian Studies Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction; Phone: (608) 267-2283 or david.oconnor@dpi.wi.gov
 
Additional Information/Disclaimers
The training webinar will NOT be recorded or otherwise shared after the scheduled dates. The DPI American Indian Studies Program has found that this allows for more candid conversations, richer dialogue, and increased participation.

This training webinar does NOT meet statutory license stipulations for "Wisconsin American Indian Tribes and Bands", which is often referenced as Wisconsin Act 31. For those seeking to address statuary license stipulations, please visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Educator Preparation and Licensing - Statutory License Stipulations webpage for a list of approved courses and workshops. You can also visit the DPI American Indian Studies Program for further information.
 

* The DPI American Indian Studies Program reserves the right to prioritize enrollment to LEAs with federally-identified IDEA status, Wisconsin's First Nations, and districts with significant educational equity needs.

Training Format
Each webinar session will be 1.5 hours in length and facilitated by Bwaakoningwiid David J. O'Connor in partnership with the respective presenters for each session. The sessions are intended to be interactive and will include discussion time at the end of each session.

These sessions will be facilitated online using the Zoom cloud video conferencing platform.

Registration and Fees
There are NO registration fees to participate in these webinars offered by the DPI American Indian Studies Program, which are funded through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA).

Funding for this training limits individual acceptance to WISCONSIN RESIDENTS only. Registration is limited to 300 individuals per session. Pre-registration is required.

Registration: Link to Event Page | Event Registration Form

***Each session must be registered separately for the First Nations Studies 2024-2025 Webinar Lecture Series.

Questions
Judy Ross
Judy Ross, Administrative Assistant
CESA #12
American Indian Studies Program, https://dpi.wi.gov/amind
400 Lake Shore Drive East, Ashland, WI 54806
Direct Line: 715-685-1837
Email: judyr@cesa12.org | Visit us on Facebook
 

For more great training opportunities offered by DPI American Indian Studies Program, please visit our webpage: Calendar of Events