Prince George-based Carrier Sekani Family Services has been selected as one of the 2021 winners of the British Columbia Reconciliation Award for its work in creating the Nowh Guna "Our Way" Foot in Both Worlds Carrier Agility Training program.
Launched in 2017 through a partnership with BC Achievement and The Office of the Lieutenant Governor of B.C., Nowh Guna is available to all people to learn basic information about Carrier culture. It provides a framework to promote cultural awareness further reconciliation education to help support communities in northern B.C. seeking culturally competent services and service delivery.
“[CSFS’ Nowh Guna ‘Our Way’ training] is an important educational program with a global component whose impact has enriched people’s lives,” said BC Reconciliation Award juror Kekinusuqs, Dr. Judith Sayers, in a release. “It speaks to the inclusion of indigenous people sharing their knowledge, and underlines that, as indigenous peoples, we do have the capacity to govern ourselves.”
Delivery of the program involves facilitators and knowledge holders from indigenous and non-indigenous backgrounds and participants are encouraged to examine their own practices and institutional policies to create better working relationships with indigenous community members. Based on Carrier values and First Peoples Principles of Learning, training sessions are conducted by elders and knowledge-keepers.
Nowh Guna is available in digital form to organizations, businesses and agencies all over B.C.
“I am very happy to accept this award from the Lieutenant Governor of BC and BC Achievement, it is a wonderful recognition of our efforts in sharing our values and histories.” said Chief Corrina Leween, Carrier Sekani Family Services board president. “We see also see this award as an acknowledgement of the hard work and commitment from people who work at CSFS with diverse backgrounds and their contributions toward reconciling with past injustices.”
For 31 years, CSFS has worked to reassert First Nations control of justice, health, social and family services, all of which have suffered through the process of colonization by settlers and the award recognizes that work. The organization was founded on the principle that indigenous peoples must have equity, as well as equality, to ensure the holistic wellbeing of their families and communities.
