a conversation about Reconciliation
2023-10-01 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Winnipeg) | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
With Elder Louis Young, join us for a conversation around the fire and some time on the land. Bannock, tea & coffee will be served.
All ages welcome.
Suggested admission $15/person. Please register below.
If the suggested admission fee would prevent you from attending or prevent you from bringing your whole family with you, use discount code FULL or HALF, in the form below to have your registration fee either fully or half covered.

Lateral Violence - Working Towards Solutions Learning Circle & Continuing Education Opportunity
2023-10-16 - 2023-10-17 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
Lateral violence occurs when harmful behaviours we experience show up in our interactions with others. It is expressed in many forms including lack of trust, favouritism, and poor communication – these issues typically lead to conflict between individuals or within an entire group. Moving beyond the cycle of lateral violence begins with people becoming aware of its causes and impacts.
This Learning Circle, led by Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute, will explore the various dynamics of lateral violence and offers solutions for prevention. Participants will develop better personal awareness and enhance their communication and conflict resolution skills.
We welcome guest learners to join our students in this circle.
Contact connect@sandysaulteaux.ca with questions and to register.

PC6 - Grief Education Learning Circle & Continuing Education Opportunity
2023-10-18 - 2023-10-20 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
led by Lee Sanderson
We welcome guest learners to join our students in this circle.
Contact connect@sandysaulteaux.ca with questions and to register.

HS1 - Introduction to Hebrew Scriptures: The Old Testament Learning Circle & Continuing Education Opportunity
2023-10-23 - 2023-10-26 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
The resource for this week is Dan Epp-Tiessen, Emeritus Associate Professor of Bible at CMU. Dan’s specialty is Old Testament, and he also appreciates the opportunity to teach courses that span the entire Bible.
This course will introduce students to Israel’s story as told in the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures). The course will show how this story is foundational for the ministry of Jesus and for understanding how the New Testament writers describe the healing and salvation that God makes available through Jesus. As we explore Israel’s story, we will pay attention to how this story can inform, shape, and inspire the lives of Jesus-followers today. We will also pay attention to how Israel’s story connects with the experiences of Indigenous peoples on Turtle Island, even as it differs significantly from that experience.

The course will be divided into the following sections.

The story of creation
The story of human sin and brokenness (the Fall)
The story of how God begins to address human brokenness by forming a people (Israel)
The story of liberation from slavery in Egypt
The problematic story of genocide and ethnic cleaning (conquering the land of Canaan)
The story of Israel’s life in the land of Canaan
The story of Israel’s prophets
The story of Israel’s defeat, exile, and restoration
The story of Israel’s worship
The story of Israel’s wisdom
The story that yearns for God’s future healing and liberation

We welcome guest learners to join our students in this circle.
Contact connect@sandysaulteaux.ca with questions and to register.

Winter Solstice Ceremony
2023-12-23 13:00 - 16:00 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
Join us in marking the shortest day of the year and the winter season with a pipe ceremony and potluck feast.
The pipe is sacred to First Nations people and has been historically used to open negotiations between different nations as a symbol of peace and goodwill. The pipe ceremony is a place for truthful, respectful conversation to take place and for agreements to be made. Feast to follow.
Women are asked to wear a skirt.
Please bring:

Tobacco
Food – to share in potluck feast
Optional donation for the Centre

Register below to help us know how many people to expect.
Want to get an email every time we host a seasonal ceremony? Select “Local News” when you sign up for our e-newsletter.

AT2 Medicine Wheel Teachings Learning Circle & Continuing Education Opportunity
2024-01-22 - 2024-01-25 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada

Indigenous Family Wellness Learning Circle Part 1, with Jann Derrick
2024-01-27 - 2024-01-28 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
Indigenous Family Training, Rewrapping our Families with Jann Derrick, PhD

Outline
It is key to understand that Indigenous families are communal based. This is an entirely different perspective than the nuclear-based family. Relationships are essential, as are roles. Without understanding relationships as the focus, it can be perplexing and difficult when applying the individualistic approaches of the mainstream when working with Aboriginal families.
This training will provide an introduction into viewing families as a system; a collection of relationships, individuals, roles, values and beliefs. This highlights the wholistic view of the traditional Indigenous family. Colonization brought changes to Indigenous families and communities and unwrapped the family system to a large degree.
Jann teaches using a traditional systemic and experiential approach combined with didactic summaries.
This training will focus on:

Viewing the family as a system
Viewing the family now following colonization; its strength and its resistance
Specific themes common in families now: attachment challenges, multiple losses and grief, intergenerational trauma, survivorship tools, healing paradigms
Tools and wholistic approaches for helpers who walk beside the family members

Each workshop will be geared to the context of the participants and their roles in walking beside Indigenous families.
Jann Derrick, PhD
Jann has been in practice as a Registered Family Therapist since 1978. She is passionate about children and their return to the center of their families and communities. Jann is of Irish, English and Haudensaunee ancestry and specializes in working with families, parents and communities in order that children can once again be safe, know their identity and where they belong. She is skilled in working with Indigenous Historical Trauma, Residential School trauma, and its intergenerational effects in families and communities.
Jann devotes her time to mentoring and teaching frontline workers and professionals, supporting service delivery to Indigenous communities, and writing and publishing.
Indigenous Family Wellness Learning Circle Registration Form
To register, complete and return the registration form with payment.
Workshop runs from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm each day. Registrants may also be interested in taking Part 2 of the Learning Circle, the “Indigenous Perspectives of Healing PTSD” workshop with Patricia Vickers, January 30 – February 1 (full description in registration form).

Indigenous Family Wellness Learning Circle Part 2, with Patricia Vickers
2024-01-30 - 2024-02-01 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, R0E 0C0, Canada
Indigenous Perspectives of Healing PTSD with Patricia Vickers, PhD
Outline: Senator Murray Sinclair, as the Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, heard thousands of accounts from Indian Residential School survivors. The discovery of child remains at Indian Residential Schools across Canada has brought into Canadian consciousness the historical atrocities that have impacted Indigenous peoples for generations.
This three day training is an introduction to the neurobiology of trauma grounded in Indigenous approaches to healing and spiritual balance and includes:

An overview of the neurobiology of trauma in relation to Indigenous history
Psychosocial conditioning as it applies to conditioning and possibility
Cultural teachings, language and principles that support transformational change
Spiritual practices that support transformational change
Practical exercises for self-regulations
Resources to support ongoing learning

Patricia Vickers, PhD
Dr. Vickers, through her mother’s adoption by an Eagle Chief, is a member of the Eagle clan from the village of Gitxaala, British Columbia and carries a feast hall name from her village as well as from the Nuxalk Nation in Bella Coola, British Columbia. With the help of neurofeedback, altered-state of consciousness inquiry, and traditional ceremonies, she teaches spiritual transformation, healing trauma, awakening, forgiveness, and unearthing layers to find the authentic self.
Indigenous Family Wellness Learning Circle Registration Form
To register, complete and return the registration form with payment.
Workshop runs from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm each day. Registrants may also be interested in taking Part 1 of the Learning Circle, the “Indigenous Family Training, Rewrapping our Families” workshop with Jann Derrick on Jan. 27-28 (full description in registration form).

CS1 Introduction to Christian Scriptures Learning Circle & Continuing Education Opportunity
2024-04-08 - 2024-04-12 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
with Ken Thomas
We welcome guest learners to join our students in this circle.
Contact connect@sandysaulteaux.ca with questions and to register.

Engage Difference! Learning Circle & Continuing Education Opportunity
2024-04-15 - 2024-04-19 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
Five days focused on faith, heart, mind, and skills for the art of intercultural ministry
Engage Difference! Deepening Understanding for Intercultural Ministry (DUIM) is a 5-day interactive and engaging program with practical ideas for implementation in your own context. DUIM is for ministry leaders and community members nurturing cultural relevance, understanding, and awareness in their communities.
This is a program of The Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning, a reference group of The Canadian Council of Churches in collaboration with Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre.
This is a residential program only. There will be program activities two evenings and optional activities two evenings. All meals are included Monday lunch through Friday lunch (including suppers.)
Regular Participant

$1325 Residential program. All meals, accommodation, program activities and materials included.

Bursaries are Available
Contact ramirez@councilofchurches.ca for more information and to apply.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada members: up to 80% of fees.
United Church of Canada members: up to $500 for those who are not members of the UCC continuing education plan, up to $300 to those who are continuing education plan members
FILL Diversity Fund: Amount on an as needed basis. Available to those who self-identify as members of a marginalized community, including (but not limited to) racialized, indigenous, person with a disability, neurodiverse, etc.

Registration Deadline: April 1st, 2024
A $200 deposit (non-refundable after the registration deadline) is required to confirm registration. Full fees can be paid when registering. Balance of fees are due at the registration deadline. Payment options include credit card, e-transfer, cheque, or an invoice can be provided for payment by a sponsoring agency.
Click here to register through program host The Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning and learn more about the Engage Difference! Deepening Understanding for Intercultural Ministry program.
COVID-19 precautions: Participants will be asked to do rapid testing first day of program (tests will be provided.) Those who mask will be supported in doing so. There is a no-questions-asked full refund of FILL fees if unable to participate due to COVID.
For more information email ramirez@councilofchurches.ca

Spring Ceremony CANCELLED
2024-04-21 12:00 - 17:00 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, R0E 0C0, Canada
We were not able to build a new lodge in time for this ceremony. Sign up to join us for our Summer Ceremony on June 15! Click here to register.

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Seasonal ceremonies at Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre are a time to be on the land, to honour and give thanks for all of creation, to have some quiet reflective time around the fire and to renew and refresh our mind, body and spirit.
The ceremonies include a sweat lodge, followed by a potluck feast. Read more about what to expect at our seasonal ceremonies.
Registration through the form below is required if you would like to participate by entering the sweat lodge, as spots inside the lodge are limited.
Everyone is welcome to participate by coming to sit with the sacred fire, outside the lodge. You do not need to register to participate outside the lodge.
What to bring:

Tobacco
For the sweat lodge: shorts (men) or cotton nightgown or skirt/top (women) & towel
Water bottle
Food – to share in potluck feast after the sweat
Optional donation for the Centre – for wood, gas for elder, cleaning, etc.

Want to get an email every time we host a seasonal ceremony? Select “Local News” when you sign up for our e-newsletter.

Tipi Raising: a community connection event
2024-05-26 13:00 - 17:00 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
Join us in erecting our tipi at the entrance to our Centre.
Teachings, teamwork, time on the land, and a whole lot of fun are included!
The day will end with a community potluck feast.
Please bring a dish of food to share.
All ages welcome. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or caregiver.

This event was made possible with grants from Healthy Together Now and the Brokenhead River Community Foundation – Meegwetch!

Acessibility:
The tipi raising portion of this event will take place outside. The ground is mostly grass covered and may be uneven. After a rain, the ground may be soft and muddy.

Shelter from the weather is available under our open-side pavilion, on a concrete pad.

Limited outdoor seating is available. Participants are welcome to bring their own chairs or blankets for sitting on the ground.

Presenters will not have their voices amplified.

Indoor washrooms are available.
Parking is available on site, a short distance from where we will be gathering. Please leave priority spots for those who require accessible parking and/or loading and unloading.

If you have questions or require any accommodations to be able to participate, please contact Rebecca Watson, rebecca@sandysaulteaux.ca, 204-268-3913.

TH2 Christology Learning Circle & Continuing Education Opportunity
2024-06-03 - 2024-06-07 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
Instructor: John Boopalan, Assistant Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Canadian Mennonite University

We welcome guest learners to join our students in this circle. Contact connect@sandysaulteaux.ca with questions and to register.

CE3 Land Based Relationality: Community and Reconciliation Learning Circle & Continuing Education Opportunity
2024-06-10 - 2024-06-14 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
Instructor: Adrian Jacobs. This course will explore an Indigenous framework for relationship building and nurturing in the context of community well-being on the land. This is a land-based reconciliation course offered by CMU Canadian School of Peacebuilding over 5-days, with CSOP participants attending on-site at SSSC.

We welcome guest learners to join our students in this circle. Contact connect@sandysaulteaux.ca with questions and to register.

July Community Sweat Ceremony
2024-07-14 12:00 - 17:00 | Manitoba
Sweat ceremonies at Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre are a time to be on the land, to honour and give thanks for all of creation, to have some quiet reflective time around the fire and to renew and refresh our mind, body and spirit in the sweat lodge.
The ceremonies include a sweat lodge, followed by a potluck feast. Read more about what to expect at our sweat ceremonies.

If you are not entering the sweat lodge, you are welcome to come and be with the sacred fire.

What to bring:

Tobacco
For the sweat lodge: shorts (men) or cotton nightgown or skirt/top (women) & towel
Water bottle
Food – to share in potluck feast after the sweat
Optional donation for the Centre are welcome – for wood, gas for elder, cleaning, etc. You may donate in person or click here to donate online

Want to get an email every time we host a community ceremony? Select “Local News” when you sign up for our e-newsletter.

Return of the Buffalo Drum Circle
2024-07-16 14:00 - 16:00 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
Once a month, we host a drop-in drum circle for youth and young adults, led by a local singer and knowledge-keeper. Caregivers are encouraged to join if they are bringing younger kids.
Our song leader on July 16 is: Carla Cook.
Note: The circle always meetings in the afternoon but exact time is subject to change.
We like to serve a meal with the drum circle, so if you are wanting to attend or bring a group, please email kitchenmanager@sandysaulteaux.ca.
This free event is supported out of the Return of the Buffalo Fund. Please consider making a donation if you value this gathering. You can click here to donate online or give by cash or cheque during the drop-in.

Return of the Buffalo Drum Circle
2024-08-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
Once a month, we host a drop-in drum circle for youth and young adults, led by a local singer and knowledge-keeper. Caregivers are encouraged to join if they are bringing younger kids.
Our song leader on August 6 is: Henry McKay.
Note: The circle always meetings in the afternoon but exact time is subject to change.
We like to serve a meal with the drum circle, so if you are wanting to attend or bring a group, please email kitchenmanager@sandysaulteaux.ca.
This free event is supported out of the Return of the Buffalo Fund. Please consider making a donation if you value this gathering. You can click here to donate online or give by cash or cheque during the drop-in.

August Community Sweat Ceremony
2024-08-17 12:00 - 17:00 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada

Mamawe Ota Askihk - Sharing Life Together Here on Earth
2024-08-19 - 2024-08-23 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
a spiritual gathering for land based learning
Gather with Indigenous and settler allies to reclaim the homegrown, the homespoken, the homebred, and the homemade:

Learn drum songs.
Make jam, soap, sausage and more.
Bead a medicine pouch.
Meet old friends, make new friends.
And more!

Our week together will include hands-on learning about growing, harvesting and preparing medicines and foods from the land. There will be time for listening, sharing, singing, ceremony and sharing good food together. Come root yourself in an understanding of the land as our health. Share in the spiritual teaching, laughter, and new learning. And most importantly, taste the beauty of friendships formed through nurturing one another as the earth nurtures us.

Food for us comes from our relatives, whether they have wings or fins or roots. That is how we consider food. Food has a culture. It has a history. It has a story. It has relationships.–Winona LaDuke

PROGRAM
REGISTRATION
COST
TRANSPORTATION & ACCOMMODATION
CONTACT

PROGRAM
We will gather every morning for a sharing circle around the fire.
Participants will be able to move between hands-on activity stations throughout the day as they wish. We expect to make and bead medicine pouches, make rattles, make sausage, smoke meat and fish, make soap, carve soapstone, pick sage and sweetgrass, hold a sweat ceremony, learn drum songs, work in the garden, make jams and jellies and more. Schedule coming soon!
All ages are welcome to participate in all activities. Youth and children will have opportunities to participate in some activities with their families and other times to connect with other youth and children with the guidance of our youth leaders.
We will share meals together three times a day. An evening fire will follow the dinner-hour for sharing stories of land and healing.
Participants are invited to contribute to the week by helping in the kitchen, leading music, sharing their experience at the different activity stations, teaching a game or physical exercise and/or telling a story around the fire.
The program runs from breakfast at 8:00 am on Monday morning until supper wraps up at 6:00 pm on Friday night.
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REGISTRATION

All ages are welcome. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or caregiver.
Space is limited and we are committed to having a balance of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people participate.

Click here to download the Mamawe 2024 Registration Form.
Submit your completed registration form to connect@sandysaulteaux.ca.

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COST
Registration and accommodation fees help us prepare for an incredible week of hands-on learning, acquire the supplies and good food for enjoying together, cover travel for elders and teachers and recognize the time and contributions of the hosts and organizers. If these fees would prevent you from attending, we encourage you to reach out to your band, church or agency that would support you to attend Mamawe Ota Askihk.
$950.00 per person – NO accommodation, event and meals only
$1000.00 per person – camping accommodation, event and meals OR
$1250.00 per person – cabin accommodation, event and meals (27 spots available.. some single beds, some double)
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TRANSPORTATION & ACCOMMODATIONS
The program runs from breakfast at 8:00 am on Monday morning until supper wraps up at 6:00 pm on Friday night.
Participants are responsible for their own transportation to the Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre.
If you are interested in carpooling we’ll do our best to connect you with other participants traveling from the same place.
Accommodations will be provided in the guest lodges at the Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre. Participants can also choose to bring their own tent to stay outdoors at the Centre.

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CONTACT
For more information, contact the Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre at 204-268-3913 or connect@sandysaulteaux.ca.
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October Community Sweat Ceremony
2024-10-06 12:00 - 17:00 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada

BS2 Wisdom/Psalms Learning Circle & Continuing Education Opportunity
2024-10-21 - 2024-10-25 | Five Oaks, 1 Bethel Rd, Paris, Ontario, N3L 3E3, Canada
Resource Person: Adrian Jacobs
Elder: Eileen Antone
Location: Five Oaks Education and Retreat Centre, in Paris Ontario.

Hear Adrian explaining what the circle will be like and who should come: https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/wisdomandpsalmslearningcircle/

From the Wisdom books (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Lamentations) a discussion of: the images of God and the Spirit; themes, metaphors, proverbs, poetry and art; and, human to human relationships and with creation. From the Wisdom tradition of Indigenous Elders a discussion of these same matters to encourage appreciation for and use of this cultural wisdom.
In this course students will:

Learn to ask questions and find answers that will help them understand the context of the Psalms and Wisdom Scriptures and the meanings of imagery and language used. Tools for understanding and interpreting historical and cultural forms will be introduced and used.

Know how to research and apply appropriate Indigenous stories and cultural information as a complement to and illustrative of their presentation of the Scriptures.

Be encouraged to think creatively and to observe carefully the various means and methods that Elders use in passing on cultural wisdom.

Think reflectively about the Wisdom Scriptures and Traditional Wisdom and where they agree, disagree, complement, contrast and intersect.

We welcome guest learners to join our students in this circle. Contact connect@sandysaulteaux.ca to learn more.
Download the registration form here.

HS4 Prophets & Prophecy Learning Circle & Continuing Education Opportunity
2024-10-28 - 2024-10-31 | Five Oaks, 1 Bethel Rd, Paris, Ontario, N3L 3E3, Canada
Resource People: Deanna Zantingh & TBA
Elder: Lee Claus
Location: Five Oaks Education and Retreat Centre, in Paris Ontario.
A study of several Hebrew prophets, including women prophets, the role of Prophecy in the life of the Hebrew people, the place of prophecy in our lives and communities today, and an exploration of prophets and prophecy from an Indigenous perspective.
We welcome guest learners to join our students in this circle. Contact connect@sandysaulteaux.ca to learn more.
Download the registration form here.

November Community Sweat Ceremony
2024-11-09 12:00 - 17:00 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada

Listen In: a conversation on culture, racialization and the church
2024-11-21 18:00 - 19:30 | Manitoba
Join Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre online to listen to 3 young Indigenous and Racialized Scholars share their art, their passion and their research. Come to be challenged and inspired!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

The United Church’s Indigenous-Racialized Youth Scholars program was created to be a space where youth can give voice to a new generation who seek to move the church towards a growth while being their authentic selves. Through creative expression, including prose and poetry, the scholars tackled issues close to their hearts, reflecting on their experiences and delving into Canadian history and racism’s impact on their generation.

Now they want to share what they’ve learned and pass on the excitement, the passion, and the commitment that has brought such meaning into their own lives.

We’ll hear from:

Eli Dunlap
I’m Elijah (Eli)(they/them) I am a 26-year-old mixed (Anishinaabe/Nehiyaw/Tsalagi/Settler,) Two-Spirit, musician, actor and writer who loves animals, nature, learning, engaging with community and so much more. I grew up in The United Church of Canada, in a small rural Nova Scotia congregation, and attended church camp for many years both as a camper and then a counselor. I am currently completing my undergraduate degree in Sociology with a minor in Law and Society at Acadia University. My research topic extended nicely from the work I had been doing this past academic year in school with focus on Indigenous Youth Suicide, I expanded my scope for this project to focus specifically on environmental racism- particularly water injustice- and how that connects and contributes to the disproportionate rates of Indigenous Youth Suicide.

Sarah Yang
Sarah is a first-year university student, currently studying in Hamilton Ontario. She is of Korean descent but grew up in Manitoba, attending Teulon and Balmoral United Church. Sarah’s research topic covers the ways in which Racialized and Indigenous peoples may interact with capitalism and colonialism as embedded into culture and psychological mindsets. Sarah appreciates good music, vintage, and wishes to write a book within her lifetime.

Mackayla Taylor
Tansi, Aaniin, Nizho Misko Miigoganog/Nisomihkokwanak Nitisinikâson. Nîci-înînîmâkânân môniyâw iskwâhtêm Mackayla. Hello! My Spirit name is Two Red Feathers, and my English name is Mackayla Taylor. I am 19 years old and currently a university student in Treaty 1 territory working towards a degree in Social Work and Gender studies to eventually become an action therapist and help those in the foster care system regain confidence in their Indigeneity. My research topic is “The Impacts of ‘Pretendian’ Identities on Indigenous Communities and how the United Church of Canada plays a role. I am mixed Indigenous and queer. I have attended Atlantic Garden City United Church ever since I was younger. I love beading, sewing, spending time with my family, and reconnecting to my culture. Although we all have different views, I hope that when reading and listening to my paper, it sparks an interest in further learning and education on topics that aren’t discuss widely. Ékosi, Miigwetch.

Women Identifying Sweatlodge
2024-12-06 17:00 - 21:00 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
We attend Sweatlodge ceremonies to cleanse our mind, body, spirit and emotions and to help us heal.
This ceremony is for Women Identifying individuals only.

Click here for more information specific to this ceremony.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

Winter Solstice Ceremony
2024-12-21 12:00 - 17:00 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
Seasonal ceremonies at Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre are a time to be on the land, to honour and give thanks for all of creation, to have some quiet reflective time around the fire and to renew and refresh our mind, body and spirit in the sweat lodge.
The ceremonies include a sweat lodge, followed by a potluck feast. Read more about what to expect at our seasonal ceremonies.

If you are not entering the sweat lodge, you are welcome to come and be with the sacred fire.

What to bring:

Tobacco
For the sweat lodge: shorts (men) or cotton nightgown or skirt/top (women) & towel
Water bottle
Food – to share in potluck feast after the sweat
Optional donation for the Centre – for wood, gas for elder, cleaning, etc.

Want to get an email every time we host a seasonal ceremony? Select “Local News” when you sign up for our e-newsletter.

Family Sweatlodge: FULL
2025-01-03 17:00 - 21:00 | Manitoba
We attend Sweatlodge ceremonies to cleanse our mind, body, spirit and emotions and to help us heal.
The Sweatlodge ceremony for families is a gentler ceremony and is a good place to come if you have never participated in one before or you have younger children. For those of you who are experienced ‘sweaters’ you are welcome!
Click here for more information specific to this ceremony.
Registration is full. The next Family Sweat will be February 7.

Drum Circle
2025-01-18 13:30 - 16:00 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
All ages are welcome.
Please arrive with enough time to get settled in so we can be ready to open our circle together at 2:00.
Gather around our big grandfather drum to learn songs and sing together.
Bring your own drum if you have one.
A light meal will follow.
Registration required.
Please consider making a donation to help keep these gatherings free and accessible to everyone who comes seeking connection to culture and Spirit. You can donate online when you register, or give by cash or cheque when you’re here.

REGISTER HERE

H/CD1 Intro to Church History Learning Circle & Continuing Education Opportunity: In-Person or Online
2025-01-20 - 2025-01-24 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
Introduction to Church History: Global Missionary Movements and The United Church of Canada
Resource person: Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd (Rev. Dr.)
Participation: in-person or online
This learning circle will offer an overview of church history from the perspective of mission. It will explore the missionary movements of the early church through until the present, with particular emphasis on missionary work of The United Church of Canada. The colonial impact of mission on Indigenous peoples will be critically examined.
Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of the learning circle, the student will be able to:

identify how Christian mission work has evolved within the 2000-year history of the Christian Church;
understand the colonial impact of Christian mission on Indigenous peoples
understand the evolving forms of home and overseas mission within The United Church of Canada

Registration
We welcome guest learners to join our students in this circle.
Please complete our registration form and return to connect@sandysaulteaux.ca.
Download the registration form for HCD1 Introduction to Church History January 20-24, 2025.

BS1 Intro to the Bible and Bible Study Methods Learning Circle & Continuing Education Opportunity: In-person or Online
2025-01-27 - 2025-01-31 | Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, 290 Zielke Drive, Beausejour, Manitoba, R0E 0C0, Canada
Resource person: Dr. Dan Epp-Tiessen
Participation: in-person or online
This course provides an introduction to the Bible and Bible study by exploring the Bible’s major themes and the story that it tells of Creator’s relationship to humanity. The course will look at how the content of the Bible is shaped by the geographic, cultural, and social contexts out of which its different writings emerged. As we look at specific biblical passages we will discuss various methods and approaches that can be used to study the Bible in ways that nurture faith in Creator and Creator’s saving ways.
The course will highlight how parts of the Bible have been used in the history of colonization to harm Indigenous peoples. Such conversations will provide opportunity to explore how the Bible can nurture and shape a healthy Christian faith, especially one that is respectful of Indigenous worldviews and ways.
Outcomes and Learning Goals
Through participating in this course students will acquire:

a basic overview of the story that the Bible tells of how Creator creates the world and works to heal and renew it;
some knowledge of the geographical, historical, and social context out of which the Bible’s different writings emerged;
greater awareness of the Bible’s major themes and teachings;
some familiarity with different ways of reading and studying the Bible;
recognition of how certain aspects of the Bible must be resisted because they are theologically and ethically problematic for Christians as a whole, and especially for Indigenous peoples;
greater awareness of how the Bible relates to Indigenous worldviews and ways;
deeper appreciation for how the Bible can nurture healthy and life-giving Christian faith.

Registration

We welcome guest learners to join our students in this circle.
Please complete our registration form and return to connect@sandysaulteaux.ca.
Download the registration form for BS1 Intro to the Bible January 27-31, 2025.
