Cross Cultural Awareness Training

The Yamózha Kúé Society (formerly the Dene Cultural Institute) is now offering Cross-Cultural Awareness Training workshops for government, industry, and other agencies working in Denendeh. [1]

The Yamózha Kúé Society offers both introductory and advanced level workshops.  The cost and scheduling of these workshops is generally negotiated based on the specific needs of the organization requesting the workshop.  However, Yamózha Kúé may be offering these workshops to the general public in the near future, where enough interest has been expressed.  Contact Yamózha Kúé if you are interested in either hosting or attending one of these workshops.

Introductory Workshop

The Introductory Workshop is normally three-days in duration and has the following goals:

·          Increase respect and appreciation for the traditions, values, beliefs, aspirations, and diversity of Dene people

·          Increase awareness of the historical relationship between Dene and non-Dene peoples and the impact of assimilative policies on Dene culture and language

·          Increase awareness of contemporary Dene issues

·          Strengthen working relationships between Dene and non-Dene peoples.

The main topics for this workshop include:

Ø       Human and Cultural Relationships

Ø       The Traditional Way

Ø       Elders and the Importance of the Land

Ø       The Historic Relationship and its Impacts

Ø       Reconnecting with the Spirit

Ø       The Contemporary Relationship

Ø       Negotiating Treaty Rights and Land and Governance Agreements

Ø       Current Community Issues

Ø       Community Protocols

Ø       Building and Strengthening Cultural Relationships

This workshop can be offered on-site at Yamózha Kúé or can be delivered at other sites in Denendeh or elsewhere.    Local elders and resource people are utilized for a number of the workshop sessions.  The workshop can also be adapted to either a one- or two-day delivery, focusing on key areas of interest.   The maximum number of participants for this workshop is twenty.

Advanced Workshop

The Advanced Workshop is delivered on the land over a five-day period and provides an opportunity for greater immersion in Dene culture and language.  The goal of this workshop is to provide a Dene perspective on a range of contemporary issues.

This workshop primarily consists of seasonal land-use activities interwoven with cultural presentations on a variety of general topics of interest to the participants.    However, the workshop can also be designed around specific topics of interest, such as health, wellness, the environmental, resource development, governance, language, or other topics.  Elders and specialized resource people play an active role in this workshop. 

The location of this workshop may vary, depending on the season and availability of suitable facilities.

Facilitators and Resource People

Ø       Francois Paulette is a member of the Smith’s Landing First Nation and has been an active and prominent proponent of Dene rights, culture, and language since the early 1970s.  He has considerable experience in contemporary Treaty negotiations and has been called as an expert witness on Treaty rights.  He is currently a cultural, healing, and governance consultant for First Nation and non-Aboriginal governments throughout Denendeh.  Francois is a lead facilitator for the cross-cultural workshops.

Ø       Margaret Leishman is a K’ágee Tu First Nation wellness and language specialist who continues to pursue a traditional lifestyle in her home community of Kakisa.  She worked for many years as a social worker and has been actively involved in teaching language and culture to the youth of her community.  Margaret co-facilitates the workshops and takes a lead role with respect to women’s issues.