Communities of Wealth

This is a big one. Prepare yourself. In our final episode of this season we sit with Jermaine Henry @jermainehenry.ca and speak truth to growing into positions of power, being exploited by the sector, shared trauma and leaning into the strength of our ancestors.  

Jermaine Henry is a consultant, published author, inspirational speaker, emcee, master facilitator and social entrepreneur who has worked in the philanthropic, mental health, youth-serving, arts, culture and social innovation sectors for over 10 years. His work has been published in the North American Journal of Psychology and he has been featured on the front page of Toronto Metro Newspaper for his work with Braver Spaces.

IBLV DREAMERS are hitting the road for Hip Hop Healing tour this summer across Ontario (coming to a city/town near you!)
Website: www.iblv.tv
@iblvtv @youngleaderscircle @theheardco 

Special thanks to Claudia Skunk and Sydney Nolan for being our Podcast Committee Members! 

Episode Content Produced by Shanna Peltier and Thea Belanger 

Audio Engineering and Post-Production by Velvet Tine Productions ([email protected]) & Pat Peltier Music. 

Music Written and Produced by Pat Peltier. 

Welcome to Episode number 6! In this episode we sit down with Kendra Kerr @kendra_la_la from @mlsefoundation to talk about how our relationship (between MSLE and OYIPP) was established. We discuss the realities of working in the sector and how our personal connection to the work can have an incredible impact. Further, we spoke about how to address power imbalances within the philanthropic sector (e.g. when working with youth or marginalized communities). Last, we encourage folks in the sector to move forward with Kendra's fearlessness captured in the title of this episode. See below for more info on this badass human we adore. 

At heart, Kendra considers herself a storyteller and social impact facilitator. As Manager, Partnerships and Projects at MLSE Foundation, Kendra invests $10 million in strategic charitable funds each year, and works with community partners to amplify impact, scale successful projects and build organizational capacity. With 10 years of strategic leadership, Kendra is driven by a desire to innovate the sector, and supplements her experience with a B.A (Hons.) from Queen’s University and a B. Ed from O.I.S.E at University of Toronto; holding additional certificates in Indigenous Worldviews and Project Management.
 
Kendra is a settler on the land we now call Toronto. When not working, you can find her at home with her partner and their two badly behaved dogs.


Special thanks to Claudia Skunk and Sydney Nolan for being our Podcast Committee Members! 

Episode Content Produced by Shanna Peltier and Thea Belanger 

Audio Engineering and Post-Production by Velvet Tine Productions ([email protected]) & Pat Peltier Music. 

Music Written and Produced by Pat Peltier. 

In this episode, we speak to two incredible humans, Quinn Meawasige @quinnmeawasige and Jessica Bolduc @jboldlygo, about what it is like to be forced through problematic philanthropic processes. Further, we discuss building deep relationships with Indigenous peers through a shared traumatic experience. Quinn has held several positions with OIYPP and currently acts as Steering Committee Chair. Outside of being a bad-ass Kwe, Jess is the Executive Director of the @4rs_youth_movement. We explore what it feels like to be Indigenous leaders, working within the philanthropic sector and seeking the same pots of money. We discuss our dreams and wishes for the future of Indigenous communities and the betterment of philanthropy.

Special thanks to Claudia Skunk and Sydney Nolan for being our Podcast Committee Members! 

Episode Content Produced by Shanna Peltier and Thea Belanger 

Audio Engineering and Post-Production by Velvet Tine Production Co. ([email protected]) & Pat Peltier Music. 

Music Written and Produced by Pat Peltier. 

In our third installment of Communities of Wealth Podcast we are exploring the experience of one of our Youth Advisors, Sam Kloetstra. Sam Mukwa Kloetstra is an Anishinaabe youth from Mattagami First Nation. Sam is an advocate for Indigenous youth, nation-building, and community wellbeing. He has been an advisor to the Ontario Minister of Education and has sat on the Ontario Premier’s Council for Youth Opportunities. Sam continues to work in influencing change in youth focused health and education policy. He is a vocal advisor on the Toronto Indigenous Health Advisory Circle, Toronto Indigenous Affairs Committee, and the Toronto Drug Strategy Panel. We explore the experiences of Sam and Shanna (yes Shanna is also a Youth Advisor for OIYPP!) in being introduced to OIYPP and playing various advisory and grantee roles over the last few years. We discuss the desires of Indigenous young people, and what the philanthropic sector can do to better support their visions.   

"I don't really like the industry of Philanthropy just because it's based on the idea that somehow the transfer of funds is somehow a 'gift' or a 'favour' instead of just restitution and reparations. But I do like OIYPP. " - Sam Kloetstra

Co-Hosts and Guests:  

Sam Mukwa Kloetstra (@mukwas) is an Anishinaabe youth from Mattagami First Nation. Sam is an advocate for Indigenous youth, nation-building, and community wellbeing. He has been an advisor to Ontario Minister of Education and has sat on the Ontario Premier’s Council for Youth Opportunities. Sam continues to work in influencing change in youth focussed health and education policy. He is a vocal advisor on the Toronto Indigenous Health Advisory Circle, Toronto Indigenous Affairs Committee, and the Toronto Drug Strategy Panel. Sam continues to amplify Indigenous youth voices through his work with the Toronto Indigenous Youth Collective.

Shanna Peltier (@shannapeltier) - Shanna Peltier is a proud Anishinaabe kwe who grew up in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory located on the beautiful Mnidoo Mnis (Manitoulin Island), Ontario. Shanna is a Ph.D. student in the School and Clinical Child Psychology program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) - University of Toronto. Her research hopes to explore and conceptualize a critical stance on Indigenous mental health in the areas of suicide prevention and life promotion with Indigenous communitites. She also holds various advisory and representative positions with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Project (OIYPP). 

Thea Belanger (@theabear) - Thea Belanger is an Anishinaabe member of the Nipissing First Nation in Ontario. Coming from a long line of artists and activists, she has seen firsthand the power of Indigenous youth to creatively respond to the issues and challenges facing their communities. As the Director of the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Program, a province-wide charitable initiative, she champions the voices of Indigenous Youth and empowers them to create projects that deepen their connections to culture and community while educating and preparing them to navigate the complex world of philanthropy and social change.

Learn more about the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Project: http://www.oiypp.ca/  and @oiypproject. 

Special thanks to Claudia Skunk and Sydney Nolan for being our Podcast Committee Members! 

Episode Content Produced by Shanna Peltier and Thea Belanger 

Audio Engineering and Post-Production by Velvet Tine Production Co. ([email protected]) & Pat Peltier Music. 

In our second episode of the Communities of Wealth Podcast we explore the experiences of Indigenous youth navigating the impacts of pandemic. Specifically, we address how Indigenous youth sought support from OIYPP as grantees during the pandemic, and highlight how OIYPP had to be flexible in our approach to supporting young people during virtual times. Our special guest this episode is Josh Lewis, who is a helper of Assembly of Seven Generations (A7G). A7G is an Indigenous Youth-led and driven non-profit organization that focuses on cultural support and empowerment programs for Indigenous youth in Ottawa, Ontario. We explore the multitude of emerging issues as the world began to lock down, address how that affected young people in urban and rural communities, and discuss the feelings that emerged as we worked alongside funders and the charitable sector to support Indigenous youth.

Co-Hosts and Guests:  

Shanna Peltier (@shannapeltier) - Shanna Peltier is a proud Anishinaabe kwe who grew up in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory located on the beautiful Mnidoo Mnis (Manitoulin Island), Ontario. Shanna is a Ph.D. student in the School and Clinical Child Psychology program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) - University of Toronto. Her research hopes to explore and conceptualize a critical stance on Indigenous mental health in the areas of suicide prevention and life promotion, especially as it pertains to Indigenous children and youth. She also holds various advisory and representative positions with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Project (OIYPP). 

Thea Belanger (@theabear) - Thea Belanger is an Anishinaabe member of the Nipissing First Nation in Ontario. Coming from a long line of artists and activists, she has seen firsthand the power of Indigenous youth to creatively respond to the issues and challenges facing their communities. As the Director of the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Program, a province-wide charitable initiative, she champions the voices of Indigenous Youth and empowers them to create projects that deepen their connections to culture and community while educating and preparing them to navigate the complex world of philanthropy and social change.

Gabrielle Fayant (Instagram @gabriellevfayant + Twitter @GabrielleFayant) - Gabrielle Fayant originates from Fishing Lake Métis Settlement in Alberta and identifies as a proud Michif woman. Gabrielle has worked with Indigenous youth at a grassroots level for almost a decade. Gabrielle has used her knowledge on the ground to influence systemic changes such as working on the implementation of TRC Call to Action 66. Gabrielle has been a Youth Advisory to OIYPP since 2015. She has witnessed the positive impacts that OIYPP fosters in community and supports the grassroots efforts of Indigenous youth. 

Josh Lewis is Anishinaabe from Wikwemikong First Nation & N'Swakamok (Sudbury, Ontario). Josh is currently a helper with Assembly of Seven Generations (A7G) and an educator and student support with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board. 

Learn more about the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Project: http://www.oiypp.ca/  and @oiypproject. 

Special thanks to Claudia Skunk and Sydney Nolan for being our Podcast Committee Members! 

Episode Content Produced by Shanna Peltier and Thea Belanger 

Audio Engineering and Post-Production by Velvet Tine Production Co. ([email protected]) & Pat Peltier Music. 

Music Written and Produced by Pat Peltier. 

Our first episode of the brand new podcast Communities of Wealth explores the origin story of the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Project - an Indigenous youth-led granting program. In this episode we discuss some key players within our work and address the tensions associated with being an Indigenous youth-led granting agency working within a colonial granting structure. We discuss why our work is important, challenging, and much-needed within the sector to support Indigenous young people.

"A yes is saying we believe in you. That alone can make you so happy to feel seen and heard and as an expert. A yes can build a whole community"

Co-Hosts and Guests:  

Shanna Peltier (Instagram + Twitter @shannapeltier) - Shanna Peltier is a proud Anishinaabe kwe who grew up in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory located on the beautiful Mnidoo Mnis (Manitoulin Island), Ontario. Shanna is a Ph.D. student in the School and Clinical Child Psychology program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) - University of Toronto. Her research hopes to explore and conceptualize a critical stance on Indigenous mental health in the areas of suicide prevention and life promotion, especially as it pertains to Indigenous children and youth. She also holds various advisory and representative positions with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Project (OIYPP). 

Thea Belanger (@theabear) - Thea Belanger is an Anishinaabe member of the Nipissing First Nation in Ontario. Coming from a long line of artists and activists, she has seen firsthand the power of Indigenous youth to creatively respond to the issues and challenges facing their communities. As the Director of the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Program, a province-wide charitable initiative, she champions the voices of Indigenous Youth and empowers them to create projects that deepen their connections to culture and community while educating and preparing them to navigate the complex world of philanthropy and social change.

Gabrielle Fayant (Instagram @gabriellevfayant + Twitter @GabrielleFayant) - Gabrielle Fayant originates from Fishing Lake Métis Settlement in Alberta and identifies as a proud Michif woman. Gabrielle has worked with Indigenous youth at a grassroots level for almost a decade. Gabrielle has used her knowledge on the ground to influence systemic changes such as working on the implementation of TRC Call to Action 66. Gabrielle has been a Youth Advisory to OIYPP since 2015. She has witnessed the positive impacts that OIYPP fosters in community and supports the grassroots efforts of Indigenous youth. 


Learn more about the Ontario Indigenous Youth Partnership Project: http://www.oiypp.ca/  and @oiypproject. 

Special thanks to Claudia Skunk and Sydney Nolan for being our Podcast Committee Members! 

Episode Content Produced by Shanna Peltier and Thea Belanger 

Audio Engineering and Post-Production by Velvet Tine Production Co. ([email protected]) & Pat Peltier Music. 

Music Written and Produced by Pat Peltier.