Traditional Opening with Greg Meekis, Odawa Native Friendship Centre – Feb 25 – 10:00 am
Greg Meekis – Oji-Cree is from the isolated Northwestern Ontario community of Sandy Lake. He moved to Ottawa in 1995 and has been serving the Indigenous community in a variety of roles. He currently works as the Cultural Resource Coordinator with the Odawa Native Friendship Centre. Outside of work Greg is heavily involved with the First Nation culture as a drummer, drum and knowledge keeper. His other talents include painting and making drumsticks for the big drum and hand drums.
Foundations for the Future Panel – Feb 25 – 11:00 am
The purpose of this panel is to share insights, discuss best practices, and provide expertise on the role of a coordinator of an on-reserve child and family program. The experiences and perspectives shared by coordinators who have worked in this role from the early days of developing this program is invaluable.
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Collaborating with Families – Heather David & Wahsie Nadjiwan – Feb 25 – 1:15 pm
This topic explores strategies for building trust, fostering open communication, and engaging families as active partners in their child’s development. A family can include individuals such as extended family members, caregivers, kinship, and community members creating a sense of belonging and security.
She:kon! My name is Heather David. I am the 3rd Team member (Supervisor) of Zero2Six. I have been in the Child Care field for 28 years starting as a supply staff all the way to Supervisor. I am married with 6 children of my own and 2 grandchildren.
I love to read and not surprisingly, my first job was at the Akwesasne Library “way back when”! Camping is something we try to do every year. Travelling, planning to travel, and reading about travelling is my hobby. I went back to school at age 48 to complete my ECE program! It’s never too late!
My absolute favorite part of ZERO2Six is seeing the children that I cared for in Child Care come to programming here at Zero2Six with THEIR children.
Wahsie Nadjiwan is a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) who has been working in the field since 2015. As the oldest of five children and a parent of four, Wahsie brings a deep understanding of family dynamics, caregiving, and community connection to her work.
A proud member of the Chippewas of Nawash, Wahsie has held a variety of roles within the community, including classroom educator and Play-Based Learning Coordinator. She currently serves as the Assistant Supervisor at Nshiime Child and Family Centre and is also filling in as the Early Childhood Coordinator to support the Journey Together program.
Wahsie is known for creating exciting, intentional programming that engages children and strengthens family participation. Her work reflects a strong commitment to culturally grounded, relationship-based practice that supports children, families, and the broader community.
Keynote – Traditional Medicines with the Medicine Wheel with Chochi Knott – Feb 26 – 9:30 am
Chochi Knott is an Anishinaabe Kwe from Curve Lake First Nation (Oshkiigamong), she is Bear Clan. Chochi has two daughters, Milena and Piper. Chochi is a certified primary/junior teacher. She completed her Honours BA in Cultural Studies and Sociology and a Professional Master of Education with an emphasis on Aboriginal Leadership.
Growing Together: Community, Culture Panel – Feb 26 – 11:15 am
Making It Sacred: Healthy Mindful Eating with Crystal Bomberry, Training Lead, Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle – Feb 26 – 1:00 pm
In this presentation we will take a close look at IDHC’s wellness resource, “Make it Sacred: Remembering the Spirit in Our Food”. This resource reflects on the importance of traditional foods, giving thanks, mindful eating concepts, and seasonal eating by nature’s calendar. In closing, we will review some simple but healthy meals and snacks that combine both traditional and contemporary foods
Crystal is a proud community member of Six Nations of the Grand River Haudenosaunee Territory in Southern Ontario, where she was raised and continues to reside. She values many family and community relationships in addition to her role with the Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle since 2009. She finds great value and contentment in her work around wholistic wellness and diabetes awareness and prevention. The Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle approach combines Western diabetes knowledge with Indigenous wisdom and influences.
The Journey: From Symptoms to Living Well with Diabetes with Samantha McConnell, Project Coordinator, IDHC – Feb 26 – 1:00 pm (following Crystal’s session)
This graphic novel shares the stories of three Indigenous youth living with diabetes including their experiences of being diagnosed and life after diagnosis for the three types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational. The stories show their emotions, their ups and downs, as well as the support their community can provide to help them live well with diabetes.
Samantha McConnell has been the Waasnooden/Wawatay project coordinator at IDHC for over a year, focusing on youth diabetes education and awareness. She has worked in youth education for around 4 years.
Open Mic for Educators – Share, Learn & Inspire – Feb 26 – 2:45 pm
Join us for an engaging open mic session designed for educators to share ideas, strategies, and experiences. This is a welcoming space to exchange knowledge, celebrate successes, and spark new insights. Whether you have a quick tip, a story, or a resource to recommend, your voice matters! Come on up!