Robin Rice

Program Facilitator

Ahneen Boozhoo

My name is Robin Rice, spirit name is Waabishkizi Miigwan Kwe meaning White Feathered Woman I am a First Nations, Ojibway woman. My family comes from Wasauksing First Nations while I was born and raised in the heart of Toronto as my ancestors called it during pre-contact time T’karonto meaning "Where there are tree’s standing in the water". I am a mother of one but an auntie, sister, mentor, role model to youth in the community of T’karonto and over all I huge helper to community and people. I considered myself lucky to work with babies to youth and an amazing team to build a brighter future for all human beings on Mother Earth (Aki). I am a full time student in the Transitional Year Program at the University of Toronto. I dropped out of school at the age of 16 years old went back to school at the age of 33 and proud to have gained the courage to go back even though I had good careers in the childcare/youth care system. I know will have street smart, with personal experiences with the knowledge in our westernized way of thinking, leaving me to be knowledgeable for the help I want to do in communities to build the gap between peoples, cultures and the relationship building with allies. I am a cultural facilitator and I am always excited to teach about the history of indigenous peoples even though it’s a hard truth and what pre-colonial times have done to our ancestors and what is still going on in the system of oppression. I do Medicine Wherl teachings, The Seven grandfather teachings and many more. My teachings come from spirit, elders, healers and traditional knowledge keepers as well as oral teachings in history passed down from generation to generation. I run an after school program for indigenous youth with incarcerated loved ones or who face any injustices. I remember being in jail in my youth days and not having support with programming, this was a big need I’m the west end of T’karonto it’s called Wiingashn youth mentorship program. I worked hard to get here by my personal experiences and resiliency to never give up and continue the fight. I never gave up even though I had a hard time getting here. In my pre-teens to adult hood I grew up to the streets of T’karonto and travelling from group home to foster care to back home with my mom to back on the streets. There has been many times I thought I wouldn’t make out alive in this world but I am here and I am honoured to be here. I am a proud Jingle Dress dancer in my community. It is the dress of healing, it is medicine. I will be dancing Fancy Shawl soon and that is a dance of a butterfly coming out of a cocoon and it has been something I wanted to do as a child, and now as an adult it is finally happening. I want to see our youth use their voices, shine, be proud of who they are, I want to see unity within our people, make that strong link to positive change, we need our voices, we need change in the right direction and most of all we have to continue to show, talk, share and create safe spaces for all to feel safe in world that is hurting.I want to see the laughter of all who was hurting and see the growth in an everlasting journey on life, see the youth rise up in positive change for our communities. I would like to help build and create that positive change and balance "One by One".