ISN Maskwa

Earlier this month ISN Maskwa was asked to stand up an Incident Command Team to support a First Nation through an emergency evacuation. ISN Maskwa was proud to provide and support this community with the first ALL Indigenous Command Team! 📣🙌 This has been a goal for Maskwa for the last two years!

The ISN Maskwa team has brought the Wildland Firefighter training to northwestern Ontario, working with Keewaytinook Okimakanak and beginning with McDowell Lake First Nation's course! This was the first of six training courses with the KO communities to take place in the next few months. The group of graduates completed the course in Red Lake, enhancing their skills with the training and their abilities with the new equipment and PPE. The team worked together to put what they had learned to the test and practiced with the equipment in the tree line to get a real idea of some challenges they could face in the future when fighting wildfires.

On this Meet the Team Monday we are highlighting Dean Roy! Dean Roy is currently an Evacuation Support Specialist with ISN Maskwa but has been a Supervisor of our Community Support Personnel (“CSPs”) on deployments and evacuations. He has also assisted in the role of Duty Officer at the Indigenous Emergency Operations Centre. Dean is a member and a former Chief of Sheshegwaning First Nation. During his time as Chief he was involved in developing the Evacuations Specialist Community Support Program on which our current CSPs training is based. Dean has served on the Leadership Council for Anishinabek Nation, where he managed the Lands Resources and Justice portfolio, served on the Boards of Directors for the First Nations Finance Authority and chaired the Kinoomaadziwin Education Body (“KEB”) Chiefs Committee for the Anishinabek Education System, one of the largest self-government agreements in Canadian history. Fun Fact: Dean has a love of food and has a reputation of taking pictures of his meals and sharing his culinary delights with the team. He is on the hunt for the best burger! PS. We blame technology for the delay in this post, it is not always our friend and did not want to work last Monday!

Last week, Maskwa's own Jane Martynuck was featured in an article in the SooToday that shares her journey and adventures after retiring from her policing career, including her role with ISN Maskwa! To compliment the article, Jane wrote a piece this week reflecting on her experiences with Maskwa and discusses what Truth and Reconciliation means to her. The blog can be found here on our website: https://lnkd.in/g7DcxSn4 The SooToday article can be found here: https://lnkd.in/e2_BF4qB

Today on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, ISN Maskwa would like to show acknowledgement to the Survivors and Victims of Indian Residential Schools and Indian Day Schools. Our ISN Maskwa team members from across the province will wear their #OrangeShirts to acknowledge and honour those who live with the scars and those who did not return home from Indian Residential Schools and Indian Day Schools.

Notice: Winnipeg Evacuation Specialist Community Support Training has been POSTPONED. Unfortunately, at this time, it has been decided that we need to postpone this Winnipeg training session due to unforeseen circumstances. Registration has been closed as we work to reschedule this session with our amazing trainers! On a positive note, it is amazing to see the volume of registration from individuals ready to step up and help communities across Ontario and Manitoba! We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to have you all training with us very soon 😊

Anotha one! We are hosting another Evacuation Specialist Community Support Training course, this time and for the first time in Maskwa history, we are bringing our training out-of-province and hosting in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from September 30 to October 9! We are looking to add dedicated and enthusiastic Community Support Personnel to our ISN Maskwa team that are ready to deploy to the First Nations we support in both Ontario and Manitoba! Registration is now live on our website here: https://lnkd.in/gTJsTn2h

These cool temperatures have given us brain-freeze and we have FALL-en behind on Meet the Team Monday this month! Everyone, please allow us to introduce to you, Jutta Horn! In June of this year, Jutta Horn was appointed as the Planning Coordinator with the IEOC. Over the past year and a half, she has been a key member of ISN Maskwa's Incident Command Team, contributing her expertise during flood and fire evacuations. In her new role, Jutta brings her strong background in community planning and emergency response, aligning with her belief in empowering First Nations communities. Jutta is also the Deputy Chief of the Missanabie Cree First Nation. Her dedication to supporting her community began in 1998 when she moved to Ontario and played a crucial role in the nation-building efforts of the Missanabie Cree. This marked the start of her long and fulfilling career, focused on advancing First Nations' interests and development. Outside of her professional roles, Jutta is a mother of four and a proud grandmother of sixteen. An avid hunter, harvester, and gatherer, she attributes her passion for these skills to her own mother, who taught her the importance of learning so that she can better serve First Nations members. Fun Fact: When on deployments, if Jutta isn't making us laugh or smile, she's always making sure we’ve taken time to eat!

It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that our team at ISN Maskwa received the news of the sudden passing of Assembly of Manitoba Grand Chief Cathy Merrick. Several of our team members had the honor of meeting and working with her over the past year and a half. Grand Chief Cathy Merrick was a tireless champion for her people, with an unwavering commitment to justice and accountability that was evident to everyone who had the privilege of meeting her. Her leadership was the driving force behind positive changes for Manitoba First Nations, including securing the commitment from Federal and Provincial governments to search the Prairie Green Landfill. At the time of her passing, she was speaking on yet another justice issue in front of a courthouse. Her passionate leadership and strength will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and all who were fortunate enough to know her. As a leader, she changed countless lives. May her spirit journey be peaceful—her legacy will live on.

Today is International Indigenous Women's Day! ISN Maskwa would like to acknowledge and celebrate all the beautiful Kweok that we work alongside, we train alongside and learn alongside. We show appreciation for the wisdom, strength and resilience of Indigenous women as Grandmothers, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Chiefs and leaders, protectors of the land and life bearers! Our women should be celebrated everyday for their contributions to their communities, the whole of Turtle Island and communities across the globe. Miigwetch to our women, Happy International Indigenous Women’s Day!