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Supporting Indigenous Youth - Learning about Culture and Identity

Mike Cywink
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Supporting Indigenous Youth - Learning about Culture and Identity

Boozhoo, 

My spirit name is Nimkii Giizis which translates to Thunder Day, but my English name and what I have been going by, for the majority of my life is Michael Cywink. I am currently a full time employee at the Centre for School Mental Health at Western University and I am also a part time student working towards a degree in First Nation Studies. 

When I was a younger man growing up on Manitoulin Island, I felt a large disconnect to my culture and who I am as an Anishnaabe walking in this world. That was at no fault of my parents, but just being in an elementary public school where there was no visual representation amongst the staff, the other students and in the hallways made it difficult to carry any kind of cultural pride or identity. As I started to get a little bit older I felt like there was something missing in my life, a piece of the puzzle that just wasn’t there. I was very active in the community, played lots of sports, did art projects here and there, so I was pretty busy and had different things to occupy my time and help me grow. Fast forward a couple years and I ended up in London, Ontario working with Indigenous youth in my current position and that’s when I realized what it was. I realized that the piece of the puzzle that was missing, was the spiritual side of who I was and who I am. I know that’s the missing piece because I see it every day in the youth who I work with. 

My official title at Western University is program liaison/student mentor and I work with Indigenous youth within the Thames Valley District School board. I run leadership programs, mentoring programs, different camps, and provide culturally relevant opportunities for students to grow and learn about who they are in this world. The program I run is called the Fourth R and is a balance of cultural knowledge and teachings interwoven within a program about healthy relationships. I work with First Nation, Metis and/or Inuit students from grade seven to grade twelve. It is an extremely rewarding position and provides me the opportunity to not only help these students grow and be proud of who they are, but to help myself on this cultural path as well. Student empowerment and student voice is a component of my work. Being a teenager and navigating high school is not an easy thing, especially for an Indigenous student who hears and sees racism, stereotypes and experiences prejudice all the time in the media, in the hallways and anytime they pick up a smartphone. So being in this position where we can talk about those types of situations and how to deal with them is important for student success. Not just academic success either, but to help them navigate this life with their head held high and the importance of them carrying their traditions, customs and teachings close to their heart. 

My job definitely has some tough days, but also has its great days. It’s like everything in life, you have to take the good with the bad. Helping break down stereotypes and empowering the current wave of students, helps blaze the trail for the next generation to come through, followed by the next, and the next. We have to keep fighting that good fight and helping each other along the way so that one day, those students don’t have to hear and see the ugly side of society and get judged before they even step a foot into the classroom. 

On June 21st we celebrated Solidarity Day here in London, I did some painting with a group of high school students at Banting SS, then headed down to Wortley Village where they had a traditional showcase of dance, music, drumming and celebrating life. It was a beautiful day where my heart felt full and felt like everything was going to be ok. There were thousands of people in attendance, young and old, happy and free, native and non-native. And the furthest thing from my mind was the struggles, the pain and the hardships that the Indigenous people have suffered over the years. Now imagine if I experienced that feeling every single day? It’d be pretty amazing. My hope and my dream is that one day, our students get to experience that exact feeling on a daily basis. 

Miigwetch (thank you) for reading, 
-Thunder Day (Michael Cywink)

Authors

Mike Cywink

Student Mentor and Program Liaison The Fourth R, Uniting Our Nations

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Recent Posts

a young man, diving on the floor during a goalball game. Wearing a team Canada red and black jersey, a white headband, and black coloured blind fold. The ball is blue. / Un jeune homme plongeant au sol lors d'un match de goalball. Il porte un maillot rouge et noir de l'équipe du Canada, un bandeau blanc et un bandeau noir sur les yeux. Le ballon est bleu.
Goalball: A Life-Changing Sport Gateway for the Visually Impaired
[ Feature Article ] At fourteen, Harry Nickerson became the youngest-ever member of the Canadian Men's Goalball Team—not because the system found him, but because a chain of referrals happened to hold together. This article uses his journey to explore goalball's transformative potential for young people with vision loss and the role physical and health educators (PHE) can play in making sport access a reliable pathway rather than a fortunate accident.
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[ Feature Article ] How can a simple walk be one of the most powerful choices we make? In this piece, eleven-year-old Ishaani Basu draws on research to explore how walking outside can improve physical and mental health, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and even free up government resources for people experiencing homelessness.
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Authored by: Jeffrey Gaudet, Dr. Sasha Gollish, Vanessa Coulbeck, Dr. Catherine Sabiston, Dr. Mathieu Bélanger
A group of children joyfully running down a brightly lit hallway, showcasing their excitement and energy. / Un groupe d'enfants court joyeusement dans un couloir, exprimant l'énergie et l'enthousiasme.
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Authored by: Dr. Sasha Gollish, Sarah Ryan, Vanessa Coulbeck, Samira Sunderji, Dr. Catherine Sabiston
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[ Research ] Climate change represents a profound threat to the health and wellbeing of today's children and adolescents, yet its impacts on these populations are not fully understood. Evidence indicates that climate-related extreme events, and the stress associated with climate change, may significantly affect young people's mental health, educational attainment, and physical activity levels. Schools can play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges. One approach to addressing these challenges is using a Comprehensive School Health (CSH) model, which encompasses four pillars: teaching and learning, social and physical environment, healthy school policy, and partnerships and services. This paper presents illustrative ideas for programs, policies, or practices that could align with different pillars of the CSH model in relation to climate change. These examples are intended to prompt discussion and reflection, rather than to assert effectiveness, and may offer ways schools could consider supporting students in responding to climate-related concerns, including climate anxiety, and developing skills to navigate environmental challenges.
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