Boozhoo, nidizhinikaaz Sabrina Leister (nee Chartrand) and my spirit name is Mashkode-bizhiki Ikwe Naadamaage.
I am of Red River MΓ©tis decent, born and raised in Winnipeg.
My mother, who is of Ojibwe decent, was born & raised in Pine Creek, Manitoba and my father was a French man from Cornwall, Ontario.
I am a married mother of four children and a Gigi to two grandbabies.
I have done a lot of work around raising awareness for MMIWG2S+ (Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, 2-Spirit+) in some of the schools I've worked in. I have helped grow the No Stone Unturned Free Concert for MMIWG2S+ since one of my younger sisters went missing in July of 2008, and I am also a co-founder of Drag the Red, which was started to help look for MMIP (Missing & Murdered Persons) in our Red River when the body of Tina Fontaine was found in the river in 2014. I also run the DTR Facebook page, and I am an advocate and ally for families of MMIP and love telling my sisters story to students, this gives students the connection to an actual person rather than a screen.β
I have been with the division since 2018 as a CATEP student but most recently as the Middle Years Cultural Support & Community Connector for Indigenous Youth. Since starting with the division, I have been doing small beading groups with both students & staff, dream catcher making groups and a couple workshops, and most recently ribbon skirt making. I love working with students and making connections, especially with those that are also trying to connect with our culture.
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