Traditional Indigenous Circle Processes adapted to heal workplaces.
Created by Elder Vicky Whalen and by Paula Drouin
Vicky and Paula worked together over a couple of decades. The passing of Elder Vicky in 2020 was such a loss, and we feel honored to have her ideas live on in this course.
During this workshop an Elder will provide participants with traditional indigenous circle teachings used for sharing, healing and addressing conflict. Paula will then provide practical ways to adapt traditional circle processes to restore modern post-conflict workplaces.
Employees are frequently harmed not only by the people they are complaining about, but also by formal complaint processes such as: grievances, investigations, arbitration’s, hearings, and appeals. Once the formal processes have concluded, these same complainants and respondents frequently must continue to work together. The inspiration for this workshop came from being asked “how can we put this team back together?”
Paula’s experience designing and delivering an Indigenous Peacemaking Certificate Program for Native Counselling Services of Alberta, has provided her with a culturally rich exposure to traditional healing processes and the caring presence of many Elders. With deep respect for the work of these Elders and their application of sharing and healing circles to help families, groups, and communities overcome harm, Paula reached out to Vicky to co-create this unique opportunity that we are sure will challenge your thinking and inspire you to ‘think outside the box’ when addressing team tensions.
Paula has spent the past year finding respected people from Indigenous Nations to co-present this material. Paula will be working with a few different Elders and others from the community who are familiar with the work to co-facilitate.
Paula Drouin – Paula draws on her past experiences working in a maximum security prison and in Edmonton’s inner city to create links between theory and practice. She has designed and delivered training in restorative justice, workplace assessments, investigations, mediation, negotiation, conflict resolution and has provided mediation and other dispute resolution services in workplaces for over twenty years.
Dakota Michaud – Dakota is First Nations Ojibway, her family is from Pointe-au-Baril, Ontario. Dakota spent her adult life dedicated to teaching her daughter her Indigenous heritage. This journey led her to the work of restorative practice where she continues to bring the core principles of Indigenous Restorative Care to her work in education and organizational leadership. She is a trained Restorative Practice Consultant through the International Institute of Restorative Practice. With this training and her knowledge of Indigenous restorative traditions, she has spent almost a decade working with Indigenous communities; much of the time focused on workplace restoration and conflict resolution. She is currently working as Superintendent of Schools in Pond Inlet Nunavut; her work is grounded in the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action.
Cost: $570.00 +gst
This course is currently being delivered online in two 3.5 hour blocks and one 7 hour block.
