I read a few pages today, from my blog from early 2012.
I actually Inspired myself, and had to laugh, because I totally feed off of super positive energy!
I really want to get back into my blog!!
Wednesday 13 November 2013
Tuesday 16 July 2013
just a thought.
As my year in Samson winds down before I go to School in Calgary to undergo my Studies for my dream career, I reflect & look back, and wonder if what I've done or tried to implement has truly made an impact:
I stood at the top of my Administration building on the third floor and I gazed at my community, and looked around at how much I loved the place, despite of everything negatively portrayed in the media.
Only hours before, having a break down of how some bad things were happening and being vandalized. It made me sad. There is some great amazing people, who love this community just as much as me, and their work goes unacknowledged every day.
I looked around, and look at all the friends I've made, all the youth I've spoken to, and co-workers who have grown to become family to me.
I Love the Samson Cree Nation, and I cant wait to return to do what I can do advance my community and the youth, and to watch & see them grow.
Some days, I am so inspired, & Some days, I break down, wondering why I put myself through working long days, and every single weekend.
I think of how the Creator, has a plan for us all, and for everyone in my community. We won't always be the way we are now.
All of the energy, we out into things, will come around, in one way or another. It may not be while I am around to see it, but at least I know that I tried to leave my community, better than when I came to it.
That is the message, I hope to Inspire. Any & Everything is Possible. Just got to Keep the Faith.
I stood at the top of my Administration building on the third floor and I gazed at my community, and looked around at how much I loved the place, despite of everything negatively portrayed in the media.
Only hours before, having a break down of how some bad things were happening and being vandalized. It made me sad. There is some great amazing people, who love this community just as much as me, and their work goes unacknowledged every day.
I looked around, and look at all the friends I've made, all the youth I've spoken to, and co-workers who have grown to become family to me.
I Love the Samson Cree Nation, and I cant wait to return to do what I can do advance my community and the youth, and to watch & see them grow.
Some days, I am so inspired, & Some days, I break down, wondering why I put myself through working long days, and every single weekend.
I think of how the Creator, has a plan for us all, and for everyone in my community. We won't always be the way we are now.
All of the energy, we out into things, will come around, in one way or another. It may not be while I am around to see it, but at least I know that I tried to leave my community, better than when I came to it.
That is the message, I hope to Inspire. Any & Everything is Possible. Just got to Keep the Faith.
Monday 8 July 2013
Samson-Walk for Water
Walk for Water
Please Contact myself -ashleyd@samsoncree.com
or Jenn Nepoose-jnepoose@gmail.com to make a pledge or participate. We welcome all spectators to come cheer us on!
Sunday 9 June 2013
I just wanted to point you in the direction of three amazing sites!
1) http://www.ykids.blog.com/
Don is a friend whom I met, and now working on a fabulous pilot with along with Janice Ryan on promoting on Activity App aimed for First Nations Youth, (Updates on this later) I wanted to share his blog, because is inspires me every time I read it :) Some days when I think I am too tired to do just about anything, I think of this experience, and How If Don can bike across Canada in 28 days to raise money for youth programming through the YWCA, I can get get the strength to do something productive.
2) http://www.bearclawgallery.com/Paintings.aspx?ArtistID=50
This is the work of Jessica Desmoulin, I have not met her personally, but she designed the screen for the above mentioned Activity App,It is phenominal, let me tell you. and her work is fabulous! I love the turtle art pieces in particular, mostly because I think I was a turtle in my past life. Can't wait to meet this Amazing Artist in person!
Funny Side Note: Am an art admirer, but have a hard time drawing a stick man to save my life.
3) http://www.twowheelview.org/
Two Wheel View: Amazing Amazing Amazing! I think I should really start biking, seeing how The Universe has delivered two biking programs into my life. Always has been on my 'Bucket List' to do an amazing ride through a beautiful country.
Just thought I'd share! It's always amazing to me, how the Universe brings people in to your life, and why you cross paths.
Sunday 2 June 2013
#MMIWG
I've been taking an interest in the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women's Fight to demand for a National Public Inquiry.
In March I attended the AFN National Forum on this in Edmonton, and I was so impacted by the stories, and the governments blind eye for the victims families.
After the Conference was over, I drove home (about an hour south) and I cried all the way home, It was a heavy cry especially for not personally knowing any victims, and I just prayed for all those families of the missing and murdered 600 women.
It was so hard to listen to sisters, moms, aunties, kokums of the Pickton victims. I just wanted to hug them all. I decided that I would not just sit back, and let this happen to more women and girls. Of those missing & murdered 600 women in Canada. 40 are from my Community. (Stats from the Ermineskin Womens Shelter)
I am a volunteer coach for the Iskwesis Girls Program, and we have 40 girls and are growing every week, and I think of my girls, and how one day, they will be moving away from the Samson Community. I think of how much they mean to me, and how I can provide them with tools & education to keep them safe when that time comes, when they venture into the World.
I have lots of teens who come every week, who help me with the little ones, who set an example for the little ones. I can't tell you how much this girls group has made me want to be a better person for them, to create the hope thats been lost.
Last year, the day before I departed to Africa, I participated the Sisters in Spirit Walk for MMIW in Victoria, and I have chosen to support my Community Womens Shelter on June 26, where men will "walk a mile in her shoes"
Mrs. Susan Aglukark & many other amazing keynotes were in the Samson Community discussing Violence against Women. I am glad these issues are finally being recognized by leadership at all levels. I certainly believe the crisis facing First Nations Women is a National Epidemic.
For all the gatherings, I've been to where we discuss the crisis that face us as First Nations Women, most of the people in the audience have been Women. We need our men and our children to walk with us, on this path to healing, and to move forward, and show our children a life,where gender based violence is obsolete.
In March I attended the AFN National Forum on this in Edmonton, and I was so impacted by the stories, and the governments blind eye for the victims families.
After the Conference was over, I drove home (about an hour south) and I cried all the way home, It was a heavy cry especially for not personally knowing any victims, and I just prayed for all those families of the missing and murdered 600 women.
It was so hard to listen to sisters, moms, aunties, kokums of the Pickton victims. I just wanted to hug them all. I decided that I would not just sit back, and let this happen to more women and girls. Of those missing & murdered 600 women in Canada. 40 are from my Community. (Stats from the Ermineskin Womens Shelter)
I am a volunteer coach for the Iskwesis Girls Program, and we have 40 girls and are growing every week, and I think of my girls, and how one day, they will be moving away from the Samson Community. I think of how much they mean to me, and how I can provide them with tools & education to keep them safe when that time comes, when they venture into the World.
AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo & Reps from Ermineskin Womens Shelter & Samson Cree Nation
I have lots of teens who come every week, who help me with the little ones, who set an example for the little ones. I can't tell you how much this girls group has made me want to be a better person for them, to create the hope thats been lost.
Last year, the day before I departed to Africa, I participated the Sisters in Spirit Walk for MMIW in Victoria, and I have chosen to support my Community Womens Shelter on June 26, where men will "walk a mile in her shoes"
Mrs. Susan Aglukark & many other amazing keynotes were in the Samson Community discussing Violence against Women. I am glad these issues are finally being recognized by leadership at all levels. I certainly believe the crisis facing First Nations Women is a National Epidemic.
Mrs. Aguklark & Myself
For more information on how you can create awareness, please visit the following websites: Please email me more links, if you have some to share as well :)
Saturday 25 May 2013
Here I am, Another Saturday Morning, with a cup of coffee & Tim McGraw playing in the background.
I just wanted to write about the wheel of energy, as I call it. I believe that, all the energy you put into things, you may not feel the effects of it right away, or in the way you expect, but all the energy will come back to you, in the way that the Creator has planned.
Some days, I feel so alone in the effort to inspire youth in my community to "Be the Change" Some days, I feel the World is against me, and I'm up against everything, and I get frustrated, and think if I am even making a difference.
Patience has often been my biggest struggle, and my greatest learning has come from being patient. I live such a fast busy life-style, and sometimes I think everyone works at the same speed as me.
I always get impatient, and can often get carried up on the "results" based approach, but I often reflect on the generational changes occurring in the Sub Sahara, and have to remember AMAZING work is being done, but it takes time.
Time. Time. Time.
So for me, There is light at the end of the tunnel. I just have to believe, that whatever is meant to be, will be :) All of the energy, I've put in, will have an effect in the community somewhere, at sometime on some person.
I know, I say this a lot, but to Keep faith, the wheel of energy will reward you, in ways you may not expect or know. When it happens, You'll know :)
I just wanted to write about the wheel of energy, as I call it. I believe that, all the energy you put into things, you may not feel the effects of it right away, or in the way you expect, but all the energy will come back to you, in the way that the Creator has planned.
Some days, I feel so alone in the effort to inspire youth in my community to "Be the Change" Some days, I feel the World is against me, and I'm up against everything, and I get frustrated, and think if I am even making a difference.
Patience has often been my biggest struggle, and my greatest learning has come from being patient. I live such a fast busy life-style, and sometimes I think everyone works at the same speed as me.
I always get impatient, and can often get carried up on the "results" based approach, but I often reflect on the generational changes occurring in the Sub Sahara, and have to remember AMAZING work is being done, but it takes time.
Time. Time. Time.
So for me, There is light at the end of the tunnel. I just have to believe, that whatever is meant to be, will be :) All of the energy, I've put in, will have an effect in the community somewhere, at sometime on some person.
I know, I say this a lot, but to Keep faith, the wheel of energy will reward you, in ways you may not expect or know. When it happens, You'll know :)
Saturday 4 May 2013
New Perspective
Some how my Spirit knew I'd be going through a new stage in my life, before I consciously knew it.
I've always been a believer that Everything Happens for a reason, even when you cant make sense of it. I know the Creator has plans for me, and for every single one of us.
One of the best gifts, I've taken years to fully grasp, is that the Creator allows you to cross paths with people for all reasons. I've learned to trust him, and know what the Creator is doing, is all apart of his master plan for us.
I am so blessed to have such wonderful women in my life to teach me, and support me. I am so grateful that they have shared their own stories of struggle with me, so that you can see no matter what happens that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Some times when I open up my blog, and stare at empty screen, I may not know what I'm going to write, I just start writing.
Its a beautiful Saturday morning, I can hear the birds chirping, while I drink my warm coffee. This morning I am counting my rainbows, not my thunderstorms.
Last week, I had a meeting with an organization who is working with me to go back to Zambia to provide Sustainable Water boreholes, and one of the guys had mentioned this project with Samson, should be turned into a documentary.
At the beginning, I wasn't to thrilled, I was afraid my broken past would creep up, and be given highlight and people would see, I was not always the role model I am today. In fact, I was quiet opposite.
Whether my dad knew it or not, he helped me understand, and make sense of this all. He said the Creator uses the most unexpected people to do his work, to help the poor, the mother-less, the father-less, the ones who need help the most.
I did not know myself, that this was the path for me. Some days I still struggle with the idea, but I keep my faith. Everything Happens for a reason. People have second chances, and can change. I am living proof.
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