Bridges Research Collective

🧵Last week, the Sakitawak Elders Group Inc. invited women from the community to the Elder's Lodge to tell their story through a quilt block that will go into a community quilt and displayed at the Île-à-la-Crosse 250th.

The lodge was a busy place and much conversation around shared stories and history was had as pictures were passed around, memories retold, names recalled, and lived experiences were interwoven.

Throughout the week, the project shifted from being a quilt with blocks of singular histories, to also making a second community ✨ Île-à-la-Crosse 250 Story Quilt. ✨

We can hardly wait to see the finished piece and hear the ongoing conversations it will inevitably create for years to come.

Thank you to the Sakitawak Elders Group for inviting us to be a part of this project and for all the beautiful quilting supplies!

Lynette Nelson Epp Kara Megan

🧵Share your story in a community quilt!🧵

The Sakitawak Elders Group would like to invite women from
Île-à-la-Crosse to join them at The Elder's Lodge this Wednesday and Thursday (May 20-21) where they will be creating a community quilt to be displayed at the 250th celebration of Île-à-la-Crosse!

🪡Grab some supplies to go or stay and make your quilt block there.

Times are TBD, so message us or the Elders Lodge to get the exact times.

We’re proud to share another project spotlight from Bridges Research Collective:
Diabetes Prevention Project - Hope and Optimism in T2D Prevention & Education (HOPE) Île-à-la-Crosse component.

This work focused on preventing Type 2 diabetes and supporting youth health and wellbeing, alongside the community in Île-à-la-Crosse. Over the course of the project, we spent time talking with youth, adults, and Elders, learning from local knowledge, and bringing what we heard back to the community to make sure we got it right.

As we wrap up this part of the project, we want to say thank you.
Thank you to the community members who shared their time, experiences, and knowledge with us. That’s what made this work possible.

What we learned here will carry forward into the next phase of our work. It’s helping shape how we approach future projects and how we continue working with communities.

Diabetes Canada Sakitawak Elders Northern Village of Ile-a-la Crosse Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health College of Medicine - University of Saskatchewan

Congratulations to Dr. Shelley Kirychuk for this well deserved recognition 👏👏👏

Congratulations to CCRAH Director, Dr. Shelley Kirychuk, for receiving the Administrator of the Year Award for the College of Medicine - University of Saskatchewan Department of Medicine!

❄❄Last week, when the snow was coming down outside, we gathered together inside the Saskatoon Indian & Metis Friendship Centre for an afternoon of music, food (so much amazing food!), dance, poetry, more food, tea, coffee, conversation and maybe even a few more bites of food...(seriously it was an incredible feast of Bannock, goose stew, wild rice, fish, berries and ice cream)!

We had an opportunity to talk about the kehokatowin project, which sparked conversations around how the traditional food we just enjoyed, brought back memories of home and meant a lot to many who attended. It was a perfect example of how to be well and connect in different places and spaces.

We’re grateful to have been welcomed into this space and to keep building relationships with the Friendship Centre and community.

Thank you so much to Michelle, Redeena, Katie, Anna, Chantal, and everyone at the SIMFC!

Thank you to the incredible musicians: Joseph Desjarlais - Métis Fiddler , Holly Gilroy on keyboard, Allan on guitar and Mathew with drumming and singing. Thank you Chantal Kyplain for the poetry. And, of course, to everyone who shared words, lended a hand, or braved the weather to enjoy the afternoon with us.

We are looking forward to gathering again soon. ❤

We are looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday at the Saskatoon Indian & Metis Friendship Centre for a Coffee House!

👉11:00am - 3:00pm
👉 Lunch at noon
👉 Live fiddle music with Joseph Desjarlais - Métis Fiddler and Holly Gilroy
👉 Storytelling, games, photobooth, open mic, and more!

Let's spend some time together and talk about Métis health and wellness on April 24th.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Please join us for lunch and visiting!

Joseph Desjarlais
Bridges Research Collective
Holly Gilroy