SPEAKER_01 0:00

One Speaker Radio Network community champion of the U.S. The One Speaker Radio Network recognizes and celebrates an Indigenous champion from Alberta who demonstrates exceptional commitment to enhancing their community.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Hi, my name is Sheena. I am the executive director of Icotesca Collective, and we run the program Anti-Sip and Reach.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Sheena, congratulations. You're this week's community champion. How does it make you feel getting recognized by your community?

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Oh, actually fantastic. I think this is um it's always beautiful to be recognized by our community and the work that we do. Um, yeah, we're always so busy doing all the things, so it's nice to be championed um in a really good way.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

So this organization uh was founded by three Indigenous birth workers. Tell me a little bit more about the story behind your organization.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Oh, I'd love to. So um, as you mentioned, we were three Indigenous birth workers. Um we were doing a lot of the same training together and we had met there. So there was two birth workers and a and a then student midwife, and we really saw the need for us to work together in a good way to support Indigenous families, you know, looking at some of the complex needs that some of our families had and really wanting to honor the traditions that our grandparents and our grandmothers put before us in in how to raise a baby and really looking at the community aspect of this of having aunties available for support, having grandmothers, gookums available for support. And to us that was really important. And we wanted to create that um environment for families. So that's what we did throughout our organization.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

And that's what you're doing. That's why you're our community champion of this week. Sheena, tell me. You're the executive director. What does community mean to you?

SPEAKER_00 1:37

You know, it's really foundational in not only the work that we do, but who we are as Indigenous women and um how we show up as mothers and and friends in communities. It's um we work with many communities within our region. It's such a big region that we have here um in Wood Buffalo, and we're traveling out to several communities and we're really guided by them. And I think that's the important part is to always ensure that you're guided by community and you're following community's lead. I think for myself, having that support from community and you know, elders and other moms and communities and dads is really important and foundational of who we are as people and and within our organization as well.

SPEAKER_01 2:14

Sheena, for more information, where can our elicitors connect with you more?

SPEAKER_00 2:17

Yeah, we are all over social media. We love to share behind the scenes what we do. You can find us on TikTok, on Instagram, Facebook, also our website, ICapesca Collective. Um, but if you just search in social media Fireweed Gulfness Lodge, which is our main location in Fort McMurray, you can find us there. And we're going to be on the road soon. We have a brand new RV that we're outfitting, and so you can see us on the road pretty soon.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

This has been the Windspeaker Radio Network Community Champion of the Week.