b'CONTESTANTS FOUR DIRECTIONS HOLISTIC COUNSELLING INDIGENOUS BOX JUST EZZY BEE KIDZSPIRIT RIVER, ALBERTA EDMONTON, ALBERTA CALGARY, ALBERTAAmanda Balsillie, MSW, RSW, is aFounder and CEO Mallory YawnghweJustin and Bobbi Jimmy used their registered social worker who offersfrom Saddle Lake Cree Nation inexperience as foster parents to Indigenous counselling and trainingnortheastern Alberta establishedIndigenous children to develop their for healthcare practitioners. A proudIndigenous Box in 2021 as a seasonalbusiness, which focuses on baby bibs, member of the Athabasca Chipewyansubscription box and corporate giftingskincare and hair products. In other First Nation, Balsillie grew up inservice based In Amiskwaciwskahikan,words, practical solutions to everyday Yellowknife. She brings more than Treaty 6 Territory. challenges faced by caregivers.10 years social work experience toher practice, ranging from school- Designed to promote and elevate theJustin, who has a background in based counselling to frontline crisiswork of Indigenous entrepreneurs,business management, accounting work at emergency shelters andthe business curates and marketsand governance, is from Treaty 6 mental-health promotion. collections of products fromTerritory, Onion Lake Cree Nation Indigenous-owned businesses fromin Saskatchewan. Bobbis education Four Directions offers individual andacross Turtle Island. The Winteris in early childhood education family therapy, group mental-healthHibernation box, for instance, includesand development. They work with education and portable play-baseditems like Boreal Heartland tea andlocal Indigenous manufacturers and school and outreach counselling,Raven Rising organic chocolate.Canadian suppliers to create their which helps children navigate throughAmong the Fall Abundance contentsproduct line: Ezzy Bath Time Wash, thoughts, feelings and behavioursare Sriracha Revolver hot sauce andEverywhere Balm, Soothing Spray so they can achieve empowerment,tea towels with images created byand Sleep Time Lotion. Their Ezzy Bib growth and development.Indigenous artists. makes clean-up easy. Balsillie says that her emphasisYawnghwe says that she hopes toThe end goal for the duo is to throughout her social work careeronboard an inventory managementopen a retail storefront to provide has always been helping others andsoftware that would allow the companya courageous synergy of both creating an opportunity to learn to scale and increase capacity forIndigenous and Settler entrepreneurs about Indigenous history,custom orders, lowering lead times andfocused on growth from within. As intergenerational trauma and optimizing inventory turnover. we know it takes a village to raise a healing through reconciliation. www.indigenousbox.ca child. Our products are designed to www.fourdirectionsholisticcounselling.ca make the lives of anyone looking after children ezzy. justezzybee.ca38A CCAB PUBLICATION2022'