b'Message from the President & CEODear Friends,As the world faces its second year in the grip of daily uncertainties and profound changes, I want to invite you to do something unprecedented: to celebrate. Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create serious challenges on a global scale, the Indigenous community in Canada has risen to the occa-sion, finding new ways to overcome these challengesand in many ways, to thrive in their midst.In that spirit, this special edition of Indspiration magazine pays homage toHEAD OFFICEBox 5, Suite 100 Indigenous achievement across numerous settings and disciplines. For the50 Generations Drive very first time, the Indspire Awards ceremony will occur virtually, celebratingSix Nations of the Grand River 12 outstanding First Nations, Inuit and Mtis leaders who have made a differ- Ohsweken, Ontario N0A 1M0 ence to their communities and to the whole of Turtle Island.Fax: 866.433.3159TORONTO OFFICE Enjoy a colourful trip into the past with The Highest Honour, our retrospective555 Richmond Street West, Suite 1002 Toronto, Ontario M5V 3B1 on the Indspire Awards over their star-studded 27-year history. Were eagerlyFax: 416.926.7554 anticipating this years Awards broadcast and would like to invite you to watchindspire.cawith us on APTN or CBC on June 22. And in case you cant make it, wevePublished by:included a bonus version of the Indspire Awards program in this magazine.Ive been especially impressed by the responses of our Indigenous youth to the pandemic, shaping meaning in new ways despite often being unablemediaedgepublishing.comto gather together in person. This years two-day Soaring: Indigenous Youth33 South Station Street Empowerment Gathering saw a high number of registrants and featuredToronto, OntarioM9N 2B2 Toll Free: 1-866-480-4717 top-quality content, engaging workshops, and high-energy performancesrobertt@mediaedge.cafrom Indigenous creators like Shina Novalinga and Logan Staats. Its innovativePUBLISHER virtual setting made attendance more accessible, and we were heartened toMaurice Labordesee enthusiastic participation. EDITOR Indspires Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships, and Awards (BBF)Roma Ihnatowyczprogram continues to have a profound impact on Indigenous learners. In thisSALES EXECUTIVES Kristine Dudar, Brenda Ezinicki,edition, youll learn about how it changed the lives of two BBF recipients whoDavid Tetlock, April Hawkes, Bill Bibershare how theyve experiencedand overcomethe challenges of being aSENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST student during a global pandemic, while Going Full Circle with Indspire looksJames T. Mitchellat the inspirational story of former BBF recipients who went on to work atPRESIDENT Indspire and are now positioned to support other Indigenous students onKevin Browntheir educational journeys.SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Robert ThompsonThe power of Indigenous mentorship has become even more meaningful asDIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT we all strive to stay connected, and our Rivers to Success (R2S) IndigenousMichael BellMentorship program is seeing timely growth, with over 1,000 participantsBRANCH MANAGER now enrolled. Through a Bright Lens is a powerful story of one mentor/ Nancie Privmentee pair that has forged a strong, mutually beneficial bond, whilePublished June 2021Gathering on the Couch looks at the program through the eyes of its guidingPublication MailMentorship Officers and shares their vision for its success. Agreement #40787580I hope Ive convinced you that there is indeed much to celebrate. I am veryAll rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any proud of all the things weve been able to accomplish as a community, and Imeans, in whole or in part, without the invite you to join us in recognizing the people who have made this possible. prior written consent of the association.Chi miigwech, Printed on 10% post-consumerFSC certified paper using soya based Mike DeGagninks. When necessary to mail an issue in an enclosure, we use an environmentally-President & CEO, Indspire friendly, 100% oxo-degradable poly-wrap.8indspiration2021'