b'ELDERSOrange Shirt Day Art Exhibit at Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. From left to right:Artists Nicholas James Wawia, Nunny Sacheen Pelletier, Elder Whabagoon, Nura,Josie Val and Odinamaad (Turning Wind). Credit: Bronwyn Szabo.What do you hope to achieveand I get media attention with myreally are two sides to it. There during this role?youth group, Nikibii Dawadinnamust be balance with that. If I could have one wish, it would beGiigwag (NDG), which means Flooded for everyone to come together as oneValley Healing. I founded NDG atHow have you used media to to walk side by side, in harmony, in theDaniels Faculty of Architecture atfurther your work?good life. Taking the Seven Teachingsthe University of Toronto with LiatI like to focus media attention on and learning a way of incorporatingMargolis. Weve done a film with theyouth and NDG. Its important that that into their work. The importanceNational Film Board. Weve beenwe listen to youth and that we are of cultural teachings as long-termhelping the City of Toronto reach theirthere when theyre ready to speak. relationships and a continued focusurban forestry plans for the city. OurWe need to take time to listen to on our Reconciliation Action Plan.youth group has planted 2,000 treesyouth because they are the future Small changes are still changes. Weto date.caretakers of Mother Earth. This took a long time to get to where weis what NDG is aboutaccess are right now, and its not going toBack in the Sixties Scoop, they hadto post-secondary education and change overnight. But eventually, aa published column of children todifferent career paths. We just change will happen within, and theyllbe adopted out. My sister and I wereworked with the City of Toronto start thinking with their hearts first.put in that column. I often wonder ifand had a job fair for Indigenous That would be my biggest hope if Ithe woman who published this, whoand Black people. I initiated a could have anything. was called the Fairy Godmother of$100,000 scholarship for one Adoption, ever thought about why allIndigenous youth to attend the What sort of experiences havethese Indigenous youths were beingDaniels Faculty of Architecture to you had with different formsput up for adoption, because that wascover their tuition, residency and ofmedia? part of the Sixties Scoop. So, whentextbooks. We want our youth to I have been featured in publications,you talk about media coverage, theresucceed, to see themrise. 34 INDIGENOUS INNOVATORS, ICONS & INFLUENCERS |ISSUE 1, 2023'