REZ D.A.W.G.S

Alex Isaac and Dylan Dedam are the new Cultural Educators/ Male Mentors with Families First at the Listuguj Community Social Services Directorate. They aim to share and support boys and teens, ages eight to fifteen, in their Rez D.A.W.G.S. program. D.A.W.G.S. stands for Developing Awareness, Wisdom, Growth, and Strength. Aiming for once a week the group meets to explore on the land learning, different activities, talking circles, and cultural teachings.

Giving the boys a consistent and safe space to share positivity and find identity and a sense of belonging that they can sometimes lack. At first, the group discussed rules, and while Isaac and Dedam had their own, the group added to the list together. Some of the rules the youth had come up with were “always be respectful, don’t be afraid to be yourself, and no man gets left behind.” As the program is just beginning, there’s still plenty of space for growth and learning to do along the way, but with a focus on always supporting the youth.

“We would like to extend a sincere thank you to Mike O’Toole, Todd Williams, and the entire Campbellton Tigers organization for their donation of tickets to our program in support of helping us give our youth all of the opportunities that we can to enjoy positive experiences in their lives. The Campbellton Tigers and Listuguj Rez D.A.W.G.S. will be working in collaboration on future ideas to keep bringing new pathways to life for our youth.”