Reading, Riding and Sustainability
Storytelling is how we learn(ed)to live on Turtle Island. Our teachings help us to live in balance with everything around us.In this modern age the culture and teachings are helping to restore us as a people, but we must also live in the modern world and so we need to be able to find ways to learn and live as F.N.M.I. people who are proud of who they are and who are able earn their living through sustainable enterprise.We always lived in a balanced and sustainable way never taking more than we needed and always thinking of the generations to come.
Working as a story teller and a literacy worker I have seen the traditional stories transform peoples lives. The stories promote healing, literacy and respect.They help to provide balance in the lives of the adult and youth learners. But learning the stories and improving their literacy and numeracy skills is not enough. They need to be able to apply the teachings and schooling in a practical and life supporting way.
Reading, Riding and Sustainability will give the ladies at Native Women's Resource Centre an opportunity to have access to sustainable business models with hands-on training in several areas.
The ladies would start with a bicycle program that would see the Centre get two bikes and trailers together with access to mechanics and tools and supplies. In addition the ladies through trading their mechanical bike skills could earn credits towards purchasing bikes for themselves and their children. The Centres bikes and trailers would be used to pick up donations etc.
The ladies would also be able to use their bicycles to improve their health, their mobility and their sense of pride.In addition they could use their mechanical skills to enter the new bike mechanic program at George Brown College. The bikes and trailers could also be used to transport the fruits and vegetables that the ladies will be growing in their new garden plots.
The food and bike initiatives are at the core of the sustainable business curriculum that will be connected to their literacy and numeracy program at Native Women's
A small parcel bicycle courier business,an organic market fruit and vegetable business and a gourmet jam/jelly and preserves business will be part of the sustainable business opportunities available for the ladies to put their business training to practical use.The money raised from these ventures would be used as fund raising capital for Native Women's Resource Centre to develop on-line programming that would allow the ladies to return to their reserves and set up sustainable businesses their as well as train people on their home reserves in how to build a sustainable business. There would be a strong emphasis on on-line marketing and internet sales.
In addition a book and a series of manuals(CD's)would be developed.
About You
About You
First Name
Jim
Last Name
Adams
Confirm a user name that will be displayed publicly to identify your entry
About You, Your Group, or Your Organization
Name
RED BEAR
Country
Canada
Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples
Yes
Twitter URL
Facebook URL
Youtube URL
What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.
What best describes your group or organization
Non-profit organization.
How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
Innovation
Name Your Entry
Reading, Riding and Sustainability
Tell us the story of your idea or project
Storytelling is how we learn(ed)to live on Turtle Island. Our teachings help us to live in balance with everything around us.In this modern age the culture and teachings are helping to restore us as a people, but we must also live in the modern world and so we need to be able to find ways to learn and live as F.N.M.I. people who are proud of who they are and who are able earn their living through sustainable enterprise.We always lived in a balanced and sustainable way never taking more than we needed and always thinking of the generations to come.
Working as a story teller and a literacy worker I have seen the traditional stories transform peoples lives. The stories promote healing, literacy and respect.They help to provide balance in the lives of the adult and youth learners. But learning the stories and improving their literacy and numeracy skills is not enough. They need to be able to apply the teachings and schooling in a practical and life supporting way.
Reading, Riding and Sustainability will give the ladies at Native Women's Resource Centre an opportunity to have access to sustainable business models with hands-on training in several areas.
The ladies would start with a bicycle program that would see the Centre get two bikes and trailers together with access to mechanics and tools and supplies. In addition the ladies through trading their mechanical bike skills could earn credits towards purchasing bikes for themselves and their children. The Centres bikes and trailers would be used to pick up donations etc.
The ladies would also be able to use their bicycles to improve their health, their mobility and their sense of pride.In addition they could use their mechanical skills to enter the new bike mechanic program at George Brown College. The bikes and trailers could also be used to transport the fruits and vegetables that the ladies will be growing in their new garden plots.
The food and bike initiatives are at the core of the sustainable business curriculum that will be connected to their literacy and numeracy program at Native Women's
A small parcel bicycle courier business,an organic market fruit and vegetable business and a gourmet jam/jelly and preserves business will be part of the sustainable business opportunities available for the ladies to put their business training to practical use.The money raised from these ventures would be used as fund raising capital for Native Women's Resource Centre to develop on-line programming that would allow the ladies to return to their reserves and set up sustainable businesses their as well as train people on their home reserves in how to build a sustainable business. There would be a strong emphasis on on-line marketing and internet sales.
In addition a book and a series of manuals(CD's)would be developed.
Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences
Using our stories to promote healing,literacy and respect. Giving F.N.M.I.women an opportunity to earn a living in a balanced and sustainable way.
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a project that is just getting started)
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect
This project will provide disenfranchised women and their children an opportunity to be self employed using sustainable and transferable skills that can be used in rural and urban environments. Their literacy and numeracy skills upgrading can be applied to sustainable business initiatives.
The literacy and communication skills that they will gain by being part of the traditional and creative story circles will enable them to tell their stories and the stories of their businesses with honesty and clarity secure in the knowledge that they are continuing the powerful and intrinsic story telling tradition of our ancestors.It is the stories that have kept us alive as a people.
Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year
Red Bear hopes to have the bike program fully operational with links to reserves. We also hope to have the market garden program
In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?
Women will have greater access to sustainable business initiatives. They and their families will be living healthier, balanced lives.Native women and their families will have opportunities to run successful and sustainable businesses wherever they choose to run them; on reserves, in cities and in small towns.
Sustainability
Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.
Red Bear is partnered with Ray Hobin and Nesha Fernandez of Bicycle Commons.They will provide invaluable support in terms of providing technical support as well as tools and supplies. The bicycle is really the life blood that will get this project going. Bicycle Commons has community partners all over the city.
Storyplanet will help with digital story telling and with access to media contacts etc. Liz Haines, the executive director of Story Planet was a former TV producer at TVO. Her contacts in the food and marketing area are legendary.
The Mighty Pen is a literacy NGO that has extensive sustainable development experience in Nepal. Nik Maclean, their outreach director is very familiar with starting up small sustainable business projects.
If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
David Robinson - sustainability Coordinator at Mountain Equipment Co-Op
Cristal Melin - Executive Director - Native Women's Resource Centre
Kym Kinsella - member of several non-profit Native organizations in the city of Toronto
Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)
Space at Native Womens for bike repair and storage
George Brown College/Bicycle Commons -community kitchen, courier dispatch,mechanical training
City of Toronto - garden plots
Residents of Toronto-backyards for community organic gardens
West End Food Coop - space to sell produce
Dufferin Grove Farmers Market - space to sell produce
Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?
No (skip next two questions)
 | 15 weeks agoDarren Bunton said: Thanks for the additional information Jim. I look forward to following the progress of Red Bear. about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 15 weeks agoJim Adams said: Yes we are having a digital storytelling workshop as well as a collective storytelling workshop hosted by one of our partners ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 16 weeks agoJim Adams said: The women involved in the project are clients of Native Women's Resource Centre in Toronto. The program is not designed to provide the ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 16 weeks agoDarren Bunton said: Hello Jim- Sounds like you are aiming to preserve the tradition of storytelling. In addition to Red Bear having the bike program fully ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 16 weeks agocarolyn doyle said: Thank you for sharing your idea. Can you share a bit more about the women involved in the project? How did they come to identify ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 17 weeks agoJim Adams updated this Competition Entry. |
| 17 weeks agoJim Adams submitted this idea. |
