Indigenous-led program for women, Two-Spirit and Gender Diverse people aims to help people through their healing journey

Kristen McKay, also known as Golden Eagle Woman, is from Pine Creek First Nation. She’s an advocate for Indigenous people and says it took a lot of healing for her to get where she is today.

Attending a program called Reclaiming Our Power And Place was a turning point for her.

“Once I (came) through the doors, the environment was very healthy. It was very safe. I felt almost just an immediate sense of belonging when I came,” explained McKay.

The program, run by Manitoba Moon Voices, is a 12-week program for women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people that focuses on the 7 sacred teachings. McKay says spaces like these are essential to the community.

“As a Two-Spirit Cree-Ojibway woman, it’s something we seek for a lot of years in our life, is that inclusion. That collective of women sitting at a table together, supporting each other. Empowering each other. Inspiring one another,” said McKay.

McKay says her journey has come full circle. After being a participant in the program, she’s now Manitoba Moon Voices’ program coordinator, and running the next session of Reclaiming Our Power And Place.

“The capabilities that we have as Indigenous women, we’re collectively taking our spaces. We’re occupying spaces, we’re going back to school, we’re doing more programming, we’re going into the work world. There’s so many spaces for us to occupy and there’s room for everybody.”

McKay says one of the program’s foundations is food. She’s getting ready to feed the participants, and call relatives when they arrive so their basic need of sustenance is met.

“Food is medicine for us. It’s an essential need for us. To provide that to them, it’s just giving them the support that they need so that they can focus on better things. To improve their quality of life. To improve their daily life,” said McKay.

McKay says she’s living proof programs like Reclaiming Our Power And Place truly work. She says the healing she’s found has a ripple effect on everyone around her.

“For me, I think it’s important to do these kind of programs. It’s basically putting medicine down where we’re at right now in our lives and then allowing that medicine to protect us from everything that’s happened in our past so we can collectively move forward in a good way.”

The 12-week program begins on October 31st. McKay says she hopes to see new relatives sign up for the program, so they can also find support through their own healing journeys.