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Three years ago, when the director team of Todd and Krystal Wawrzyniak came on board Indian Life Ministries, they approached their mentors and friends, Kene and Milly Jackson, asking if the couple ever read any Indigenous devotionals. The Jacksons replied that they didn't know of the existence of any Indigenous devotionals. After Todd and Krystal grew in their ILM leadership positions, Kene and Milly approached them with the idea of Indian Life Ministries publishing a 365-day...
REGINA, Sask.—In April, The Royal Regina Rifles (RRR) unveiled a statue honoring troops who landed on the beaches at Normandy, France on D-Day-including the quarter of the regiment who were First Nations. Of the Indigenous soldiers in the RRR, most were from the Peepeekisis First Nation. "The contributions of Indigenous veterans have really been overlooked for a long time,"historian Kelsey Loney told APTN News. "We are so proud to include the Indigenous perspective on this s...
On the Hopi Reservation's more than 1.5 million acres of desert landscape in northeast Arizona, many residents live in villages atop arid mesas. Below ground, there's a network of copper wires that provides telephone and internet service. Hopi Telecommunications in 2004 bought the company that had installed them, but has been struggling ever since to upgrade the network to broadband speeds. Hopi Telecommunications serves both the Hopi reservation and parts of the surrounding...
On March 1–3, 2024, Indian Life Ministries partnered with Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and FamilyLife Canada to co-host an Indigenous Couples' Retreat at the Courthouse Hotel in Thunder Bay, Canada. Kene and Milly Jackson from from the Whitefish Lake Band #128 Plains Cree Nation and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada blessed conferees through their music ministry and led worship. During the weekend, Gord and Bev Mills, from the Moose Cree First Nation in Sudbur...
SCOTTSDALE—The bustling Arizona Indian Festival showcases Native singing, dancing and art to promote tourism and awareness of Arizona's tribal communities. Visitors can learn about Indigenous culture and history through vendors, art and demonstrations. To ensure that visitors to the festival, which was Saturday and Sunday, interact with real Native art, an Arizona Indian Festival committee vets all festival vendors for authenticity. Vendors are also required to show a certific...
Seeking to help restore hope, healing, and honor among the Indigenous people of North America takes many ministries working together . . . the task is vast, but we at Indian Life are committed to partnering with other ministries. One of these is CHIEF, Inc. CHIEF, Inc. was founded in 1975 by Tom Claus. As he went to individual Native reservations and met with pastors, lay leaders, and missionaries, he observed, firsthand, the need for culturally relevant evangelism that would...
As we mentioned in the directors’ column, ILM moved to a new physical office this month! We are very excited about this as for the last three years, our director team, Krystal and Todd Wawrzyniak have been running the office out of their home office. They say, “The Lord’s timing is perfect, as having the office at home allowed us to focus on some of the needs of our children while still remaining focused on the running of ILM. With our move into the new office, we are anticipating growth! Growth in workers and growth in minis...
If you're attending these events, come by and meet us! If you would like ILM to participate in your event, contact Krystal at admin@IndianLife.org April 25-28: BC Native Christian Conference-Kamloops, B.C. May 16-19: Native Youth Conference (NYC), Camp Nakamun, Alb....
Prince Rupert, B.C.-Tne Prince Rupert, B.C. court system recently encountered a new defense tactic. A man was being prosecuted for creating child pornography and sending graphic pictures and videos of himself to young girls. The defendant's plea? That he should get leniency because he said he was of Indigenous heritage. The defendant was not raised Indigenous, nor had he pursued DNA testing or researched family genealogy, but he said he self-identified as Métis. He had simply,...
CALGARY, Alb.—The Nisga'a Nation in northwestern British Columbia is partnering with a Texas-based firm, Western LNG, to buy the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission project from Calgary-based TC Energy Corp. "Today is a historic day for the Nisga'a Nation and represents a sea change in major industrial development in this country," said Eva Clayton, president of the Nisga'a Lisims government, in a news release. "In taking an equal ownership role in this pipeline, we are s...
WASHINGTON, D.C.-At the recent Reservation Economic Summit, Janet Yellen, of The United States Treasury, announced a new, third round of approvals for tribal support under the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a 2010 program aimed at helping open new avenues to credit by supporting funding institutions. This third funding round during the past nine months brings the number of SSBCI-support tribes to 80 and the total amount awarded to $265 million. Tribal...
Navajo Nation-Federal energy officials took the unusual step of denying permits Thursday to several pumped hydropower projects proposed on the Navajo Nation, citing a new policy that gives tribes a greater voice in projects on their lands. The tribe and environmental groups had urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to deny applications for several of the pumped storage projects, saying they worried about the impact of the projects but had not been consulted by...
AJO, Ariz-Jesse Garcia was first introduced to farming in his grandmother's garden. As a child, he recalls not quite understanding the true purpose of growing and how important it is. It was in high school that he first started taking an interest in farming and agriculture. After graduating, he had a number of jobs, but he did not feel passionate about any of them. It was then that he found the Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Arizona farmers are aging. With a hope to s...
OTTAWA, Ont.-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed Manon Jeannotte, as the new lieutenant-governor of Quebec. Jeannotte is from the Mi'kmaq First Nation of Gespeg. "Manon Jeannotte has dedicated her career to advancing Indigenous peoples' well-being and making a real difference in the life of our communities," said Prime Minister Trudeau. "I am confident she will continue to make significant contributions and inspire people in Quebec and across Canada in her new role."...
OTTAWA, Ont.-Cindy Woodhouse has been elected as the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN). "I am honoured that the chiefs-in-assembly have placed their trust in me to lead the Assembly of First Nations," said Woodhouse. "My commitment to them is to advocate on behalf of all our communities and to improve life for all First Nations. That advocacy starts with accountability, transparency and dialogue. I look forward to working alongside the AFN executive...
TAHLEQUAH, Okla.-In November, toy company Mattel released a Barbie doll representing the life of Cherokee legend, Wilma Mankiller. Mattel released the doll as part of their "Inspiring Women" series, commemorating her lifelong advocacy for Native and women's rights. In addition to the doll's release, Barbie is donating $25,000 to The American Indian Resources Center, aimed at supporting initiatives dedicated to empowering Indigenous women and girls and fostering preservation....
We at Indian Life Ministries partner with many ministries across North America that, like us, seek to help restore hope, healing, and honor among Indigenous people in North America. One of these ministries we partner with is NEFC. Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (NEFC) is an independent, Indigenous Native church society that was officially established in 1971. Now, 52 years later, the original founders of NEFC have passed the baton of ministry onto the second- and...
MADISON, Wisc.-Beginning in the fall of 2024, the University of Wisconsin–Madison will offer financial support to cover the full cost of pursuing an undergraduate degree for Wisconsin residents who are enrolled members of federally recognized Wisconsin Native American tribes. The commitment covers not only tuition and fees but also housing, meals, books and other educational expenses. Additionally, a 5-year pilot program will cover in-state tuition and fees for students p...
WASHINGTON, D.C.-The Supreme Court said in November that it would consider a claim by the San Carlos Apache tribe that the federal government is shortchanging it on funds it needs to operate tribal health services. The case turns on whether the Indian Health Service should reimburse the tribe's overhead costs for health services it delivers with the support of third-party insurers, like Medicaid or private insurance. In the case of the San Carlos Apache, that amounted to $3...
For the third year in a row, ILM has had the privilege of partnering with Samaritans Purse in their Christmas Parcels project. These Christmas Parcels are gathered and sent to workers serving in northern Canadian Indigenous communities. This year, 120 workers received Christmas Parcels! The parcels contained local and Canadian made product, specifically chosen to be an encouragement to the recipients. The gift boxes included items such as Indian Life's Council Fire devotional...
If you're attending these events, come by and meet us! If you would like ILM to participate in your event, contact Krystal at admin@IndianLife.org Feb. 2-4: Missionfest Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man. Mar. 1-3: Indigenous Couples Getaway-Courthouse Hotel, Thunder Bay, Ontario. April 25-28: BC Native Christian Conference-Kamloops, B.C. May 16-19: NYC, Camp Nakamun, Alb....
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - The Cherokee Nation is participating in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 184 Skilled Workers Demonstration Program, which will allow for the construction of multiple rental dwelling units in Cherokee communities that will be provided to skilled workers in multiple professional fields. The HUD program is a loan program that aids organizations in recruiting skilled workers for hard-to-fill or hard-to-recruit positions....
VICTORIA, B. C.-In December, Leonard Marchand was named as the first Indigenous person to be appointed as the chief justice for the Court of Appeal in British Columbia. He will also serve as chief justice on the Yukon Court of Appeal. A member of the Okanagan Indian Band, part of the Syilx Nation, Marchand began his practice as a lawyer in Kamloops, B.C., where his practice included pursuing civil claims of historic child abuse in institutional settings, and he represented...
WASHINGTON, D.C.-In December, the third annual White House Tribal Nations Summit was held, bringing together tribal leaders and top administration officials to address critical issues facing tribal communities. During the event, U.S. president Joe Biden signed an executive order reforming federal funding and support for tribal nations and aimed to promote the next era of tribal self-determination. The critical issues addressed by the summit included co-stewardship agreements...
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.-In January, Lily Gladstone made history as she became the first Indigenous actress to win a Golden Globe. Gladstone was awarded in the "Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama" for her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart in the film, "Killers of the Flower Moon." "This is a historic win and it doesn't belong to just me," Gladstone said. Gladstone, whose background is Blackfeet and Nez Perce, and who grew up on the Blackfeet Nation, is the se...
