Category: Onaway

The Onaway Trust is proud to announce its support of Good Mind Grappling, a new project offering coaching in wrestling as well as social and emotional resilience factors to at-risk and wounded Indigenous youth in Canada and the US.

The project is run by multi-time Canadian national Greco-Roman wrestling champions, Thomas and Phillip Barreiro. As Wolf-clan Mohawks from the Akwesasne community, the brothers have a deep insight into the challenges that their people face and wish to use their skills as experienced coaches in both grappling and youth development to make a positive difference.

Their holistic programme has been designed to guide young people in Indigenous communities to use sport as a positive physical outlet for overcoming intergenerational trauma by gaining productive coping strategies, invaluable transferable skills and a positive outlet for their emotions.

However, despite the significant need for projects such as this in neglected and marginalised Native communities, it will not be possible without the help and encouragement of those who share the brothers’ vision of justice and a better future for Indigenous youth. Please consider joining the Onaway Trust in our support of Good Mind Grappling and make a tangible difference to the lives of Indigenous youth, helping them to break the cycle of trauma for generations to come.

If you would like to make a donation to the Good Mind Grappling project, please get in touch.

To find out more, read the full story here.

NASA astronaut, Nicole Aunapu Mann, has just become the first Native American woman to go to space following the successful launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance rocket on Wednesday.

Mann, 45, who is a member of the Wailacki Tribe of the Round Valley Indian Tribes of Covelo, California, will be mission commander on the NASA and SpaceX Crew-5 mission, which is heading to the International Space Station for six months. The crew of four successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center on the 5th of October after a two-day delay due to Hurricane Ian.

This mission marks a historic moment for the nation’s Indigenous community, as Nicole Mann becomes the first Native American woman to leave the Earth. It has been 20 years since the first Native American man achieved the same milestone, when John Herrington (Chickasaw) took part in a space mission in 2002.

Mann studied mechanical engineering at the US Naval Academy and Stanford University before going on to work as a test pilot, having qualified as a Colonel in the US Marine Corps. In addition to leading the SpaceX Crew-5 mission, she will be involved in preparations for the upcoming Artemis mission, making her a potential candidate to go to the moon within the next five years.

Mann’s passion and drive not only make her an inspiration for other Indigenous women and girls, but a role model for the younger generation as a whole. She hopes that her extraordinary personal achievements will demonstrate that it is possible to overcome societal barriers and follow your dreams, irrespective of race, gender or religion: “My message to the Native youth out there is that there is no end to the possibilities. Whatever you’re passionate about, go for it and pursue that dream. It won’t always be easy, but it’s definitely worth it.”

“The awarded work invites us to step outside the news cycle and reflect on the devastating effects of colonisation and the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge.” – World Press Photo Foundation

Various photographic series representing the perspectives and plight of indigenous peoples and the environment have been awarded the title of global winners of the 2022 World Press Photo Contest. 

The overall winner of the World Press Photo of the Year title has been very deservedly granted to photographer Amber Bracken for her striking and evocative image depicting red dresses hung on a row of crosses, captured at the site of the former Kamloops Residential School in Canada, to commemorate the thousands of children who tragically lost their lives in the residential school system.

After the recent discovery of up to 215 unmarked graves at this site, Amber decided to use her photography skills to honour and commemorate the children, highlighting their suffering and the unthinkable injustices they faced at these institutions.

Residential or factory schools were first established in Canada in the late 19th century with the aim of removing indigenous children from their families and communities in order to indoctrinate them to conform to the dominant Western way of life, while forcefully and often violently eradicating their native cultures and languages.

Although these horrific institutions are no longer in operation in Canada and the US, similar factory schools still exist today around the world in countries such as India and Malaysia. An estimated 2 million indigenous children are still being subjected to these abusive and racist practices, which are designed to create an obedient future workforce but are leading to thousands losing not only their cultures, but also their lives as a result.

The competition’s other three global winners consist of similarly striking images highlighting indigenous and environmental issues, from the plight of tribes in the Amazon rainforest as a result of the deforestation, logging and mining taking place at the merciless hands of Jair Bolsonaro, to the loss of ancestral knowledge and heritage in Ecuador following colonisation and forced migration, and the vital role of the indigenous Nawarddeken people of Australia in preventing wildfires and protecting the environment.

The recognition of these projects and the voice they give to global indigenous perspectives at such a crucial time in history is something to be celebrated. In the words of the global jury chair, Rena Effendi, “All four of them, in their own unique ways, address the consequences of humanity’s rush for progress, and its devastating effects on our planet.”

Find out more about the World Press Photo Contest and the stories behind this year’s winning submissions and their creators.

The Kogi are some of the last few surviving descendants of the Tairona, an ancient civilisation dating back to the pre-Columbian era, who escaped colonial persecution by retreating to the remote mountains of northern Colombia. Having kept themselves isolated and uncontactable for centuries, the Kogi have finally decided to speak to the outside world in order to pass on an urgent message and help us to repair our connection with Mother Earth before it is too late.

Read our new article about the Kogi people, their vital message, and how the Onaway Trust supports them through its long-term partnership with the Tairona Heritage Trust.