Carved out by glaciers around 10,000 BCE, the Owámniyomni — post-colonially known as St. Anthony Falls — near present-day downtown Minneapolis have been a sacred place for Dakota people for centuries. Women would come from near and far to give birth on an eagle- and spruce-tree-filled island situated in the middle of the Mississippi River, encased by mist from the nearby falls. In the 1800s, the island was eroded by limestone harvesting before eventually being blown up by the Army Corps of...

Save the Date for the 5th Annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering - June 16th! The 5 th Annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering of Collaboratives Addressing ACEs is a free virtual event that will support Children’s Mental Health and Family Services Collaboratives, tribal community members, and partners as they all work to build self-healing communities across Minnesota. FamilyWise Services is planning and hosting the Gathering with support from DHS and Blue Cross Blue Shield...

“We dreamed of saving lives, and we worked to make that dream come true.” These are the words Dr. Carson Gardner, White Earth Tribal Health Department Medical Director, shared during an interview with CDC about the remarkable success the White Earth Public Health team experienced with vaccinating their fellow community members – The White Earth Nation of Ojibwe. White Earth Nation is one of eleven tribes in the state of Minnesota. The White Earth Band of Ojibwe (White Earth Nation) is...

The Growing Resilient Communities Gathering is an annual statewide event that supports Children’s Mental Health and Family Services Collaboratives and Indigenous Communities as they work to build self-healing communities across Minnesota. All are welcome to join this free virtual daylong event. Collaboratives, Indigenous community members, and their partners are encouraged to attend this daylong virtual gathering. FamilyWise Services is planning and hosting this event, with support from the...

This series highlights Native American resilience through and beyond trauma… exploring concepts, science, history, culture, stories, and practices that we are working with as we seek to shape a future for our children and our grandchildren that is defined not by what we have suffered, but what we have overcome.

Join us in three weeks for our free, virtual Annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering! This event develops and implements community-wide approaches to Building Self-Healing Communities. Participants are encouraged to attend who are involved, or want to be involved in, addressing the root causes of childhood adversity: this can include Collaborative, tribal, and other community partners, such as health, law enforcement, education, social services, parents, businesses, and nonprofit...

Join us NEXT WEEK for our free, virtual Annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering! This event develops and implements community-wide approaches to Building Self-Healing Communities. Participants are encouraged to attend who are involved, or want to be involved in, addressing the root causes of childhood adversity: this can include Collaborative, tribal, and other community partners, such as health, law enforcement, education, social services, parents, businesses, and nonprofit service...

Indigenous community members and Children’s Mental Health and Family Services Collaboratives' partners are encouraged to attend! This film highlights the untold history of America’s Indian Adoption Era, when nearly one-third of children were removed from tribal communities nationwide. As political scrutiny over Indian child welfare intensifies, an adoption survivor helps others find their way home through song and ceremony. In-Person and Virtual options are available!

We are hiring for a Director of Tribal Projects position at FamilyWise Services ! This position will support the mission of Familywise by leading prevention initiatives and promoting the self-healing community model in a specific geographic area of the state, including two to four Minnesota Tribes per year. Applicants will have the option to work 100% remotely if located in Greater Minnesota, or at the FamilyWise office in Minneapolis. You can find the full posting and position description...

Right before the new year, FamilyWise Services' Prevention Services Department hired and onboarded two new team members. We are excited to learn from them as we work together to reduce ACEs in our state. Firstly, we would like to welcome Deanna (DeDe) Drift as the new Director of Tribal Projects. DeDe joins our team and brings a wealth of experience. She has her Master’s Degree from the UMN – Duluth, and has served as the Commissioner of Human Services at Bois Forte Tribal Government where...

The 6th Annual Growing Resilient Communities – Collaboratives and Tribal Nations Addressing ACEs Gathering will be held virtually on June 27th (9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.). This event is being offered through a partnership among the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota Center for Prevention, and FamilyWise Services. Attached is the Save the Date flyer and registration information for the event will be shared in the coming weeks. Please share this flyer...

Join us on Tuesday, June 27ᵗʰ for the 6ᵗʰ Annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering of Collaboratives &Tribal Nations Addressing ACEs. This year we're convening people from across the state to address youth well-being. Learn from your peers' success stories and tell your own. We'll share strategies for building a culture of prevention. Together we can break the cycle of intergenerational trauma. REGISTER HERE TUESDAY, JUNE 27ᵗʰ 9:00 - 9:20 am Welcome 9:30 - 11:00 am Keynote...

The 6 th annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering of Collaboratives and Tribal Nations will be held in 1 week, on Tuesday, June 27 th from 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. This free, virtual event will focus on highlighting community-based approaches that support the development of self-healing communities – communities that intentionally develop more inclusive and equitable practices, cultural norms, and concrete supports so all children, families, and adults can thrive. This year, the theme is...

To read more of Eric Kawa's article, please click here. Sierra Leone has faced educational, social, and economic challenges in the decades following the country’s independence from Britain in 1961, including a decade-long civil war that ended in 2002 and the largest Ebola outbreak in history, from 2014 to 2015. The poverty rate is 64 percent , life expectancy is only 60 years , and across rural Sierra Leone the literacy rate is 48 percent . Only 16 percent of the population has access to...

We are excited to announce that Season 3 of the Remembering Resilience podcast is now live on podcast platforms! This podcast explores NEAR* Science, Historical Trauma, and ways Indigenous communities and individuals in Minnesota are creating and Remembering Resilience. *NEAR refers to neurobiology, epigenetics, adverse childhood experiences, and resilience In Season 3, Remembering Resilience podcast hosts Susan Beaulieu, Briana Matrious, and Linsey McMurrin continue to explore stories of...

Join us on Tuesday, June 18th for the 7th Annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering of Collaboratives and Tribal Nations Addressing ACEs! The 7th Annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering is a free, virtual event that supports tribal community members and partners and Children’s Mental Health and Family Services Collaboratives as they work to reduce ACEs, strengthen core protective systems, and create self-healing communities across Minnesota. The primary audience for this event...

Please save the date for the upcoming 7 th Annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering of Collaboratives and Tribal Nations Addressing ACEs, which will be held virtually on Tuesday, June 18 th from 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. This event supports tribal community members and partners and Children’s Mental Health and Family Services Collaboratives as they work to reduce ACEs, strengthen core protective systems, and create Self-Healing Communities across Minnesota.  This year, we plan to...

You are invited to register for the upcoming 7 th Annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering of Collaboratives and Tribal Nations Addressing ACEs that will be held virtually on Tuesday, June 18 th , from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This free , virtual event supports tribal community members and partners and Children’s Mental Health and Family Services Collaboratives as they work to reduce ACEs, strengthen core protective systems, and create Self-Healing Communities across Minnesota.  This...

The 7th Annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering of Collaboratives and Tribal Nations will be held next month, on Tuesday, June 18th from 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.