Meet the board
Lets get to know the people who steer the Nii'kinaaganaa ship - AKA the Board members!
Welcome to our first official newsletter! Our aim is to update donors on where their donations are going each month and shine a light on the invaluable and often urgent support being provided thanks to these donations.
If you’re new to Nii’Kinaaganaa, we’re a non-profit, mutual aid foundation that collects money and distributes it to Indigenous-led groups and individuals across so-called Canada to support grassroots organizing, cultural development, and material needs. Since we began operating in November 2021, we’ve disbursed over $150,000 across Indigenous communities. While this may seem like a lot, the sad reality is that we still have to turn down aid requests every month—which makes your support all the more critical and appreciated.
Now let’s meet the Board Members that help guide our foundation’s mission!
Joy Henderson is a Black-Lakota writer, mother, masters student, and Child and Youth Care practitioner. Growing up in Regent Park and the urban Indigenous community in Tkaronto, she has grounded her work in community collaboration and transformative values. She is a commentator on Canadian politics, education, 2SLGBTQ+ issues, and Black and Indigenous identity. Joy has written op-eds for the Toronto Star and spoken at various events.
Patty Krawec is an Anishnaabe woman from Lac Seul First Nation, living in Niagara Falls, Ontario. She is a podcaster on both Medicine for the Resistance and Ambe. Her first book, Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting Our Past and Reimagining Our Future was released by Broadleaf Books in September 2022. You can find her on twitter @gindaanis and subscribe to her blog at thousandworlds.ca
Nora Loreto is a writer and activist based in Quebec City. Born in Rainy River, Ontario and raised in Georgetown, her ancestors settled in both Northern and Southern Ontario from England (to farm) and Italy (to mine). Nora is the co-host of the popular podcast Sandy and Nora Talk Politics and is the Editor of the Canadian Association of Labour Media.
Frances Elizabeth Moore is an Anishinaabe Kwe from Timiskaming First Nations, Quebec residing in London, Ontario. She is a storyteller, community advocate, facilitator/educator, non-profit leader, and mother who is invested in promoting awareness for and healing in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. She holds a Legal Administration Diploma from Georgian College, as well as several certificates from St. Francis Xavier and Wilfred Laurier University.
Terrill Tailfeathers is a member of the Blackfoot Confederacy and has a long history of activism for his community. He was recently with the Tiny House Warriors in BC.
And an organizer who’s practically a Board Member:
Debbie Ironbow is not only one of the organizers that we support, she is a retired power engineer and welder and an active community worker registered with Waterhen Lake First Nation, currently living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She is the daughter of residential school survivors and a grandmother whose own daughter was a victim of the ongoing MMIWG2S crisis. Debbie’s community work focuses on feeding families in need and caring for the houseless community. She is committed to organizing against the harmful, traumatic, and oppressive policies born out of colonialism and we appreciate her insight and participation in our monthly meetings.
Thankyou to Em, Kyle, Noor, Josh, Damien, Lisanne, Sara, Brianne, Ashley, Cheryl, Riley, Ariane, Brontee, Erika, and Jen who joined as new patrons, or upgraded their monthly support on Patreon or Paypal! Also thankful for Nicole, Christine, Laurena, Cathleen, Kaitlyn, Madeline, and Ellery for your one-time donations.
Please note that as of November 1, 2024 new patrons using the Patreon iOS app will have 30% of their donation redirected to Apple. This is only applicable to NEW signups on Patreon through the Apple app. If you signed up before November 1, use android, or sign up on your desktop this does not apply.
That’s all for now! Next month, we’ll introduce you to more organizers and organizations that we support and share some stories about the positive impact they’re making in their communities.
Thanks for reading and supporting,
The Nii’Kinaaganaa Team
Elite solutions to poverty are always about managing poor people and never about redistributing wealth
Dean Spade, Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis.