Upcoming Vancouver Workshop

Check out or register for this upcoming workshop in Vancouver called Keepers of the Children: Native American Wisdom and Parenting.
You can register at www.eventbrite.com

Keepers of the Children offers a unique perspective on parenting by using little known Native American concepts to show parents how to raise children to reach their true potential. By raising children to unfold the gifts within their hearts, parents more deeply touch their own. In this way, parenting is a path of mutual becoming—as the child grows, the parent is challenged to grow as well. This is a delightful perk of child stewardship.
In Keepers of the Children: Native American Wisdom and Parenting, you will learn:
• How to encourage children's uniqueness and set them upon the path of purpose from the start.
• How to teach children to act from integrity and strength.
• The true meaning of discipline: How to teach children to make life-affirming choices on their own.
• How to use nature to teach children the basics of psychology so they will avoid the traps of peer pressure and those who intend to do them harm.
• All about child development and your development as a parent.
• How parenting is a path of personal growth for child and parent.
• How to create a lifelong, mutually fulfilling relationship with your child

June 23rd, 9:30 - 3:30 pm

June 24th, 9:30 - 3:30 Lunch Included both days

Laura Ramirez is the mother of two boys and the wife of a Native American man. In raising her children to embrace the fullness of their heritage, she has created a way of parenting that combines the most resourceful aspects of two worlds. Ms. Ramirez has a degree in psychology, has written numerous articles on raising children and is the publisher of Family Matters Parenting Magazine.

First Nations/Metis Adoption Family Camp

Well, the First Nations/Metis family camp discussed in the last post on this blog has come and gone. It was small but awesome. Thanks to the families with children by adoption who came, and especially thanks to the First Nations people who came and supported us in this camp. They encouraged and inspired us and shared stories that we won't forget.
We hope to do it again sometime soon.

First Nations/Metis Family Camp

There will be a family camp for families with children of First Nations/Metis heritage to be held this coming March 4th to 6th on Quadra Island. If you are family who'd like to come, or a person of First Nations heritage who'd like to volunteer please contact me at cgilbert@bcadoption.com or at 1-866-334-3873.
It is likely that the camp will fill quickly, so let me know as soon as you know and we can complete the registration process.
thank you

things have changed

How things have changed. We adopted two sons of First Nations ancestry many years ago. The first one moved into our home in 1990. At that time things were handled differently. We still had a home study done, but there was a very limited adoption education program (not like the one MCFD now provides to adoptive parents) and when we adopted our son of First Nations ancestry there was no culture plan created. In fact we received very limited information about his birth mother's home community in northern BC. When we adopted his birth sibling a few years later there was still no culture plan, but we did receive a letter supporting the adoption from their community and a band newsletter.
Now adoptions of children of First Nations ancestry to non First Nations homes are more rare. And those that do take place do so with a culture plan.
It's not perfect but it's a step in the right direction.
Would I do things differently for my sons if I were adopting them now? You bet. But I can't turn back the clock. And I did what I could with the resources and knowledge I had. We all need to do that.

Family Camp

I am hoping to plan an adoption family camp for families who have adopted children of First Nations/Metis ancestry. This camp will take place this winter sometime, likely on Quadra Island at a camp there. If anyone is interested in helping with any aspect of this camp I'd love to hear from you. I have no additional funds to help create a cultural component, but that's what would be great to create. So if anyone has suggestions I'd love to hear them.

multi-ethnic gathering

This Sunday (May 2nd) all multi-ethnic families are invited to a get together in Port Alberni hosted by Jeff and Jennifer Dudenhofer.
It's from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Glenwood centre and you need to bring along a snack to share, helmets for those who want to be active as well as bikes, roller blades, skate boards or whatever you and/or your kids would like to use in the centre.
If you'd like to come please rsvp to Jennifer at jdudenhofer@shaw.ca and she can give you more information.

family event this spring....

I would like to organize some kind of family event this spring for families who have adopted children of First Nations/Metis ancestry and who live here on Vancouver Island. This event could be in Victoria or somewhere in the central or north Island area. Anyone who'd like to help organize, or has suggestions for an activity, place etc please let me know. I can be reached by email at cgilbert@bcadoption.com
thanks