On March 22nd 2025, we were deeply honored to host Anishinaabe elders and leaders to open and close the event in a good way. Special thanks to AICHO for welcoming us into their space and supporting this powerful movement for collective learning and healing.

 

Ceremony, Respect, and Sacred Exchange.

The event was rooted in traditional protocols. Our elders opened with drumming, smudging, and a sacred pipe creating a sacred and protective space. We closed the day in the same way, honoring our responsibilities to spirit, ancestors, and each other. The Collective WHIN's Focus was on Education with a Traditional Foundation. We exchanged gifts with our ceremonial leaders and signed Certificates of Commitment and Participation for all attendees-marking each person's role in the path forward.

​

Educational Tools & Shared Learning.

One of the most impactful tools shared was the WHIN-created timeline: "Anti-Indian Policy: Illegal Acts & Laws." This visual document maps the long legacy of federal policies from Johnson v. M'Intosh to ICWA, offering a powerful visual history of the legal red tape used to suppress Indigenous sovereignty. We also held an interactive quiz session focused on Ojibwe treaty knowledge. As a Lakota participant, I found myself learning alongside others, with support from Elder Michael and Chief Jay as we worked through answers together. That space of humility, shared learning, and respect across Nations embodied the very spirit of the gathering.

​

Hip-Hop Cipher & Cultural Innovation.

HipHop Artist Darryl Shabiash took to stage with an impromptu freestyle that won the contest. His performance bridged tradition and innovation, proving that our cultural expression is alive, evolving, and fully capable of carrying our message forward-no matter the medium.

 

The Collective WHIN  focused on Education with a Traditional Foundation & an Ongoing Community Commitments.

Attendees filled out Community Commitment forms, outlining how they plan to carry this work forward in their homes, communities, and Nations. These commitments will be revisited at our next gathering, with plans already in motion for a follow-up event at AICHO. This is the start of something ongoing: not just a single event, but a growing movement centered on continuity, responsibility, and community healing.

​

Why This Work Matters for 7 Generations AHEAD.

Events like the Collective WHIN are not just for Indigenous people-they're for everyone. They are spaces where the truth of this land can be told, where learning can happen across age, race, and background, and where we begin to repair what has long been broken. Understanding treaties, tribal sovereignty, and historical injustice is not just an Indigenous responsibility-it's a shared duty. These events allow youth to grow in confidence, elders to be honored, and allies to find their place in the circle. "The Collective WHIN" is a model for what's possible: a space where education is rooted in tradition, where justice meets culture, and where all peoples can come together to learn, unlearn, and move forward-together.

 

To our co-leads at Next Level Collaborations and BoardShaper, thank you for your foundational partnership and belief in this vision. Special thanks to:- Director Camille McClay & Lauri Klaus for your instrumental support in making this event a success. To the elders, youth, families, educators, and change-makers who showed up in truth and spirit: we see you, we honor you, and we build with you. The Collective WHIN remains rooted in education, guided by tradition, and committed to collective action through community data collection and long form social, health & economic trasformation.

​

- Jonathon Okute Maza