There is a growing recognition across systems, professions, and communities that something is missing in how we approach trauma, care, and healing. We have frameworks. We have policies. We have training modules that can be completed, documented, and filed away. And yet, there remains a persistent gap between what is known and what is experienced by those seeking care. That gap is not simply about knowledge. It is about relationship, presence, and the ability to truly see another person in their full humanity.
It is within that space that Dennis Windego’s work becomes not only relevant, but necessary.
Grandmother’s Voice is honoured to present the Indigenous Wisdom in Trauma Recovery: Land-Based Focusing Oriented Therapy Certificate Program, beginning this May. This is not a conventional training. It is a one-year journey grounded in Anishinaabeg teachings, ceremony, and lived experience, designed to transform how we understand trauma and how we walk alongside those who carry it.
At the heart of Dennis’s approach is a simple but profound shift. Healing is not something done to a person. It is something done with them.
Over time, many systems have moved toward efficiency, categorization, and speed. These are not inherently negative qualities, but when they become the dominant lens, something essential is lost. People are reduced to symptoms. Stories are shortened. Complexity is streamlined in ways that can unintentionally disconnect care from the person receiving it.
Dennis’s work restores relationship to the center of the healing process. Through land-based practices, ceremony, and Focusing-Oriented Therapy, participants learn to sit beside rather than across, to listen rather than interpret too quickly, and to create space where individuals can move at the pace their healing requires.
This is not theoretical learning. It is practiced, embodied, and carried forward into every interaction.
Trauma does not exist in isolation. It is layered, intergenerational, and often carried in ways that are not immediately visible. Western models of care have made important contributions to understanding trauma, but they do not always account for the full context in which it exists—particularly when that context includes colonization, displacement, and cultural disconnection.
This program addresses trauma in its full complexity. Participants engage deeply with intergenerational trauma, vicarious trauma, and the ways in which systems themselves can contribute to ongoing harm. They learn how trauma lives in the body, how it is expressed through behaviour, and how it can be approached in ways that honour both the individual and their lived experience.
More importantly, they learn how to respond in ways that do not replicate the conditions that caused harm in the first place.
There is a difference between understanding something conceptually and being able to respond to it in the moment.
Many professionals today are aware of the importance of cultural safety, humility, and trauma-informed care. The challenge is not always awareness. The challenge is application.
What does it mean to recognize bias as it is happening?
What does it mean to pause, reassess, and shift your approach in real time?
What does it mean to truly hear someone, even when their story does not fit expected patterns?
This program moves beyond awareness into practice. Through over 80 hours of theory, practicum, and ongoing mentorship, participants develop the skills required to engage differently. They learn how to slow down when it matters, how to create safety through presence, and how to recognize when their own assumptions may be shaping their response.
These are not abstract competencies. They are essential.
One of the most powerful aspects of this approach is the return of agency to the individual.
In many care environments, people are positioned as recipients of treatment rather than participants in their own healing. Decisions are made quickly, often with the best intentions, but without always creating space for the person to guide their own process.
Focusing-Oriented Therapy, as taught by Dennis, shifts that dynamic. It allows individuals to move at their own pace, to access their own internal knowledge, and to engage in healing in a way that feels safe and meaningful to them. It recognizes that people are not problems to be solved, but human beings with the capacity to heal when supported in the right way.
This approach is particularly powerful in addressing complex trauma, where control, trust, and safety are central to the healing process.
This program is land-based for a reason.
Healing does not occur solely in rooms or through conversation. It happens in connection—to land, to culture, to community, and to self. Participants will engage with ceremony, storytelling, and the natural environment as part of their learning. These are not additions to the program. They are foundational elements.
The land offers grounding. Ceremony offers containment. Community offers reflection and accountability.
Together, they create a learning environment that is immersive, relational, and deeply transformative.
This program is designed for a wide range of participants.
Frontline workers, therapists, healthcare providers, and legal professionals will find practical tools they can immediately integrate into their work. Leaders seeking to move beyond performative commitments to real change will find a pathway grounded in action. Individuals on their own healing journey will find a space that honours their experience and supports their growth.
What connects all participants is a willingness to engage deeply, to reflect honestly, and to take responsibility for how they show up in the lives of others.
There is no single solution to the challenges facing our systems of care. But there are pathways that bring us closer to what is needed.
Pathways that prioritize relationship over process.
Pathways that recognize the full humanity of those seeking care.
Pathways that understand trauma not as a label, but as a lived experience requiring patience, presence, and respect.
Dennis Windego’s program offers one of those pathways.
It does not promise quick fixes. It does not offer simplified answers.
What it offers is something far more valuable: the opportunity to learn how to care differently.
The Indigenous Wisdom in Trauma Recovery Certificate Program begins in May and runs through January 2027, with seven immersive modules delivered in three-day sessions throughout the year.
Participants will receive comprehensive training, ongoing mentorship, and the opportunity to become part of a community committed to meaningful, lasting change.
If you are ready to move beyond awareness and into practice, this is your opportunity.
Presented by Samantha Doxtater
Presented by GRANDMA RENEE
In a world seeking direction, Indigenous teachings offer clear and enduring policies for how to live in harmony with one another and the Earth. This workshop invites participants to explore the profound lessons of the Two Row Wampum Belt and other wampum belts as frameworks for mutual respect, environmental care, and collective well-being. These belts, created long before colonization, embody ancestral agreements that guide humanity on how to coexist with honor, dignity, and reciprocity.
Led by Grandmother Renee, this session emphasizes the importance of relearning and honoring the policies established by our ancestors, rather than creating new paths disconnected from this wisdom. Through the teachings of the belts, participants will uncover the principles of self-care, stewardship of the land, and respect for all beings. This is not about inventing something new—it is about rediscovering the instructions that were always there and committing to uphold them.
Key Takeaways:
Through this workshop, participants will be reminded that the wisdom of the belts is not only a guide for Indigenous communities but a path for all of humanity to walk together in respect and care for one another and the Earth.
Presented by Grandma Gail and Angela DeMontigny
Ceremony is more than tradition—it is a deliberate practice rooted in wisdom, responsibility, and foresight. This workshop explores the “science of ceremony” as a guide to living with intention and accountability for the next seven generations. Our ancestors used ceremony to prepare for the future, ensuring that their actions would benefit not only their own time but also those yet to come. Now, it is our responsibility to carry that practice forward.
Led by Grandmother Gail, this session will examine what has been lost and the actions we must take to restore, respect, and reclaim the ceremonial practices that ensure the well-being of future generations. Participants will be encouraged to reconnect with ceremony as a means of healing, reflection, and renewal, building a foundation of responsibility to guide us in restoring balance and harmony.
Key Takeaways:
Through this workshop, participants will rediscover the transformative power of ceremony as a pathway to healing, accountability, and preparation for a sustainable and harmonious future. Together, we will reaffirm our responsibility to the generations to come.
Presented by Asha Frost
Join Asha Frost, an Indigenous healer, teacher, and bestselling author, for a transformative workshop rooted in traditional teachings and the power of self-discovery. Asha’s work often centers on reconnecting with ancestral wisdom, embracing one’s authentic self, and creating pathways for healing and empowerment. Drawing from her Anishinaabe roots, she weaves stories, teachings, and practical tools to inspire participants to reclaim their power and align with their purpose.
Through her signature blend of traditional healing practices and modern insights, Asha guides participants in understanding how to honor their own journey, navigate challenges with resilience, and embrace the interconnectedness of all beings. This workshop is an invitation to explore the sacred within and around us, fostering personal growth and collective transformation.
Key Takeaways:
Whether you are seeking personal healing, professional inspiration, or a deeper connection to traditional wisdom, this session with Asha Frost promises to be a profound and enriching experience.
Presented by Allen Sutherland
The Seven Fires prophecy, as shared by seven prophets across different time periods, offers profound guidance for humanity’s path forward. According to Anishinaabe oral tradition, these teachings speak to the choices we face when the world has been polluted, and the waters turned bitter by disrespect. The prophecy teaches that humanity must choose between materialism and spirituality—one path leading to survival and the other to destruction.
In this workshop, Mishoomis Allen will guide participants through the teachings of the Seven Fires prophecy, exploring its relevance in today’s world and its call for spiritual renewal. Additionally, he will share his Canadian Indigenous Historical Timeline, providing a broader context for understanding the cultural, social, and spiritual significance of these teachings.
Key Takeaways:
This workshop offers an opportunity to reflect deeply on humanity’s collective responsibility and the transformative power of choosing a spiritual path for the survival of future generations.
Presented by Thohahoken Michael Doxtater
In this session, Thohahoken Michael Doxtater explores the ongoing impact of Canada’s colonial policies on Indigenous communities and the historical journey toward Truth and Reconciliation. He examines the systemic attempts to erase Indigenous identity, from residential schools to the suppression of cultural practices, and highlights Indigenous resilience and legal resistance. The presentation also delves into the concept of the “Canada Rafter,” a historical agreement acknowledging Canada’s adoption into the Indigenous Longhouse, raising the question: Has Canada truly upheld its responsibilities in this relationship?
