Help with some Housing

Hey Everyone! The Wapekeka First Nations Band has graciously allocated to our family it's first house - thank you so much, miigwetch!

The problem is... it is only a 1 bedroom unit for our 2 parent, 2 children & 1 co parent household - we are a blended family! Currently we have been living in one house with 2 grandparents, 1 uncle, 3 nephews, 2 children and 3 parents all consistently live in our household, with more nieces and nephews sometimes coming and going.. with only 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen and not enough bedrooms or space to cope... We are so grateful to the band for this opportunity for our own home for our little family of five.

Our 2 year old son can sleep with us in the bedroom for the time being but our daughter will have to sleep in the livingroom, which means her mother will have nowhere to sleepover as she co-parents with us. We will have no livingroom for family bonding or for our children to have friends sleepover as they grow up. We will have no space to have extended family & friends come to visit or just space to live outside of our own beds. 

My Stepdaughter's drawing - hoping for a 2nd house

The solution is to buy the construction supplies needed and pay a crew to build an extension onto the unit. But it is not cheap by any means considering the cost of construction supplies to begin with, shipping them rural/remote Northern Canada, then selling them wholesale, then shipping them to the First Nations reserve you are located in. 'Mistik North Building Supplies & General Store' does a huge service to Canadian First Nations but most families cannot meet the financial demands to cover such construction without help. Customers have to have it flown in by cargo plane or wait until Winter where ice roads can be build and travel to get the supplies themselves.

We have been quoted materials for 2 small bedrooms and a storage porch. Bedrooms so my son and stepdaughter can have their own space to live, learn and grow up.

Mistik North has initially quoted for 28k in materials from their lumberyard to Pickle Lake, ON Canada. To have it shipped the rest of the way to Angling Lake, ON Canada would be almost another 15k. So we created a GoFundMe to ask for your help to fundraise construction supplies for our first house!

Even if we can fundraised between 15-20k just to buy the materials would be the biggest blessing for our family after so much struggle. 

After the traumatic birth of my son and the stress thereafter our family is in desperate need of a positive fresh start. Three of my spinal disks started to collapse as I was 34 weeks pregnant with out son, we were awaiting news if we would be allocated a house and instead were awaiting an emergency c-section and spinal chord surgery. 

Instead we awaited news if I would ever walk again as a first time mother and stepmother. I worried if I would even be able to help my husband move into our first house if or when we got the news...

Thankfully two years later I am walking with my son, I am lifting him in the air as he laughs, I am buying furniture and picking out paint colours with my stepdaughter for our soon-to-be finished house, I am excited for our future with my husband... But no parent can easily admit that their future needs help. With my recovery I could drive with my husband to pick up the materials but we need your help for the cost. Please go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/wapekeka-housing-for-the-brown-bear-family

Please help my children, help our little family, finally have its first own place to physically/mentally feel safe and sound. Please!

Please help Rez Dogs get a Vet Clinic in Wapekeka

Our amazing Nursing staff have orchestrated our first ever vet clinic for this year but it's going to take a lot to make happen! We are trying to raise as much money as we can to cover the veterinary staff, airfare, accommodations and everything else needed for these amazing caring people to come help our rez dogs!

But not only that I want to help make a surplus to help families who don't have the funds to get their dogs the help or spay/neuter they need once the vets come. Not every family has the means to always help their pets so I am asking for your help.

A bag of 8kg pet food can cost around $150.00CAD up North. A round trip plane ticket from Wasaya airways from Wapekeka to Sioux Lookout costs UP to $1,912.00 if you need to bring your pet out to find a veterinarian. Not every family has that much disposable income to use for their animals. Most dogs end up spending their whole lives outside, with their owners or strangers giving them food, having their puppies outside, their puppies have to survive and grow up outside and when a dog is in heat there are too many dogs to keep from fighting. Not to mention other methods of "population control" that have circulated the news recently..

Our nursing staff, other volunteers around the community and locals have been amazing helping to care for dogs and ship them out to vets and adoption agencies. But they need help and they need funds. ANY and all donations would be greatly appreciated! With your help we can aid alot of good pets. Please consider helping Wapekeka-Angling Lake First Nations and our pets at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-rez-dogs-get-a-vet-clinic-in-wapekeka

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT REZ DOGS by Isaac Murdoch [https://saverezdogs.com/resources/rezdogmedicine]

1. They are not mutts and have been apart of our communities for thousands of years. They are 100% Indigenous and deserve our utmost respect. Just because they dont have papers, doesnt mean they are not amazing. Indian dogs are a very speacial breed that need our protection.
2. They can gaurd our lodges and eat any bad medicine or evil that may be lurking in our villages. Tie a tobacco tie onto the back of its neck and ask it to seek out any danger in this manner. Many tribes believe their job is protect our lodge doorways from a distance. This is why when one comes into our ceremonies, its known as a bad omen. Something bad has come to the village. Pay attention to them, they are messengers.
3. They are star gazers and know the celestrial map that hangs over our heads. Because of this, they also know the future and can tell us the dangers that lie ahead. They know where the bad ice is and when storms are coming. Watch them celebrate when good things happen too. Oh, they also know what medicines to eat when they are sick. They can teach us stuff.
4. They know our languages. For thousands of years they heard our language. They know it inside and out. Make offerings to them and pray that the languages come back strong. Never underestimate the spiritual power of a rez dog. Like never ever. Some believe our ancestors will come visit us as a dog. You will notice them. They will have human eyes and act like old souls. Cherish them always and seek their council.
5. When we treat them well, they give us back ten times the love and respect. They are so loyal and solid they will die to save our life. Also, when they are lil puppies, find one you admire and spit in its mouth. Through this ceremonial act, a sacred bond will be made and you will have a new best friend who will always be there for you. #RezDogMedicine