100 Men with 100 Drums centred on mens’ health and wellness to create stronger families

CBC News: Nestled in the Southwestern Manitoba’s Assiniboine Food Forest, a group of Indigenous men work together to create a brotherhood centred on mens’ health and wellness to build stronger communities.

The Saturday gathering 100 Men with 100 Drums was centred on health and wellness for men, said Jason Gobeil. Their goal is to stand united and help men heal traumas they have experienced by reconnecting with their culture and other men.

“The Good Hearted Warriors men’s group here in Brandon … we’ve taken in some beautiful gatherings over the last year where circles of men created safe space to share, learn teach and gather,” Gobeil said. The goal was to show that health and wellness can be nourished by community-driven connections, Gobeil said. When men are healthy it helps creates strong families, communities and societies, he believes.

The gathering invited men from all walks of life — Indigenous, non-Indigenous and Canadian newcomers — to a full day of activities including drum making and a sweat Saturday. Men from across Manitoba came to Brandon including those from Winnipeg, Long Plain First Nation, Rolling River First Nation, Waywayseecapo First Nation and Pine Creek First Nation.

Helping men live positive lives is essential, says Reg Nepinak who travelled from Pine Creek First Nation. Gatherings like 100 Men with 100 Drums are an opportunity to pass on cultural teachings and lessons.

“We need to teach our young men to be good fathers,” Nepinak said. “We just need to push that point all the time.”

Too often he has seen young men get caught up in addictions and says they are losing young people to these issues. “We have to stop them from what they’re doing,” Nepinak said.

Strengthening community for the next generation

It has been a challenging journey, as funding that focuses on men’s health and wellness is difficult, Gobeil said. The community rallied together to bring people together. A part of this was made possible by Brandon’s Akicita Cante Waste, which translates as “good-hearted warriors,” a group Gobeil led that lost funding in March.

Basing everything on funding can lead to the idea that “we can’t do anything unless we have dollars behind us. But it’s not always about that,” Gobeil said. “When you have time and you have great heart, anything is possible.”

Gobeil says they created a circle open to all men so they can take care of each other.

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“In our way, in our traditional way of doing things, I’ve experienced a lot. I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” Nepinak said. “I had an elder that was very kind and didn’t give me heck, you know, for the mistakes I made.” Nepinak says his goal is to pass on what he has learned. He’s sharing these experiences with the next generation as a form of healing.

These conversations are part of planning and setting up future generations for success. Gobeil said the actions men take today will ripple out across future generations.

Groups like Akicita Cante Waste are doing the best they can to find healing, forgiveness and love, Gobeil said. This allows them to strengthen social circles for men and encourages them to sit together breaking cycles of trauma so they don’t affect the next generation.

“The grief, the loss, the pain, the frustrations and anger when we learn how to let it go in a good way,” Gobeil said. “We create opportunity for learning.”

Sage Ironstand came from Waywayseecapo First Nation to attend the mens’ day.  Ironstand has been feeling distant from the culture and saw it as an opportunity to reconnect. During 100 Men with 100 Drums, Ironstand made his first drum. It was one of many activities that made him feel welcomed in the space.

It was a humbling experience that offered a chance to connect with other men and learn about his culture. “Being here today, it’s helping out a lot and it’s bringing me back. It’s making me feel happy again,” Ironstand said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chelsea Kemp, Brandon Reporter

Chelsea Kemp is a multimedia journalist with CBC Manitoba. She is based in CBC’s bureau in Brandon, covering stories focused on rural Manitoba. Share your story ideas, tips and feedback with chelsea.kemp@cbc.ca.