IndigenoUS Leaders
of North America

My family had a miserable life because of alcohol, drugs, and gambling. My father was addicted to drugs and my mother was an alcoholic. They fought a lot and got a divorce when I was 11 years old. I started smoking and drinking when I was 14 years old. My life became darker and darker. I tried to commit suicide 3 times because I didn’t know how to get out of darkness. In 2019, I attended IYF World Camps in Springfield and New York. I was able to make many new friends and participate in many activities. Through the mind lectures I listened to, I was able to have a dream. Now I am living in South Korea as a Good News Corps volunteer. I teach English and do many different types of volunteer work. I’m so happy and thankful for my new life and new hope for my future.

When I was growing up, I was very isolated. My family was addicted to drugs, alcohol, and gambling, and they always would fight.  During the last fight, I was ready to end my life.  I felt that if I closed my heart towards other people, they wouldn’t be able to hurt me. And so, I isolated myself from others and pushed people away.  My past was robbing me of joy and crippling me from loving myself and others. In June of 2018, I met and was invited to volunteer at IYF First Nation Youth Camp in our community.  My first World Camp turned out to be the most amazing experience I ever had.  Seeing other First Nation youth being so happy made me happy. Most of them had family problems or broken homes, so we opened our hearts toward each other.  Then I went on to Korea for a whole year as an overseas volunteer, which were more blessings than I could handle.  I have never been so happy, laughing with people from different countries, who have become as close to me as family. We do new things with so many amazing people, and I am so thankful.  Now I want to continue to be a part of IYF and deliver this hope and happiness to my people.

I was deep in drugs and last summer I attended the World Culture Camp in LA and New York and quit completely. It’s so amazing that even now, I don’t even think about doing drugs anymore. I used to be a key player for a junior ice hockey team but I quit because of drugs. Recently, I started to play again. I have two dreams now. I’d like to be a great Ice Hockey player and also an electrical repairman and have a happy family.

I learned how to open my hearts and make friends through the World Camp. These days, I am invited to be a speaker at elementary schools. In the future, I want to be an official Mind Lecturer and be a positive influence to people.

In 2016, 8 persons committed suicide in Cross Lake. Among them, 4 of them were persons I knew and three were friends of mine since childhood. When I saw that my friends committed suicide, I close the doors of my heart to the world and I fell in severe depression. I also attempted suicide many times. Then I attended the New York World Camp and found a ray of light. As  I listened to the Mind Lectures, I understood how the human heart flows and I also learned that when you communicate with people, you become happy. Now, I am studying at the University of Manitoba and looking forward to a hopeful future.