Honoring Biskaabiiyaang’s Roots: Spirit Builders
Today, on Nokiiwin Day (June 18), we celebrate nearly two decades of First Nations leadership through the Nokiiwin Tribal Council and honour the community-rooted program at the heart of Biskaabiiyaang’s creation: the Spirit Builder Training.
Developed by Nokiiwin and supported by York University’s Glendon College, the Spirit Builder apprenticeship model trains community-based facilitators in trauma-informed, Indigenous-led education. These facilitators, known as Spirit Builders, are cultural knowledge holders who now lead delivery of the Indigenous Cultural Competency and Trauma-Informed Training Certificate (ICCTIT), one of York University’s largest Indigenous education programs.
More than 700 learners, including over 300 Indigenous participants, have completed the ICCTIT certificate so far, but the work doesn’t end in the classroom. The teachings, protocols, and pedagogy shared in the Spirit Builder model directly inform the world of Biskaabiiyaang: The Indigenous Metaverse. This ensures every part of Biskaabiiyaang’s digital experience is grounded in Anishinaabe values, ceremony, and kinship-based learning.
“We’ve built this together — not just for now, but for all the stories and teachings that still need to find their way home.”
— Maya Chacaby, Biskaabiiyaang’s Chief Visionary
Spirit Builders act as bridges between generations, between virtual and real worlds, and between institutions and community. They are educators, mentors, storytellers, and Knowledge keepers. By uplifting both Spirit Builders and the training model today, we hope to honour the people shaping not just Biskaabiiyaang but a more connected, ethical, and Indigenous-led future, both online and offline.
Further Reading:
Sign up for the ICCTIT waitlist here. (Free to Indigenous participants.)
Explore the Spirit Builder Training at Nokiiwin’s website.
For more information, contact:
support@biskaabiiyaang.com
Violet Cronin – Marketing & PR, Biskaabiiyaang & UniVirtual
violet@univirtual.com