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Hugh Poorman with guitar - "The Warriors" presentation 
Men's Empowerment Group - White Bear First Nation (WBFN) with Hugh Poorman
Creating Indigenous Healing, Cultural Leadership and Justice: Meet Wikcena Wakpa
 

Wikcena Wakpa's Collective Mission: 

Through the revitalization of Nakota ways of knowing and being by working with our ancestral matriarchy, Wikcena Wakpa brings the 5D consciousness awareness in a 3D world. Our people live in a time of great healing. Our healers are waking up and our nations are discovering the spiritual strengths through the chaos of intergenerational trauma. 

Our work focuses on raising the vibrational frequencies of our indigenous communities by increasing awareness of issues that affect our homes, families, communities, and spirituality. We can become wise with our cultural ways while expanding our minds to the depths of human consciousness. 

What critical moments defined Wikcena Wakpa? 

The team participated in the repatriation of the sacred Buffalo Child Stone. This sacred stone was a gathering place for nations of the great plains for centuries until December 1966 when the Buffalo Child Stone was blown apart to make way for Gardiner Dam and Lake Diefenbaker, despite the outcry from First Nations people. Fragments of the stone ended up at different museum collections with the major piece at the Western Development Museum. The repatriation process of the Buffalo Child Stone brought people together in ceremony as it returned to near its original location at Douglas Provincial Park. The stone was once a cultural and spiritual place of gathering and historically it was documented as being a sacred spiritual place for all nations, and that was lost. Now that the stone was brought back, there were four ceremonies that brought back the song and the stories, the pipe ceremonies, the elders, the spiritual healers – it brought back in a really strange way, the right people at the right time. Participants of the ceremonies noted that the Buffalo Child Stone will become a place for First Nations youth and families to in ceremony, addressing issues arising from colonization like suicide, addictions, and grappling with the child welfare system. The return of stone strengthens the nations through spiritual awareness of oneself and our connection to the universe and the energy around us. 

Wikcena Wakpa also was instrumental in creating the first Indigenous Woman gaming character for the largest gaming platform in the world - Ubisoft's RainbowSeige, Mina Thunderbird Sky. Rainbow Six Seige‘s new character Thunderbird. Mina Sky, also called Thunderbird, is a First Nations and Indigenous operator from the Nakoda Territories, with a Kóna Station healing any injured player (ally or enemy). Wikcena Wakpa was part of a group of Nakoda women who collaborated with the development team on the Rainbow Six Siege game at Ubisoft Montreal. Jessica Generoux with Wikcena Wakpa was a pillar in helping define and create the Thunderbird character. From shaping her background story, being part of discussing her field of expertise (hydrology), finding her codename (Wagíya – Thunderbird in Nakoda), the name of her gadget who is a healing station (Kóna – friends in Nakoda), the design of the 3D characters such as her appearance (face tattoo, emblems on her clothing, face, hair) and overall final look. Wikcena Wakpa’s involvement in this mandate has been invaluable. Thunderbird depicts the strong connection and respect the Nakoda Nation has for the environment, the value of the people, the community, and the land. Wikcena Wakpa helped us celebrate the Nakoda culture, and language, and shape a strong woman warrior. 

What community-driven projects have your organization spearheaded that you are all proud of?

Wikcena Wakpa designed, developed, and are actively delivering Indigenous Men's Healing Programs. Sacred healing talking circles are facilitated by Communications Director Hugh Poorman. The purpose of the program lies in the fact that: 

Men- highest risk of suicide
Men- highest number of missing and murdered
Men- highest risk of domestic violence
Men- no safe shelter
Men- nowhere to talk
Men- nowhere to go
Men- left behind

Let's change that. We need to provide services for men, we need our Warriors back! Hugh Poorman designed, developed, and is currently delivering the program: Warrior's Rising, discover the Warrior Within, which has been offered in over a dozen communities in Saskatchewan. It is a 2-week indigenous men's wellness program that focuses on topics such as cycles of violence, narcissism, healthy relationships, anger management, addiction issues, teepee teachings, seven sacred teachings, Walking the Red Road, and Spiritual Self-Care. Testimonials of past programs can be found here: www.wikcenawakpa.com 

Hugh Poorman infuses Live music while healing the past to move forward in the empowerment programs. After his first CD, he got signed to a Nashville record deal contract. His second CD is set to be released in 2023, recorded with some of Nashville's best musicians, and studios. Songs that cut to the core of healing, using music as a tool to help our indigenous men and women become the best they can be. 

Blessed humbled and grateful creator chose us to do his work.

What does Indigenous justice look like? How is your work embodied?

Indigenous Justice is self-determined by Nations. Many nations have different teachings and protocols. Fairness and restoration may be found in the teachings held within secret societies. Justice protocols may look different in Cree territories as in Dene, Nakota, and Anishnaabe nations, they are so different and rooted in the language and culture of the territories. Wikcena Wakpa embodies indigenous justice in our work by addressing the issue of over-representation of Indigenous people in the mainstream justice system through prevention programs and healing circles for men. 

How does your community motivate each other to move forward in adversity?

Wikcena Wakpa builds teams of educated and experienced professionals to enhance indigenous empowerment programming. For example, we bring on board elders' knowledge, keepers' language speakers, specialists, and technical writers to help increase the quality of programs and services to clients. We are also governed by a matriarchy that directs our work culturally and spiritually. 

What are your future inclusive goals?

Wikcena Wakpa's future goals are to dig deeper into the healing modalities and share with our indigenous men's and women's healing circles; develop language and culture educational videos and multimedia, offer men's and women's Healing Retreats in 2023 and create and share healing and empowering music recorded and performed in 432 hz. 
If you are a leader at a district, college, company, non-profit, or foundation supporting GlobalMindED’s Tenth Anniversary event in Denver on June 17 (pre-conference + Inclusive Leader Awards dinner) 18-19 (conference) 2024, you are eligible to attend our Fall special event:

Transforming Financial Boundaries in Education, the Environment, and the Economy
Thursday, October 12th
United Nations DDR


Last Fall’s special event was at Georgia Tech:


  • GlobalMindED Resolve to Solve Atlanta: Interview with Killer Mike Dr. Raheem Beyah; Dean, College of Engineering, GA Institute of Technology, and Rontavious Coley, Recent graduate, Owner of The Early Way on Broad, introduce Dr. Jean Accius; SVP, Global Thought Leadership, AARP who interviews global hip-hop sensation, Michael Render (aka Killer Mike) of Run The Jewels, who shares his personal vision of Love & Respect, which is also the title of his new PBS talk show.

  • GlobalMindED Resolve to Solve Atlanta: Women Breaking Barriers In STEM Kwame Johnson; President and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta leads the panel with Errika Moore; Executive Director, STEM Funders Network, Dr. Maxine Cain; Founder & President, STEM Atlanta Women, Valarie Mackey; President & CEO, WrightNow Solutions, Michelle Arrington; Director, Government Affairs, Verizon, and Nettie Brown; Graduate Engineering Student, GA Institute of Technology

  • GlobalMindED Resolve to Solve Atlanta: Closing The Digital Divide Eric Kelly; Chairman & CEO, Bridge 2 Technologies leads the panel with Kristina Newton; Founder & CEO, HYPE, Richard Hicks; CEO & President, Inspiredu, Jaycee Holmes; Professor, Spelman College, Co-founder, CODEHOUSE, and Bryan Cox; Computer Science Program Specialist, Georgia Department of Education


  • GlobalMindED Resolve to Solve Atlanta: Students Have Their Say Michael Steele, JD; Managing Associate, Thompson Hine LLP leads the panel with Mahogany Labor; Engineering Student, GA Institute of Technology, Ki’Andre Thomas; Student Government Association Undergraduate President, Clark Atlanta University, Angelique White; Student, Miami Dade College, and Jalene Hudson; Student, Georgia Highlands College

Write Celeste Gardner to reserve your space: Celestegardner@globalminded.org
Plan Now for GlobalMindED's 10th Anniversary Conference June 17-19 2024 at the Denver Hyatt Regency
Registration and Call for Proposals Open August 1


See this 1-minute GlobalMindED 2023 at a glance video:
PBS12 Denver filmed and live-streamed the GlobalMindED Inclusive Leader Awards on June 7th as well as our main stage plenaries and presentations on June 8th. You can find them all individually on the GlobalMindED YouTube channel.

2023 GlobalMindED Inclusive Leader Award Winners:

Miriam Calderon, Chief Policy Officer, ZERO TO THREE: Inclusive Leader - Early Childhood Education
Dr. David Miyashiro, Superintendent, Cajon Valley Union School District, Inclusive Leader - K-12 Education
Carrie Billy, CEO, American Indian Higher Education Consortium: Inclusive Leader - Higher Education
Afua Bruce, Founder & Principal, ANB Advisory Group: Inclusive Leader - Government
Dr. Elena Rios, President & CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association: Inclusive Leader - Health & Wellness
Hassan Salem, Head of Commercial Banking, US Bank: Inclusive Leader - Banking & Finance
Greg Robinson, James Webb Space Telescope Project Director NASA (ret): Inclusive Leader - Space & Aerospace
Mary Nichols, Professor, UCLA Institute of the Environment, Inclusive Leader - Energy & Sustainability
Michael Campbell, General Manager, Education Division, Intel: Inclusive Leader - Technology
Diego Mariscal, CEO & Chief Disabled Person, 2Gether-International: Inclusive Leader - Entrepreneurship
Mario Carrera, President & CEO, CLLARO: Inclusive Leader - Media & Arts
Nasruddin Rupani, Chairman, Ibn Sina Foundation: Inclusive Leader - Foundations & Funders
Rosanna Durruthy, VP, Global Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, LinkedIn: Inclusive Leader -Global Impact
Kimberly Bryant, Founder & CEO, Black Innovation Lab; Black Girls Code: Inclusive Leader - Non-Profit
Guillermo Diaz, Jr., Founder & CEO, Conectado Inc.: Inclusive Leader - Leadership & Equity

Insights from GlobalMindED Leaders:

Insights from Elycia Cook, CEO, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of CO
Insights from Adrian Rosado, Founder, Zion Leadership Group
Insights from Dr. Ryan Ross, Associate Vice Chancellor, CO Community College System
Insights from Jeffrey Vargas, CEO, Generationology

Main-stage Presentatons:
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Thank you to all of the Sponsors, Speakers, Students, and Attendees at GlobalMindED 2023
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