Hi, my name is Connie, and I created this fund to help Ina Old Shoes become the first woman paramedic for the Blood Tribe/Kainai Nation majoring as an Advanced Care Paramedic. Ina’s dream is to serve her community and use this career path to heal and grow her people. She cares deeply about the welfare of her community, and her motivation comes from the impacts of her culture being stripped away as a result of assimilation efforts such as Residential Schools, of which her grandparents are survivors. Her experiences include witnessing firsthand the ravages of drug and alcohol, poverty and a loss of their identity. Through these experiences, Ina has been called to serve to cultivate the beauty in her people and heal the hurt.

Ina worked tirelessly to be accepted into the Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences - Paramedic program at Medicine Hat College. This is a 4-year Bachelors degree program. The trouble is that she has made it this far but has not found funding beyond the tuition for her classes. Ina is registered in 5 courses and has 2 labs, making it impossible for her to work enough hours to pay for her necessities, room and board.

 

I have been supporting Ina with her scholarship applications for the past 7 months - we have applied to over 40 - and we have only been able to raise $1,500 for the whole year. Unfortunately, this amount will not allow Ina to stay in school beyond the first year of her 4 year program.

 

With your support, we can all be a part of making a difference in something that truly matters —supporting a strong and dedicated young Indigenous woman devote her life to serving others in the community. Would you please help Ina accomplish this goal? Every dollar matters, and every cent counts.

More about Ina (from Ina):

I am a proud member of the Kainai Nation / Blood Tribe and an aspiring Paramedic. My goal is to be the first female Paramedic for the Blood Tribe Emergency Services.  

Who I am:

Raised by a single mother, the majority of my upbringing was on the Blood 148 reserve, which is based on our ancestral lands in Southern Alberta.  As an active member of my community, I have experienced the kind and generous nature of the Kainai people – shown through something as subtle as a child holding the door for an elder and through the sharing of our culture at powwows and the sacred Sun Dance.  I have also experienced the impacts of our culture being stripped away as a result of assimilation efforts such as Residential Schools (of which my grandparents are survivors).  These experiences include witnessing first-hand the ravages of drug and alcohol addiction, poverty, and a loss of our identity.  Through these experiences, I am called to serve – both to cultivate the beauty in my people and to heal the hurt.  

My work experience to date includes roles as a Fire Fighter with Blood Tribe Emergency Services, as a Youth Care Worker with the Blood Tribe Safe Home & Assessment Centre, as Firewatch for the Youth Wellness Centre, and as a support worker with Bringing Home the Spirit, a detox centre for community members.  

I am also an artist – my favourite mediums are drawing and painting, and I am called upon to create pieces for friends and community members.  As a child, my dream was to be an Animator and create my own TV series – you never know, with your support, I may just do that one day. 

My Goals:

As mentioned, my immediate goal is to become the first female Paramedic for the Blood Tribe.  To achieve this, I have begun a Bachelor of Applied Health Science degree (Paramedic) at Medicine Hat College.  My time as both a full-time and volunteer firefighter provided first-hand experience with critical medical situations, including drug overdoses and injuries sustained in fires.  This taught me that I am well suited to this career and will be successful in it.  

My ‘Why’:

My motivation is simple – to serve my community.  I see this career path as a means to heal and grow my people.  I care deeply about the welfare of my community; I am fighting to be the change it needs and provide a pathway to a better life – to return us to the proud warriors we once were.