Empowered Path
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Courses
  • Events
  • Thought Partner
  • Speaking
  • Contact

#IndigenousBookStack Photos

1/27/2022

0 Comments

 
Stack of books by Indigenous authors Thomas King, Lee Maracle, Bob Joseph, Elaine Alec, Bev Sellars, The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Lynn Gehl, Betty J. Maracle, and Sheila Watt-Cloutier.
Most of these books are in the standard stack that shows up within the camera view, when I deliver webinars. This stack is the one literally closest to my heart, sitting on a shelf just behind me to my left.
Every now and then someone asks me for a list of books by Indigenous authors. There are many reasons, some want to learn more about the lived realities of Indigenous peoples in the lands we call Canada, others want to make a step towards reconciliation by purchasing books written by Indigenous authors.
​
This week I noticed that a lot of people were posting stacks of books by Indigenous authors on Instagram, I saved a post from Raven Reads, and looked at it again today.

In response to a call post Indigenous book stacks from Raven Reads and Indigenous Bookshelf, I posted 4 pictures of books I own, that are on the bookshelf behind me on my left. I did a little shuffling, trying to focus only on books by Indigenous authors.
​
This blog shares these images, and a second series of images, geared to younger readers, which I’ll post sometime before January 31, 2022. 
Vertical stack of books by Indigenous authors Alicia Elliot, Tanya Talaga, Richard Wagamese, James Bartleman, Wab Kinew, Jesse Thistle, David A. Robertson, Iehsthoserinon:nha, Ernie Letout, Sandy Boucher, and Calvin Helin. The book about Molly Brant was not written by an Indigenous author.
This is the shelf immediately below the shelf in the first picture with this post.
The book about Molly Brant, Mohawk Loyalist and Diplomat, is a biography, and was not written by an Indigenous author. Still a good read!
Vertical stack of books by Indigenous authors Jody Wilson Raybould, Edgar Villanueva, Arthur Manuel, Grad Chief Ronald M. Derrickson, Suzanne Methot and Helen Knott. The book Gambling on Authenticity is a compilation of chapters from Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors.
This shows the top of the last two books in the previous image and several books in the middle of my bookshelf.
The book Gambling on Authenticity is a compilation of chapters from Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors pulled together as a book in honour of the memory of an Indigenous scholar Susan Applegate Krouse Ziigwam Niibe Kwe (Spring Water Woman), Anthropologist, Wife, Mentor, Colleague, Friend.
Stack of fiction books by Indigenous authors Eden Robinson, Waubgeshig Rice, Katherena Vermette and Angeline Boulley.
This is a stack of fiction books. I couldn't make myself break up the Trickster series, so Moon of the Crusted Snow was gently placed on top of the stack, even though it looks unbalanced.
I have a bibliography that contains many of these books and a few others. As well as some authors I know about but haven't read yet. 

Now moving on to the books aimed at younger audiences, starting with Firekeeper's Daughter because the cover art is so glorious.
Cover of Fire Keeper's Daughter: Keep the Secret, Live the Lie, Earn your Truth. by Angeline Boulley. Two faces looking at each other form the shape of a butterfly, their necks and backs are shaped by designs of wolves and birds intertwined with flames. Flames cover the bottom part of the book. Artwork by Moses Lunham.
Firekeeper's Daughter is aimed at the young adult market. I happen to quite enjoy many young adult authors!
I love the cover art on this book! I waited until I had a free weekend before purchasing Firekeeper's Daughter, because I knew I would binge read it. It was well worth the wait!
Four slender books fanned out resting on a wooden table. The topmost book cover has a girl drawn in blue and black, over a red cover. The title is
I loved Katherena Vermette's adult novel The Break, even though some of the content was disturbing, so I went looking for more of her work, and this is what I found.
The graphic novel series A Girl Called Echo is good for all ages from advanced young readers to elders.
The Adventures of Rabbit and Bear Paws series fanned out on a hardwood table, by Chad Solomon & Christopher Meyer. The top book is called Tall Tale, and shows Rabbit and Bear Paws standing on the hand of a giant who is smiling down at them kindly.
The Adventures of Rabbit and Bear Paws, great for young readers to share with family.
My spouse brought home signed copies of both of the Rabbit and Bear Paws series. Some of these are well loved and a little ragged.
The Rabbit and Bear Paws Sacred Seven series by Chad Solomon, Tanya Leary & Christopher Meyer fanned out on a hardwood table. The top book is called Respect and shows a herd of bison, with a large mother and calf in the forefront, eating grain in a large field. Rabbit, Bear Paws, Strawberry and Clover Blossom (Rabbit’s mom) are peaking through the grain to see the herd.
This is the last photo for today's post!
We have dozens of other books by Indigenous authors around our home. Someday I may gather them for another photo shoot!

If you enjoyed reading this post you may also enjoy:


Gratitude Plants the Seeds for Abundance
Treat Everyone with Respect

To get a free copy of my eBook “Networking: Identifying and Connecting with Friendly Forces” click here (note it’s easier to sign up using a laptop than a phone).
0 Comments

Virtual Networking: Instagram

1/20/2022

0 Comments

 
A light blue box with the words Virtual Networking: Instagram and blue icons for LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. In small text at the bottom of the image www.empoweredpath.ca
I love the flexibility Canva offers for editing images to customize them!
Networking is all about identifying Friendly Forces (allies and colleagues), creating trusting relationships and helping each other achieve your goals. You can do that on Instagram!

I resisted joining Instagram (IG) for a long time. Mostly because I think in words and not in pictures.  I assumed that I’d have to be an accomplished photographer before posting on IG.

Late in 2020, I joined Instagram with the goal of following a bunch of phenomenal Indigenous women entrepreneurs I’d met through the NWAC #BeTheDrum Entrepreneur Navigation Program. I happily started following people and liking posts, adding an occasional comment or emoji.

Disclaimer: I’m a Gen X person, also known as a Digital Immigrant. Communicating with emoji’s doesn’t come naturally to me. I generally stick to a thumbs up, smiley face, or heart.

I’ve been actively networking for almost 4 decades. I knew a lot of people used Instagram, but I had a hard time imagining how I’d use this social media platform to network.

When I began writing a phrase or a few sentences as a comment on people’s posts, it started to feel like networking.

Then I discovered the joys of direct messaging (DM) people I’d come to know online, for real time text chats. I’m not talking about dating DMs! Any DMs that even hint at being someone or some bot looking for romance is blocked. No explanations, no apologies, just a simple block.

You’d be surprised at how many predators there are out there looking to misuse social media. To learn more about how to stay safe online follow Matt Richardson, Director: Intelligence and Investigations. 

Some examples of networking I’ve participated in using the Instagram DM function are chat’s about growing your business, accessibility, and books. I now feel like I know some of the people I DM with, they’re a part of my network.

In February 2021, I created my first IG post, a picture of what my office looked like at that time. As of the writing of this blog, I’ve posted 110 times on IG, and even managed to share some stories to my timeline! 

So far my IG network is the smallest of my social media networks, with over 500 followers – some of which I’m confident are bots. Even taking that into consideration, I’ve met and learned from some really intriguing people, with fantastic stories to share, and I’ve grown my overall network.

As I write this piece it occurred to me that I should post a new picture of my office, and up my game when it comes to networking with others on IG. Tasks to add to my “to do” list.

I encourage you to explore networking opportunities on your preferred social media platforms!

What's your favourite way to network?

If you enjoyed reading this post you may also enjoy:

​Virtual Networking: LinkedIn
Growing your Network Online 

To get a free copy of my eBook “Networking: Identifying and Connecting with Friendly Forces” click here (note it’s easier to sign up using a laptop than a phone).
0 Comments

Navigating your Career Route Map

1/13/2022

0 Comments

 
Collection of images on a light backdrop which includes a compass, coloured blocks, jewels, a small concentric circle in 3 colours, a trophy, a ribbon, and a network of 20 stylized people, with different skin tones, hair styles and shirt colours, each in their own brightly coloured circle.
"Navigating your Career Route Map: Designing Courses of Action to Help You Achieve Your Definition of Success" logo created by Jen Detlor Kerr, DetDesigns in 2021
In 2021, as I prepared to launch my first online courses, “Networking: Identifying and Connecting with Friendly Forces” and “Navigating your Career Route Map: Designing Courses of Action to Help You Achieve Your Definition of Success” I decided to invest in help from professionals whose strengths complement mine.

As you can likely guess from the long titles for my courses, I think in words! I have a really hard time visualizing images in my head. I reached out to Jen Detlor Kerr, from DetDesigns, and asked her to create a logo to represent the signature course “Navigating your Career Route Map.”

Jen created a glorious image, that exceeded my expectations, and looked nothing like anything I could have possibly visualized on my own. It represents a treasure map for living a good life. Many things are uncertain, there are no charted paths, opportunities are all around us, and there is more than one definition of success.

The jewels represent opportunities, which are sometimes hidden. The blocks represent obstacles. The network image represents an inclusive network of Friendly Forces, people who want to help us achieve our goals. The 3 concentric circles represent the circle of influence. The silver trophy and the silver medal with a purple ribbon represent different definitions of success. The compass represents each individual’s capacity to seize control of discovering, exploring and navigating a path to their unique definition of success.

The Beta version of an 8-week group session of the Navigating your Career Route Map course ran between June and August 2021. The feedback was fabulous, 100% of the participants would recommend this course to others. By the time we held a reunion in December 2021 all of them had found and were in or about to take on new jobs.

Now I’m putting the finishing touches on the on demand asynchronous version of the "Navigating your Career Route Map" course, in a 3-part series. During our reunion I learned that my explanation of how the homework worked was the only part of the course that needed improvement. I’ve drafted the new Homework slides and speakers notes. Now all I need to do is sit at my laptop and press record. After which I’ll send the series of edited videos to CCS Inc. for closed captioning and transcripts. This process is taking longer than I expected, and that’s OK!

What kinds of projects are you working on?

If you enjoyed reading this post you may also enjoy:

A Rave of Squirrels and Being a Solo-preneur
​Time Spent in Recce is Seldom Wasted
​Promises to Myself 

To get a free copy of my eBook “Networking: Identifying and Connecting with Friendly Forces” click here (note it’s easier to sign up using a laptop than a phone).
0 Comments

First Goal for 2022

1/6/2022

0 Comments

 
An image of several healthy foods in a collage, including fresh fruits and vegetables, salmon, rice, sushi, and a noodle bowl. Also contains the words
This is an image of the central portion of my first ever vision board, created in December 2021.
This year’s aspirational word is “health” as in changing some of my habits to bring more health and wellness into my day-to-day life. Part of creating a healthier life is making better food choices.

I’ve known about the power of vision boards for several years; last February I was assigned creating a vision board as part of a course I took. During a winter solstice celebration with Brenda MacIntyre Medicine Song Woman, I finally completed my very first vision board, it’s about 29 inches (74 cms) tall and about 20 inches (51 cms) wide. My main motivation was to create a teaching aid for the homework section of the online courses that I’ll be launching soon.

I love pictures of food, and I happened to have several resources on hand with lovely images of healthy meals. Since I knew my goal for 2022 was to become healthier, I went with the theme of healthy food for my vision board. It’s currently resting on top of the large printer in my office, and I see it every time I walk to my desk.

I also like to buy locally whenever possible, so I selected a page from a free calendar with the words “Love Local Food” as the central image. In the interests of being kind to the environment, the images are glued to what used to be a project board for one of my offspring’s grade school assignments.

Have I mentioned that I’m a bit of a hoarder? I tend to hang on to things that may serve a useful purpose at a later date. Which was why I also happened to have a bunch of images of healthy foods in a crafting portfolio.

My first goal for life and business for 2022 is to increase my personal health and wellness. This includes taking regular breaks from sitting at my desk, moving around the house (I’ve worked from home since 2012), taking semi-regular walks, moving my body through Chi Kung and Tai Chi courses with Greg Magwood, Magwood's Martial Arts and taking Yoga classes from Julie Sweeney, Insight to Action Coaching Services.

What is one of your goals for 2022?

If you enjoyed reading this post you may also enjoy:

It's OK to Take a Break 
A Rave of Squirrels and Being a Solo-preneur
Thoughts on Why?

To get a free copy of my eBook “Networking: Identifying and Connecting with Friendly Forces” click here (note it’s easier to sign up using a laptop than a phone).

0 Comments

Farewell 2021!

1/3/2022

0 Comments

 
Image contains text reading
Gratitude for Canva.com for offering free images and a free version to create beautiful .png files like this. The hands symbolize the strategic partners I've had the honour of collaborating with in 2021.
This post is to share my Gratitude for many of the strategic partners and colleagues that I collaborated with in 2021. I’m looking forward to working with you all again in the future!

If you’re interested in upping your game when it comes to Inclusion Diversity Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) especially if you’re interested in connecting with Indigenous peoples across the lands we call Canada, with job opportunities, bursaries, or surveys, then consider partnering with Indigenous Link – they’ve been successfully connecting with Indigenous communities and organizations since 1999.

If you’re interested in setting up a Mentoring program powered by Canadian software, consider partnering with MentorCity. The software platform was created in 2011 and is incredibly easy to use as a Mentee, Mentor, and/or Administrator for your organization.  Added bonus, the MentorCity servers are in Canada and the platform is available in English and/or French.

If you’re a First Nations, Inuit, or Metis woman or non-binary person living and/or working in Canada, and you’re interested in becoming an entrepreneur, or you’re looking to up your game when it comes to running your business, consider the programs offered by NWAC.

If you’re a woman or non-binary person living and/or working in Ontario, and you’re interested in becoming an entrepreneur, or you’re looking to up your game when it comes to running your business, then consider becoming a PARO member. PARO is a not-for-profit organization that’s been helping people find meaningful employment, start and grow businesses for 27 years (and counting). They offer a number of programs including individual meetings with a Business Growth Advisor (like me); weekly Wednesday webinars, and several business camps (BizCamps).

If you’re a woman or non-binary person living and/or working in the Greater Kingston Ontario area, and interested in learning more about running a business, you may also be interested in the WE-CAN Project at Queen’s University. They offer a number of coaching programs and webinars.  I’m honoured to be presenting a webinar with WE-CAN on January 20, 2022.

I’m grateful to Lisa Isaac, from Lisa Isaac HR Professional Services, Carrie Calder, from Nakanagis Consulting Inc, and Elizabeth Nicholas for being part of the “Dream Team” on Empowered Path Inc.’s biggest project to date. I’m also grateful to Brad Labadie and the CFWD team for choosing our bid for their project.

There are so many more to list: Girls Inc. Limestone and District, Build Marketing, The National Research Council of Canada, Assist in Time, The Computer Store, Signable Vi5ion, CCS Inc., Thinkific, Zoom, and the list goes on.

I’m also grateful to my family and friends for supporting me as I leaned into my business and expanded both my offerings and partnerships. You know who you are!

Lastly, but definitely not least, I’m grateful that my loved ones and I remain relatively healthy and well, in spite of the challenges that 2021 placed in our paths.

Wishing health, joy, peace and abundance for you and all your loved ones as we move into 2022.

If you enjoyed reading this post you may also enjoy:

Gratitude, the Gift that Keeps on Giving
Gratitude Plants the Seeds for Abundance
Gratitude: Noticing and Appreciating the Little Things in Life
Gratitude and the Need for a New Normal

To get a free copy of my eBook “Networking: Identifying and Connecting with Friendly Forces” click here (note it’s easier to sign up using a laptop than a phone).
0 Comments

    Author

    Blogs are on pause for a few weeks. Read the latest blog posted "Retelling my Story" to learn why.

    Hi, I'm Chantal Fraser, in March 2020, after a week of social distancing, and spending a lot more time on social media than I normally do, I realized a lot of my comments focus on the future.  I started to draft a LinkedIn post, then realized I could start a blog about the world I'd like to live in after COVID 19. 
    Now most of my posts are thoughts leadership, inclusion, networking, and the #NewNormal I'd like to help create, one where everyone can thrive.

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Empowered Path Inc. is located in Quinte West, Ontario, Canada.
Buy Veteran