A MESSAGE FROM MACEWAN’S DEAN,
FACULTY OF HEALTH AND COMMUNITY STUDIES

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Dreamcatcher 2009! Dreamcatcher has provided a path for many Aboriginal youth from across Canada over the past 17 years, generating the means to explore career opportunities, to network, to discover new ideas, and to celebrate our cultures together.

The Dreamcatcher theme this year, “Making Your Own Footprint,” asks you to reflect on the footprint you produce and the impact you have on the environment. The founder of our college, Grant MacEwan, was a humanitarian, a caretaker of the treasures of nature, an educator, and a conservationist—this legacy is the footprint he laid out for our college and community. He expressed his commitment in the MacEwan creed: “I believe I am an integral part of the environment and, as a good subject, I must establish an enduring relationship with my surroundings. My dependence upon the land is fundamental.”

I encourage you to recognize the impact each of you makes on your community, your culture, and your environment, and to recognize the wisdom of your elders.

And—as importantly—I encourage you to recognize your ability to make a difference in your individual life and the greater community through education. We at MacEwan can help you fulfill your potential; whether you dream of becoming a nurse, a police officer, a therapist assistant, or a child and youth care worker, our degree, diploma, and certificate programs can assist you in your journey.

Have a wonderful conference!

Sharon Bookhalter,
Dean, Faculty of Health and Community Studies