Last October a special project was born on the Vancouver Island. The Returning To Spirit Seminar Series started at the request of a few former participants who were interested in becoming Returning to Spirit trainers.

RTS has a new toll free number - 1-855-244-3963.

Dawn Rolke from the United Church in Regina successfully hosted a non-Aboriginal workshop in Lumsden from Feb 6-10, 2012. Dawn was successful in soliciting donations from various organizations to cover the costs of the workshop.

The planning team in Cranbrook BC organized two very successful workshops! The Aboriginal workshop took place Oct 31 to Nov 2011 and the non-Aboriginal workshop took place Jan 16-20. The planning team solicited funds from various donors.

Returning to Spirit is a charitable  organization that designs and delivers an innovative reconciliation process, across Canada, for aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples, related to the residential school legacy.

We are seeking a Director of Fund Development to initiate, develop, and lead fund development which promotes and advances the mission of Returning to Spirit. You will be part of a leadership team dedicated to fulfilling reconciliation.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Fund Development provides leadership, direction and management to the overall fund development team/plan.   You are committed to ensuring that the mission and vision of Returning to Spirit are actively pursued within the Fund Development Team.  . 

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

o    Create and implement a multi year fund development plan

o    Identify,  develop and maintain relationships with corporate, community and individual donors

o    Develop additional strategies to secure new financial...

Cranbrook partnership of First Nations and Church participants plans to hold the RTS Reconciliation workshop in former Kootenay Residential School.
Elder Mary Paul (1984), stated: “It is said that, it was within the St. Eugene Mission School that the culture of the Kootenay Indian was taken away, it should be within that building that it is returned.” 

Our latest newsletter is out!! Check it out for the latest RTS happenings.

A new version of our history video is available online. Check it out!

Returning to Spirit Video

In May of this year, the University of Winnipeg created a new diploma in Indigenous Spiritual and Pastoral Care with courses beginning in the Fall of 2011. Through this program, students learn about Indigenous history and the barriers to spiritual, mental, and physical health, and will be engaged in a practicum. We just received word that the Returning to Spirit process is a prequisite for Non Aboriginal students and a part of the program for Aboriginal students. They are actively looking for students! Click this link for more info. ...

Listen to Anne Taylor (Executive Director of RTS) being interviewed by Hilary Bird on CKLB's Sunrise morning show.


Listen via SoundCloud

Our new website (which you are looking at!) was funded by The Calgary Foundation. We are grateful for their support throughout this process!

(Written by Anne Taylor) Whenever I think of Dave – which is quite often – I cannot help but smile and then, lately,  it is quickly followed by a sense of deep loss.  When I first learned that Dave had died, I was shocked and truly struggled to believe it could possibly be so!  This must be some kind of terrible mistake of identity!!  Yes, I went through all the stages of loss ( and still do) – anger – bargaining –“ please God don’t make it be true” – inevitably a deep sense of loss...then I think about what he would tell me if he were here...and I am quickly back to smiling.  Dave Fortin was a strong presence – gift I would say – in my life.

I feel his presence – it was especially strong in Yellowknife, when we went as a team to deliver the Reconciliation – where the turtle was born.  It was wonderful to share his memory with others – to be reminded of all the smiles and laughter his name and memory brings forward – so quickly!  We had his picture on the altar throughout the Reconciliation and those...

	Before you speak, ask yourself, is it kind, is it necessary, is it true, does it improve on the silence? - Sai Baba

Our latest newsletter is now available online. 

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.

- Norman Vincent Peale

It was a wonderful evening full of joy and reconciliation.

In January 2011, we learned that one of our first trainers, Dave Fortin, has passed away in August 2010. While Dave had moved on to other things in his life, we always held him close to our hearts, and were shocked and saddened to hear of his passing.

On December 5 and 6, trainers and board members came together at Beausejour and Southbeach Resort, north of Winnipeg, to have a Community Gathering. Sandwiched between an RTS Board Meeting and a Trainer Development Intensive, the Community Gathering was an opportunity for all to identify the opportunities for RTS in the coming months and years.

Through a very experiential process, reflecting the principles of RTS, the group quickly became clear on what they needed to say to each other and to the group to be complete. From that place of completion, we then entered a process of identifying needs/opportunities for RTS in creating a community of leaders.

We plan to have a follow-up community gathering before March 31, 2011.