Natalie Fondren-Grasc

Active DAAD Member

This past year has been extremely rewarding for our local Defence Aboriginal Advisory Group (DAAG) Prairie Region members.

In February, the DAAG National Executive invited all active DAAG members to a National DAAG Conference – Open Forum in Victoria, BC; five members from Winnipeg attended.

Military and civilian DAAG members from across Canada had the opportunity to share on significant issues and items such as hunting on DND property, Mil-Civ Aboriginal recruitment initiatives, and self-identification, just to name a few.

In August, an Aboriginal Reserve summer recruitment program called Bold Eagle, celebrated their 20th anniversary in Wainwright, AB. This recruitment initiative is exclusive to Aboriginals wanting to get a taste of military life and gains popularity, success, and numbers with each passing year.

Because this was a significant milestone, the Wing Admin O, LCol Brodeur, who is also the DAAG Champion, gave full support for the DAAG to send one of our military members to shake the hands of the esteemed graduates and share their passion for the Canadian Forces.

LUCKILY for me, no military member was available, so they sent me, the civilian co-chair instead.  It was an honour to attend on behalf of the DAAG Prairie Region, to meet the graduates and their families, and I have to brag - Justin Trudeau.

Though I couldn’t talk about life in the military, as someone near and dear to me once taught me, ‘talk about what you do know’, so I took the opportunity to share with the graduates and their inspired siblings my passion for DND and my role in the DAAG.

Also, because of my membership with the DAAG, I was invited to be a member of 17 Wing’s Employee Equity (EE) committee, the National Council for Aboriginal Federal Employees / Federal Aboriginal Manitoba Employees (NCAFE / FAME) and I had the opportunity to join 17 Wing’s Civilian Human Resources and the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group (CFRG) for a day at the Aboriginal Centre for their Career Fair.

Many of the DAAG members are enthusiastic networkers and our group has a healthy number of affiliations; this enables us to keep in touch with what’s going on within our own Manitoban Aboriginal Communities.

Finally, in November, LCol Brodeur once again gave full support to 17 Wing DAAG members who wanted to attend the Canadian Aboriginal Festival in Hamilton, ON.

CFRG set up a kiosk, and once again, alongside my military colleagues I was able to share my enthusiasm for the CF and also take in a full weekend of Aboriginal culture.

The dancers, the drum groups, the singers, the beaded dresses, and the other various artists sharing their work is a huge part of what our active DAAG members, many of whom are non-Aboriginal, experience year round.

It’s a worthwhile group of which I have the honour to be a part.

It’s fair to say that as much as I share my affection for DND and how rewarding it is to work here at 17 Wing Winnipeg within various Aboriginal communities and forums, I equally want to share that same affection for the DAAG and the rich Aboriginal Culture we get to experience with all of you my DND / 17 Wing Winnipeg colleagues, brothers and sisters.

Miigwetch – Thank you – Merci,