Inviting the murdered residential school children

We absolutely must keep the thousands of murdered residential school children alive in our daily discussions and ceremonies. Few events in Canada today, including major sporting events, take place without land recognition. In the same vein, the thousands of children whose bodies are being discovered (in some cases recovered) absolutely have to be included in our daily lives and ceremonies. When I present to schools or educators or parents, I begin by recognizing the land on which I live and from which I present. I then speak to, directly to, the thousands of murdered residential school children and through a song on my flute, invite them to be a part of our sharing learnings and stories. This video clip speaks to that invitation.

A brief overview of my work since Covid

We are all learning to cope since the start of the pandemic. The work I did as a conference/school presenter was pretty straight forward.

This short clip is to outline where I am working from today, to whom my teachings apply and what in a general way you might expect from me...

2022 and I'm still at home

 Covid remains. 

Omicron continues to run rampant and although it's milder than earlier stands, it remains a serious threat to so many. The movie Mad Max doesn't seem as far fetched as it once did. 

I am a million mile flyer and yet... I have not flown for over two years for fear of catching or spreading (or both) some variant of Covid 19. This pandemic has changed the world, possibly forever. I am fortunate enough to be among  those who knew the world then - when. 

Today, I am home working from my shack (pictured here) in the company of my border terrier George and friends that I am making online.

Zoom, Teams, Meet and a growing number of new platforms have become the norm through which I share stories, my learnings and my teachings with students, educators and parents. Funny thing that, my work has hardly skipped a beat. Educators have been quick to pick up on the new reality of how to inspire students. My agent Chris has also adapted. He has created a number of accessible options for different groups. These can be accessed here: http://davidbouchard.com/speaking/presentations. The fee structure is also available online at: http://davidbouchard.com/speaking/fees

Is social media as good, better or not as effective as in person presentations? 

They both have their advantages but overall, my on-line  presentations are better than school visitations or conferences that would have me fly in, rent a car, book a hotel and eat in restaurants for whatever time I would be on tour. 

We are all learning and becoming proficient in on-line meetings. I am projected onto a screen or onto classroom computers/whiteboards and teachers are learning to optimize the sound and that is very important. I can usually see and hear participants which allows for personal and intimate interactions. 

Over the next week or two, I will share a few short clips that show what I do in almost all my presentation, prior to getting into the specifics of whatever the session is about (i.e. reading, books, culture, traditions, etc...) 

I start with a land recognition. 

Next, I speak directly to the growing number of missing residential school children and I invite them to join us. 

I rarely miss an opportunity to address the reality and seriousness of  mental health. 

And I never miss the chance to remind participants of their uniqueness and how the focus for each of us must be to embrace that uniqueness and learn to use our special gifts. 

The Gift of Reading

Educators/parents - Let's talk about the importance of Reading. New teachers, it isn't rocket science, the recipe is; time, a hero and books (the right kind of books).

Flutes just flutes

I can't imagine a more useful nor a more exciting personal goal than that of learning to play then teaching your students the Native Flute. None. 

stephen.rensink@gmail.com  northernspiritsflutes.com

Pour nos communautés francophones

Tes présMntations sont disponibles en français ainsi qu'en anglais. 

School Opening - a Mission Statement and a school Focus

A dream mission statement and... Reading - the ultimate focus for your school. Reading is a passport to freedom and there has never been a better time than during during this pandemic.