Guiding Principles

Code of Honour

Members will be part of a Circle, with many strengths, knowledge, and expertise from varied perspectives and experiences.

The work we do, the issues we are facing, the trauma we all continue to carry is ever present and impacting. To ensure we collectively move forward in a good way, we look to the seven teachings as our main guiding principles of action and conduct.

Respect

  • If we truly wish to address violence, we must commit to our own healing path respecting first ourselves to ensure we also respect those surrounding and within our Circle
  • Respecting ourselves individually as well as collectively as a larger Circle and community will help reduce lateral violence and model transformative and healing open dialogue and communication and actions that will support positive growth and development.
  • All members must commit to the respectful acknowledgement that all people entering Manitoba Moon Voices Inc. carries valued purpose, gifts and strength that all may learn and benefit from.
  • We commit to utilizing an innovative consensus – making process that will bring to bear knowledge and expertise from varied perspectives.

Honesty

  • We commit to honestly knowing and speaking our intentions. We commit to ensure our intentions are not rooted in individual agendas but for the collective development and advancement of Manitoba Moon Voices Inc., Indigenous women and gender diverse people in Manitoba.

Courage

  • We must courageously commit to challenging our colonized ways of thinking and doing. We commit to collectively supporting each other to decolonize ourselves in all that we do within Manitoba Moon Voices Inc. and our circle.
  • We collectively share this journey seeking to incorporate our ancestors and grandmother’s guidance.

Love

  • We commit to honouring and valuing our differences and finding supportive ways to work together utilizing peoples strengths and gifts. We will be our strongest in creating change and transformation, for our families to empower ourselves and the work we do.
  • We will reconnect to spirit and the land.

Truth

  • We commit to bringing the truth forward with our stories, experiences and reclamation of our voice collectively and inclusively.
  • We commit to honouring our truth as Indigenous women, gender diverse people, families, and Nations.

Humility

  • We commit to modeling and acting with humility and integrity that honours the dignity and value in our families and each other.
  • The work of Manitoba Moon Voices Inc. is guided by the value of reciprocity.

Wisdom

  • All Manitoba Moon Voices Inc. members carry wisdom to contribute to our work. The greatest wisdom leading our journey is the teachings of our ancestors, the ways of our culture, and the sacredness of our ceremonies.
  • We commit to ensuring our work is grounded in the wisdom of our culture, customs and ceremonies – while being open to and honouring the different ways of all nations.

These principles are found throughout the Nations of Turtle Island and are reflective of and model the teachings found in The Miishoomis Book by By Edward Benton Banai.