Lena Recollet

Honoured to be part of TO Live’s Indigenous Song Project

Indigenous community is welcome to attend the performance from 12:00–1:30 PM on June 11 at Meridian Arts Centre. Indigenous arts educators and community members will gather to celebrate the strength and cultural significance of our traditional songs and voices.

I’ll be sharing songs, leading an empowered voice circle with youth, and be part of the conversation about how music carries language, healing, and connection. The day includes performances, learning opportunities and filmed interviews for this important research initiative.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP by emailing [email protected] We would love to gather with you and celebrate the strength of our voices together.

When we sing our songs, we remember who we are. Ambe! Let’s go!

IM BACK IN ACTION training for these 5k & 10k. Dropped Ricky my son off at his Business Bootcamp at George Brown then had a walk/jog by the Redpath Sugar Factory Waterfront. Afterwards I went to Starbucks and got egg whites bites and a protein matcha no sugar drink. I can’t believe it’s been 2 years since I ran tracking my meals in Bite Pal

It would have been a powerful line if he would have explored that line about treaty rights. Indigenous sovereignty is not just a character. Lesson observers learned from this is when you mention Indigenous people do it with precision not an unfunny punchline
Damn could have thought out what he was saying more. Today I looked at the lyrics for his song hoping to find something deep and it wasn’t and checked out the comment section on .tv post, needless to say…

said that in his livestream pre-launch to Iceman video tonight before the fireworks. Does this mean a First Nations collab?

Mno-Gashi Giizhigat (Happy Mothers Day) to my Mom Sally Recollet

I took the day off yesterday but I still showed up to hear speak. The mayor showed up. One of the most healing things is being in community in times of heaviness. NCCT had James Carpenter onsite to provide cultural counseling if anyone was triggered and I needed it, so glad he was onsite. Some of what was shared made me cry, some of her story gave me anxiety and was triggering but it was also so important to hear a survivor’s experience. It was a healing moment and a day to sit in awareness. As Danny Beaton called NCCT the Urban Indigenous Headquarters I’m so happy our community holds each other up in this way…and this must’ve been my 4th time personally meeting Olivia Chow.

My beautiful cousin Holly in her element. She had us family so busy during our stay in Jamaica that as soon as we would arrive to our Air BnB I would be right tired. Each day was a fulfilling one and I am so grateful for her as she knows some of the locals, she also already was familiar with some places to go and we got a real experience. We met some of the people of Jamaica. Eating some amazing fruits and visiting some restaurants. Her heart is vast and I’m so happy she opened her arms to us family to go on a trip together with her. 💕 love you (I left a bit earlier than everyone else and landed safely) Miigwetch for leading our ways there. I had set aside money for my vacation and this was perfect timing. Healing for the body and the soul. We all needed that sunshine and ocean waters

You have a choice do you accept the offer?
I did.
I feel like a late bloomer when it comes to “going back to school” to pursue my Masters degree. Yet, at the same time I feel like this is a very appropriate time to do this, while I’m working a position as an Anishinaabemowin Program Manager in my Urban Indigenous community. I spent three years before my current position as a self employed Cultural Awareness Trainer, Comedian / Poet and Body Positivity Model. Back in 2022 I took an unpaid leave of absence from teaching after spending 6 years full time teaching secondary and 1 year itinerant. You see… before all that I was a guest arts facilitator on a roster through Ontario Arts Council. This is what led me to combining my arts practices with Anishinaabemowin. Back then I never seen myself becoming an employee of the education system. As a matter of fact, I identified so much as a self employed artist, that it was my goal to succeed on my arts alone (and I did. I financed my own vehicle with no full-time job because I had amazing credit and some small investments). However, I’ll admit financing a car was scary especially while I was studying and living off gigs. I was offered a job in education while on a transitional OCT and back then I accepted the offer. So long story long is… now that I find myself back to doing Indigenous Language Programming here in my Urban Indigenous community, I figured that I might as pursue my Masters. It’s now or never and I have a feeling that when my contract is done I might need this degree to support the years of experience I have. I have a feeling that one day I will have a much larger responsibility and I will need this. Who knows maybe after this I’ll level it up even higher and go for PhD. I’m 46 so I figure it’s now or never and accepted the offer and I’ll be studying part time in the fall. My employer supports my decision while I work. I am so blessed that I can continue to work while I do this 🫶🏽