AHnIIn/Boozhoo, I’m MArie Norton (MAANII ANWATIN)
I was once a shy girl from the rez who has found my voice, embraced my inner strength to flourish into the strong Indigenous woman I am today. I personally love demonstrating that us as Indigenous people are far more capable than what people see us as. I am Ojibwa / Odawa. Originally from Beausoleil First Nation (my father’s community) located in southern Ontario on Christian island. My mother was originally from Sheshegwaaning First Nation (I still have cousins there, eh!). I currently reside in northern Ontario in Lac Seul First Nation with my partner and our two children.
I have formal education and life experience. I hold a B.A in Psychology from the University of Ottawa, a Bachelor of Social Work from Ryerson University rooted in anti-oppressive practice. I began my Master of Social Work studies at the University of Toronto but it lead me to a whole new path of questioning systems, structures, and my life path instead of completing my degree. More meaningful learning than I could ever get from a degree. I tuned into my own intuition and that’s when I learned to begin to follow my heart and my own path. For so long, I’ve always felt driven and ambitious but for some reason I also felt stuck and struggled to grasp the Monday to Friday, 9-5 work life so many follow. I was experiencing burnout, heartbreak and truly was not connected with myself. I was following the dreams of what others wanted from me. But not the dreams I wanted for myself. I had been playing small for so long. I had this desire to live life my way, ways that I found my happiness and personal fulfillment. I began to seek help through counselling and exploring personal development. I began to question many things around me, including myself, my work, my career, relationships around me, my ambitions. I began focusing on my health and fitness, and I also began incorporating personal development into my daily life. I started saying yes to myself and putting myself as a priority. I put the work in to begin working on my healing journey. I began to face my own experiences of struggles, heartbreak, hardships, grief, loss, racism, oppression and health challenges. Even with all the schooling and degrees I obtained while doing things the way we are “suppose to”, I was having a difficult time navigating my own wellness. I wasn’t paying attention. It was when I began to tune into my own needs and learn how to love myself, a big shift and transformation of my own life began. As many difficult times I faced throughout my life, I have had some glorious accomplishments such as multi post secondary degrees, parenthood as a hands on mom, an ability to travel, the decision to become an entrepreneur and business owner. I continue to focus on me, my health, fitness, and daily personal development to keep me focused, aligned and in tune with myself. So I can be my most authentic self, as well as present in my parenting and as a partner. It hasn’t been an easy journey but it’s been worth it because I know my worth now.
My goal is to help people break thru those feelings of limiting beliefs, self doubt, self sabotaging ways, internalized oppression, work thru intergenerational trauma, unhealthy habits and help you do the work to transform your life into anything you want it to be. So you can be your best self and thrive!
I am a Registered Social Work (R.S.W). Which comes with its own implications in its role as an Indigenous social worker. I have lived experience working and living in both the reserve and urban settings. My knowledge is in the field of social work, child welfare, workshop facilitation, management and leadership, entrepreneurship, being a mom, being a working mom, parenthood and tons of stories of life experience and adventures. I consider myself an Indigenous entrepreneur in wellness.
People often become entrepreneurs because they question the status quo and wonder if there is a different way to do things. It may also because they have identified a gap in services knowledge, or support in their community and decide to address it with a great business idea or an unconventional solution. This is why I became an entrepreneur in wellness. As I searched for programs to help me grow, flourish, and nurture my desires, I was unable to find programs that suited my needs. I began being a student again purchasing courses and programs in a hodgepodge mixture to get what I needed. As a means to meet what I was looking to learn. This is where I began to realize the need for this type of service that can be used to supplement, support, segue into healing/treatment/counselling/therapy. I wanted to create accessible courses that allow us to pause, learn about ourselves, learn concepts, plant the seed for change, growth, goal setting, transformation, actions plans and focuses to love and accept ourselves all while embracing our Indigenous knowledge, integrated with other modalities and strategies.
I had this dream to create a unique digital course, group coaching and workshops that incorporates and reflects the many challenges we face as Indigenous people and life in general. I have learned to embraces our strength and knowledge as an Indigenous people. Courses are open to everyone. I focus on helping other people ignite their own fire inside and to live the life they want to live.
The courses I created take into context our true history, our own identities as individuals that are a part of larger family and community structures. As well as our values and belief systems, challenge and question our own mindset, our Indigenous identity and personal identity, examine impacts of oppression and systems, such residential schools, the 60’s scoop, and intergeneration trauma on our personal self. The courses goals are foster and encourage personal development through an Indigenous framework that creates space for you to explore, grow and transform, and learn how to create action plans to hold yourself accountable to your life goals.
I am here to help you do the work. By working with me I will be the conduit for change in your life. I will support you, challenge you, create a space for growth (which can get ugly) and I will cheer you on. Life can get tough, I want to help you use your inner strength to get through life challenges and deconstruct our minds and dismantle systems that hold us back, teach you about somatic healing, while reconstructing a life you want to lead. I will provide practical ways to help you improve your mindset and work on personal change and growth.
Life happens and sometimes we get stuck. I want to help you work through blocks, loops, and patterns of behaviour that we sometimes can get caught up in.
This is about real life (feeling and acknowledging the good, bad and ugly), life challenges, and embracing the beauty in life. It won’t be easy but it will be worth it.
So if you wanting to work with me feel free to check out my website. Connect with me and for more information.
I look forward to hearing from you! Baa Maa Pii. Much Love,
Maanii