Facilitated by Myrna McCallum with Charmaine Parenteau (Resident Auntie) and Moana Paulus (Polynesian Healer)
About the Gathering
LoveBack™ Indigenous Women’s Leadership, Healing & Emotional Intelligence is a 2.5‑day professional development gathering created for Indigenous women who serve as leaders and advocates in their communities. Together, we will explore how emotional intelligence, cultural healing, and spiritual strength can sustain us as we navigate the complex realities of leadership, service, and community care. Rooted in Indigenous and Polynesian worldviews, this experience blends professional development, trauma‑responsive practices, and intergenerational healing. Participants will leave grounded, connected, and renewed — with practical tools for wellbeing, emotional regulation, and culturally aligned leadership.
A limited number of subsidies are available to help offset costs; please reach out for more information.
Program Flow
Day 1 – Reconnection Wed, Oct 7 | 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Through storytelling and guided reflection, we’ll explore the impacts of colonial and racial trauma on our leadership journeys — and rediscover the resilience, creativity, and wisdom that have always carried our Nations forward.
Featuring: Opening with Charmaine Parenteau and Moana Paulus, storytelling circle, and Emotional Intelligence foundations presented through an Indigenous lens.
Day 2 – Emotional Leadership Thurs, Oct 8 | 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
A full day of practice and integration. Learn tools for emotional regulation, embodied leadership, and navigating challenges with empathy and clarity. Deepen connections with ancestral guidance through story, movement, and visioning work.
Featuring: Somatic practices led by Moana Paulus, interactive leadership labs, community healing circle, and personal leadership mapping. Evening (optional): Dinner in the Village
Day 3 – Returning to Ourselves (Optional Experience) Fri, Oct 9 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
A gentle morning of rest and renewal at Scandinave Spa Whistler. Water, reflection, and silence invite deep integration and gratitude before returning home.
Program Highlights
- Circle‑based learning & leadership development
- Trauma‑responsive, culturally grounding approach
- Emotional intelligence practice in real‑world contexts
- Healing through connection, story, body, and ceremony
- Facilitated by Indigenous and Polynesian women rooted in community care and ancestral practice
Location: Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, Whistler, BC. A stunning setting on shared Squamish and Lil’wat territory, surrounded by the mountains, forests, and waters that sustain us.
Who This Is For: Indigenous women in leadership, governance, advocacy, health, education, and community service — and those emerging into leadership roles who seek to lead from wholeness, compassion, and cultural strength.
Registration: Space is limited to maintain circle integrity.