Planting Life into a New Generation of First Nations Youth and Children

Photo Credits:  John Bradley, Health & Safety Supervisor:

Grant Kurian Trucking Ltd

Seer Logging Inc

Next Generation Foresters Inc.

In April of 2014, Seer Logging Inc. cut some trees down near the Hollow Water First Nation in the eastern corridor of Manitoba in order to make room for a road allowance.  The owners of the company, Grant and Roberta Kurian, from Elma, Manitoba, wanted to invest in the 350 youth and children who attend the Wanipigow School on the Hollow Water First Nation by giving them each a spruce tree seedling that they would be able to watch grow and to mature within their lifetime to replace the ones that had been cut down.

So on May 29, 2014, there were eleven other people, mostly indigenous peoples, who accompanied Grant and Roberta Kurian to put on a special barbecue, program exchange and distribution of 350 spruce tree seedlings as a sign of their faith in the future of these children and youth.

Here are six of the team members who were invited into the Wanipigow School on the Hollow Water First Nation on that day.  (Left to right:  William Pangman, former Manitoba Warrior, Julz Malama (Island Breeze Manitoba), Roger Armbruster (Canada Awakening Ministries), Isi Masi (Island Breeze Manitoba), and Roberta and Grant Kurian (Seer Logging Inc.)

The day started with stoking up the barbecue grill to feed some 350 students for lunch, plus teachers and administrators.

Some of the students helped the team to prepare the lunch of hot dogs, drinks and popsicles, which were much enjoyed by all.

After the meal, there was a

 Cultural Exchange of Music, Song and Dance

The student's music class first put on a performance of their music skills with violins...

which was responded to with much audience participation and enthusiasm.

These young people may a very positive impression with their high calibre of music, and it resulted in an outbreak of

dancing, both in the audience, and

among the First Nations performers themselves, bringing much joy!

The group then did a couple of vocal numbers, and make a big impression with their voices as well.

These young people can play instruments, they can dance, they can sing!  Their giftings were and are a treasure that needs to be shared beyond Hollow Water First Nation into other communities as well.

School Assembly with Island Breeze Manitoba

Here is the leader of Island Breeze Manitoba, Isi Masi, from the islands of Fiji...

leading the children and youth at the Wanipigow School in some actions songs from the South Pacific Islands!

The children entered into the songs joyfully and eagerly.

Island Breeze Manitoba, based in Steinbach, Manitoba, ministers much JOY...

 and shifts the atmosphere to one of joy and peace wherever they go!

After their program, the hosts called up all of the guests to give them a special gift--a pen which mentions each one of the seven teachings:  respect, love, sharing, wisdom, courage, truth and humility.

Distribution of Spruce Tree Seedlings to the Students by Grant and Roberta Kurian

Grant and Roberta shared with the students how much they believed in their future, and wanted to demonstrate their faith in them that they would grow up like this small spruce tree seedling to become something that starts small, but grows up to become strong and mighty!  These children would see these seedling trees come to maturity within their lifetime.

Students and teachers came to the front to receive and distribute a separate seedling spruce tree for each of the students.

Each plant was eagerly and joyfully received!

These seedling plants are alive, and will grow something larger and more majestic than its present size!

One of the children who received his seedling spruce tree exclaimed, "I am going to take this home, and plant it, and sing to it, and speak to it every day, because it is alive!"  This was typical of the type of value and sense of worth that these children and students put into these seedling spruce trees. 

People and nature are connected, and we have a part to play in bringing healing to the land!





William Pangman, former Manitoba Warrior Shares Story!

At that point, the children were dismissed, but the high school students were asked to stay behind to listen to the story of former Manitoba Warrior president, William Pangman.  He was introduced by Isi Masi, and told the story of the pain that he experienced with life in the gangs.

At first the students were a bit restless, but as soon as William started to talk about his life's experiences, and they recognized that he knew what he was talking about regarding life on the streets of Winnipeg, they "listened up," and became very quiet so as to hear every word he was saying.  One young man asked, during questions and answers afterwards, if he had a tattoo to actually prove that he once was the president of the Manitoba Warriors, and William was immediately able to show the tattoo, proving that he was not just making this up!

William not only shared of the hell of his former lifestyle, having been shot at many times, and even stabbed, it was only by the grace of God that he was and is alive today to be able to tell these youth that there is a way to get out of the gang lifestyle, and to live a meaningful life!

Frontier School Division

The Wanipigow School is the Frontier School Divison, which is "Area 3" on this map, which covers a large section of the eastern corridor of Manitoba, all of the way from Churchill in the North to Falcon Lake in the South.

This is Delores Boulette (on left), talking to Roger Armbruster (on right), in front of the Wanipigow School where Delores is the local school trustee in the Frontier School Division.  We so enjoyed meeting one another, and look forward to working together in future, wherever doors open, to connect these students with other schools and other regions.  Roberta Kurian is in the background, getting ready to plant a tree in front of the Wanipigow School.

 Grant and Roberta begin to dig with Roger looking on.

 Roberta holds up the spruce tree seedling as a symbol of her faith in the next generation,

 and plants in in the ground along with her husband Grant and with Isi Masi.

Isi Masi is now getting set to plant the final spruce tree seedling right near the sign which welcomes people to the Hollow Water First Nation.  He is accompanied by Julz Malama and Grant Kurian.

 Lovingly and tenderly this seedling was planted into the ground in faith that it will brow up to become something strong and mighty.

 As Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, "Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people."

"Lord, bless this spruce tree seedling, and bless all of the children, the youth, the parents and the grandparents of the Hollow Water First Nation!" 



The sweeping spruce trees that give shade today were planted long before our time from a tiny seedling.

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit, because you are investing in what outlasts this life, you are investing and planting a seed into the next generation.

Those who overcome adversity and depression will "be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:3).  They will not be easily uprooted, but will take root downward and will bear fruit upward, and be a blessing to future generations.  Lord, bless the Hollow Water First Nation and its people to be "like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever they do shall prosper" (Psalm 1:3).