Riverton woman honoured for community service

Article appeared in the June 23, 2011 issue of the Interlake Spectator…

There are few individuals more positive than Riverton’s Cody Taylor, and few who are more committed to working for the good of their community, especially at such a young age.
The 23-year-old, daughter of a bush pilot and stay at home mom, was raised to always do her best. Her family encouraged a full range of activities throughout her childhood, which Taylor characterizes as “absolutely amazing”.
“We had a really good lifestyle. My Dad was always getting us to do the best that we can. If we slacked off, that wasn’t really acceptable. We had to work hard,” Taylor said.
Taylor and her four siblings enjoyed a range of sports—hockey, soccer, figure skating, tap dancing and Karate. Their father was firm in requiring that all of them attend Air Cadets.
“At first I didn’t want to go, but I ended up loving Air Cadets. I’m so glad he made me go.”
Taylor was recently nominated for the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for her involvement in Aboriginal youth activities, and as a youth leader on a national level. The nomination was submitted by Gabriel Fayant, Youth Development Leadership Officer for the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC), of which Taylor has been the Aboriginal Youth Council (AYC) President since 2010.
“She knows a lot of the things I’ve done. I was pretty shocked. It’s a huge honour to be nominated.”
The role of the AYC is to identify youth priority issues, in the areas of education, healing and wellness, suicide prevention, preserving culture and heritage, cross cultural awareness, homelessness, employment and training, and youth involvement at all levels of the Friendship Centre Movement, including leadership and decision-making.
In her role as president, Taylor makes numerous trips each year to Ottawa to sit on a panel in Parliament to provide a voice to Government for Canadian Aboriginal youth. She also fulfills requests for speaking engagements, along with other presidential duties, like chairing meetings.
Taylor has been working at the Riverton Friendship Centre since about 2007, when she got hired there as a Parent-Child Co-ordinator. In 2008, Taylor enrolled in Native Studies at the University of Manitoba, but continues to work at the Riverton Friendship Centre during the summer as a Program Coordinator.
Taylor has a busy summer ahead of her. She is coordinating the summer Day Camp at Hnausa Unitarian Camp, a free camp that will be running from Jul. 4 to Aug. 19, for all children aged 5 to 12. Taylor will be incorporating a literacy project into the program, drawing on her course work at the University of Manitoba where she also studies Ojibway.
Taylor will also be working on an Aboriginal Diabetes Prevention program at the centre, to be offered to all age groups, and is hoping that funding can be secured for a Cultural Connections for Aboriginal Youth program for youth aged 10 to 24.
Taylor expects to remain in Manitoba even after graduation in 2012. She wants to continue working within the Friendship Centre movement, whether in Riverton or in Winnipeg.
“People tell me I should go into politics, but that’s not what I want. I like working in grass roots organizations. I like working with our people. One of the things I enjoy about our people is the values they have, that is placed on family,” she said.
Taylor will find out in February 2011 whether she will be the recipient of the National Aboriginal Achievement Award.