Please see below for information on the second Working in Good Ways Knowledge Exchange session, taking place on Zoom on July 24, 10-11:30am Belize CST / 11am - 12:30pm Winnipeg CDT.

Wildfire response and youth leadership from Northern Manitoba to Belize

Friday, July 24, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Belize CST / 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Winnipeg CDT

Click on this Zoom link to join!
Meeting ID: 647 8339 0461
Passcode: 514055

Join Ervin Bighetty and Chris Brayley from Leaf Rapids, MB and Mr. Donisio Shol and Ms. Gloria Coc from Laguna, Belize to learn about Indigenous experiences of wildfire response and youth leadership from Northern Manitoba to the Maya communities of Belize.

Ervin Bighetty and Chris Brayley both took part in gardening programs as youth, which helped them grow as leaders and friends and led to many projects and initiatives to support their community. Ervin Bighetty is currently headman of Pickerel Narrows First Nation and on the board of Pickerel Narrows Community Association. Ervin is currently focused on advocating for Pickerel Narrows and bringing food resources into town. Chris Brayley is Cree with ties to Brochet, MB, and is the Public Works Town Foreman and Volunteer Fire Chief in Leaf Rapids. Chris leads a team of volunteer firefighters and uses it as an opportunity for youth leadership development.

Mr. Donisio Shol is part of the Julian Cho Society, a non-governmental organization devoted to indigenous rights through research, education, and advocacy in southern Belize. The Society is dedicated to increasing understanding of the history and indigenous cultures of the Toledo District of Belize. We aim to carry forward the legacy of Julian Armando Cho through programs that promote education, justice, and sustainable development.

Ms. Gloria Coc is part of the Laguna Eco-Adventure Guesthouse, which offers an eco-friendly cultural experience, allowing guests to be immersed in a traditional Maya village in the green tranquility of Laguna.

Working in Good Ways Knowledge Exchange

This conversation is part of the Working in Good Ways Knowledge Exchange, which provides an opportunity for some of the Indigenous and community-based groups and organizations who contributed to the Working in Good Ways framework and resources to share their knowledge and experiences working in rural and remote communities in Northern Manitoba, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The WIGW Knowledge Exchange is generously funded by the UM Indigenous Initiatives Fund.

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Anny Chen (she/any)

Lead, Community Engaged Learning
Community, Career, and Experiential Learning Centre, Student Affairs
Office: Room 203 – 55 Chancellor’s Circle
Web: umanitoba.ca/community-engaged-learning
Phone: 204 474 6992

Upcoming vacation:
July 9-24
October 1-9

Student Affairs – Leaders in cultivating exceptional student experiences!

The University of Manitoba campuses and research spaces are located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Ininiwak, Anisininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Dene and Inuit, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

UM recognizes that the Treaties signed on these lands are a lifelong, enduring relationship, and we are dedicated to upholding their spirit and intent. We acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past and the present. With this understanding, we commit to supporting Indigenous excellence through active Reconciliation, meaningful change, and the creation of an environment where everyone can thrive. Our collaboration with Indigenous communities is grounded in respect and reciprocity and this guides how we move forward as an institution.