Here I am at the networking session for the 26th International HPV Conference with Elder Amelia Tekwatoni McGregor of the Bear Clan from the Kahnawake (pronounced Gah-Nah-Whah-Geh) Mohawk Territory, who during the opening ceremonies, welcomed delegates to her traditional territory.

The Keynote Presentation was delivered by Stephen Lewis. Just prior, I had the opportunity to catch up with him during the networking session (since I hadn't had a chance to speak with him since the closing ceremonies of AIDS 2006).


We discussed the current initiatives he is working on with Eve Ensler and her global campaign to bring much needed attention to the needs of Congolese women and girls.

Since this was a conference focused on HPV, we also spoke about the work I am doing with the National Aboriginal Health Organization in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada and the International Centre for Infectious Disease.

I explained that we had brought together an International Indigenous panel that would be presenting on July 5, 2010. How we are hoping to gather information on individuals who already doing work in HPV prevention among Indigenous populations. We both agreed that a coordinated international response is a good idea.

MC Hammer - Celebrity, Rapper and...Geek?

MC Hammer was interviewed at the #140conf by Ted Cohen, Managing Partner, TAG Strategic and audience members on his relationship to twitter and social media.

The conversation that emerged was an explaination of how he has effectively used social media to promote himself as a brand.


He also discusses his interest in new technologies, his relationship to YouTube and twitter and monitoring user behaviours.

View 15 minutes with @MCHammer

Make Room for the Chief Listening Officer

At the #140conf in NYC, Jeff Pulver introduces Jeffrey Hayzlett, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Kodak by referring to a conversation they had about the need for "Chief Listening Officers" in corporations and the need for transparency.


Jeffrey Hayzlett presented on "Emotional Technology" and relationships. Kodak is looking at changing the ways people relate. Some of the ways they are doing this is by exploring the importance of twitter, participation and listening.

View Real Men (and Women) Use Twitter

Inspiring Messages at the NYC #140conf

As a woman who has worked in journalism for the sole purpose of raising awareness of the challenges individuals who are marginalized face, I found Ann Curry's message to be honest and relevant.

During the question period, she also addresses a difficult topic, while highlighting the strength of the human spirit.

View her talk >>

Ann Curry(@AnnCurry) is the News Anchor on NBC's Today Show and host of Dateline NBC.

Jeff Pulver’s 140 Characters Conference! (#140conf)

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the 140 Characters Conference: New York City (#140conf) which took place April 20-21, 2010 at the 92nd Street Y.

This event was the largest worldwide gathering of people interested in the effects of the real-time Internet on both business and “we” the people.

At the NYC #140conf, while I was a participant (and not a speaker), I had a little more time to take a step back and really observe and engage in what was happening.

In my opinion, the energy at the 140 Characters Conferences is the most free flowing of any conference I have ever attended.

There are so many inspiring stories and exciting initiatives that after a challenging few months, I feel like my passion for all things communications has been renewed.

Thank you Jeff Pulver, speakers and volunteers for yet another great #140conf experience.

The ever-increasing shift towards social media in contemporary culture

2008 National Aboriginal Role Model and founder of Yellowtilt Productions, Ry Moran explains:

Social media describes an evolving paradigm for Web use; one where internet users create their own content, share this content with others, and engage in open conversations over the internet.

Social media is a shift away from traditional media wherein content was delivered from the creator to the user via a one-way transmission. In contrast to traditional media, Social Media allows users to interact with, and comment on the material they engage with on the Internet.

There are many ways to create social media including blogs, videos, music and Podcasts. YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are major social media hubs utilized by companies, organizations and individuals looking to spread information.

He makes reference to previous success and challenges encountered on past social media projects he has worked on - specifically citing the LearnMichif.com project.

For example, the diverse geographic range of the Métis nation led his team to embrace social media during the LearnMichif.com project. By utilizing video, podcasts, blogs and RSS technology, Ry and the LearnMichif team were able to share language lessons, oral histories, historical information, music and videos with users across the country in a user-engaging and cost-effective manner.

Reference: National Aboriginal Health Organization. Final Report. Workshop for First Nations, Inuit and Metis youth on Sexual Health Promotion and Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infections (STBBI)Prevention using Social Media. PREPARED BY: Ry Moran, YellowTilt Productions, Victoria, BC. October 2009.

The NAHO Social Media Experience

will be presented on Wednesday November 18, 2009 at the Ottawa Government Web 2.0 & Social Media: Identifying and Overcoming the Barriers to Leveraging Social Media in Your Workplace Successfully.

Presented by Colleen Patterson, Communications Officer, National Aboriginal Health Organization and James MacDougall, Webmaster, National Aboriginal Health Organization.

Case Study Description: The National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) is mandated to improve the health and well-being of Aboriginal peoples in Canada by engaging in research, policy research and health promotion activities.

NAHO has had great success integrating social media into its existing communications activities, including Twitter, social networking, blogging, photo-blogging, RSS feeds, and discussion boards.

Learn how NAHO has been able to personalize a national organization by using these tools.

More info on the Seminar hosted by INFONEX

View the NAHO Social Media Experience power point on slideshare.

Follow us on Twitter @NAHO_NEWS

My Kodak Moment

Thank you Kodak for this very special moment. This is me on stage at the Kodak Theatre where I presented at the #140conf on social media for public health messaging.

rogersmithlife.com and Panman Productions present...

140 Characters Conference LA 2009 by Jeff Pulver

watch the YouTube video>>

Mashable and the LA #140conf

Mashable is the world's largest blog focused exclusively on Web 2.0 and Social Media news.

Their team was at the #140conf offering participants this fun take home. I think they are awesome and they took the time to explain the technnology to me!

View Colleen is having a blast at the 140 Conference animated using MashCast.

Interesting people and social media at #140conf

Twittamentary is a documentary about the effects of Twitter, directed by Singaporean filmmaker Tan Siok Siok and crowd sourced by Twitter'ers worldwide.










I also met Doug Jones. He is such a nice guy and very involved with twitter @actordougjones.

For those of you who can't place the name, he's "the man behind the mask of characters such as 'Abe Sapien' (Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army), 'Pan' and the terrifying 'Pale Man' from the multi-Oscar-winning Pan's Labyrinth, the legendary 'Silver Surfer' in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and he has a movie coming out soon."

You simply cannot have a conference at the Kodak Theatre without some complementary messaging. All of the staff at Kodak we're really great and their presence in social media is impressive. I learned alot from the Photography panel. Thanks Kodak team for working with Jeff Pulver to host such an informative and engaging event.

Met the Creator of the #140conf

Here I am at the Kodak Theatre at Jeff Pulver’s 140 Characters Conference (#140conf) with Jeff Pulver.

Dinner with Public Health Messaging Panelists

I went to loteria for dinner with two of the Public Health Messaging Panelists, L: Beverly Robertson of the March of Dimes, Marc Sirkin from Autism Speaks and R: our new friend Roberta Romero from LA.

Getting excited about our presentation tomorrow at the #140conf.

I'm in the Cast of Characters at #140conf

Stay tuned for updates on how my presentation at the 140 Characters Conference went in LA. I'll be presenting on how NAHO uses social media to promote our message and how Twitter has helped us to spread the word.

Here I am with Jeffrey Hayzlett, Chief Marketing Officer for Kodak at the Kodak Theatre on Hollywood Blvd in Los Angeles.

Promoting the NAHO National Conference

Today the NARMP mascot Bruce Ma Goose and the NAHO team visited the Jeanne Mance building at Tunney's Pasture to hand out postcards promoting the NAHO National Conference. You can meet Bruce Ma-Goose-and lots of really great people-at the NAHO National Conference in Ottawa this November 24-26, 2009!

The 8th Canadian Immunization Conference

More than 1,200 immunization experts gathered at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto, Ontario from November 30 to December 3, 2008.

This conference brought together non-governmental organizations, vaccine manufacturers, provincial and territorial immunization policy and program planners, as well as professionals from the many disciplines involved in the immunization field.

I attended this conference to gain a broader understanding of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). While I have a strong background in health promotion, additional skills building in the areas of HPV epidemiology and vaccine developments was a valuable tool for me to acquire.

I found the plenary sessions, special lectures, the exhibit hall and the posters from Grade 6 students who expressed their ideas about immunization and healthy children to be very informative.

I even had the opportunity to participate in a lunchtime workshop about best practices on “How to Pack a Vaccine Cooler Bag” during mass immunization clinics and appropriate tools for vaccine transportation.

During a walk through the exhibit hall during lunch, I also met Gerri the Giraffe (pictured above) who promotes immunization in Ottawa.

Canadian Aboriginal Festival

Promoting the Journal of Aboriginal Health during the Canadian Aboriginal Festival at the Roger's Centre in Toronto, ON is one of my many tasks working the NAHO booth this weekend.

Also featured is NAHO's new pop-up banner.

Click here for more info on the Journal of Aboriginal Health

River of the Sacred Fire

As I prepare to leave for the airport, I reflect on the week gone by. Looking outside, I fully understand the meaning of the word Elsipogtog - River of the Sacred Fire. I am told it refers to "the red blazing reflection of the setting sun which appears seemingly like fire". I cannot help but wonder though if it also refers to the sunrise?

Women's Teachings

When women gather together great things can happen. When a safe space is created for sharing and healing, stories begin to emerge. Today it was stories of child birth, puberty rights, moon teachings and menopause. Concerns and realities that we all share, yet often push aside to address more pressing issues, became the focal point of conversation.

It is in these all women spaces that the knowledge and stories often emerge. Each woman in the room bonded to the other by virtue of the fact that women were given the gift to be able to birth life. So much of the teachings that women share co-exist with this fact.

As we close the circle, if there is one fundamental lesson to take away, it is the importance of respecting yourself and your body.

NAHO's Journal of Aboriginal Health March 2008 Volume 4, Issue 1 is focused on Aboriginal Women's Health. To view a copy click here.

Prophecies

This afternoon as I sat in a teepee close to the fire, I could feel my cheeks heating up from the flames. As I listened to the prophecies being shared with me I understood that the future is deeply rooted in the past. Many of the ways of our traditional Elders are based on living a life free of chemical additives and substances that are destructive to our very being and environment.

The advice being put forward to us is to make decisions not from a place of fear but a place of well-being. We were being asked to breathe in a sense of calmness and really think about the information being presented to us. If we don’t like it, then maybe it is not meant for us. If it applies to us and is useable then we have benefitted from their messages and wisdom.

There are many ways to know if a certain path is right for us. We can dream it, someone could encourage us to develop our strengths or we could just know. Much of what this week had to offer is a place to be quiet in our noisy world and just listen and reflect.

We were told many times this week to listen to our heart and believe in its truth.

To review The Haudenosaunee Code of Behaviour for Traditional Medicine Healers click here