Derek Neary
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 21/99) - How does a trip to soak up the sun in the sands of Acapulco sound?

That's just one of the opportunities that Connie Norwegian's education afforded her earlier this year. Next month, she will attend a two-week International Social Work Educators' Conference in Jamaica and Barbados.

Now she's trying to get the message out to others that learning isn't necessarily a great chore.

"There's limitless opportunities in education. It doesn't have to be all books and studies. I think people in small communities need to know that," said Norwegian, who will receive her Bachelor of Indian Social Work degree at a graduation ceremony in Regina next week.

Her parents, Fred and Mavis, and two of her sisters, Angela and Pamela, are expected to be there.

Norwegian, who was born in Fort Simpson, recently completed the four-year program at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College. She chose that school because it's the only Aboriginal-run institution in Canada. It also offered her a chance to learn the traditional way of doing things in addition to the Western way. Her courses included history, treaties and traditions, she said.

The program also included two practicums, the first of which she served at the Regional Psychiatric Centre, a maximum-security penitentiary and treatment centre in Saskatoon.

"It was a real eye-opener for me," she said, adding that she helped facilitate self-esteem workshops, sat in on case-management meetings, learned about one-on-one counselling and assisted an elder with traditional ceremonies.

Initially, she was quite apprehensive about the placement, but she overcame it.

"It was the only way that I'd learn. I try not to let my fear be the deciding factor in anything," she said.

Her second practicum was spent in Mexico City.

Again, she had second thoughts, but forced herself to follow through with it. She took a crash course in Spanish in December along with classes in Mexican culture and history. Then, from January until the end of March, she spent many of her days in street hostels and centres for those with various afflictions. For the most part she just observed, but she gained a wealth of knowledge from that alone, she explained.

"They have a wonderful, clean hostel with doctors there, clean beds, food..." she said, adding that tourist literature is sometimes misleading. "People have to go live it and learn it before they can make judgments."

She said she was amazed by the cultural perseverance of the indigenous peoples.

"Even though they're so poor, they keep fighting. They keep trying to preserve their culture in these little communities," she said. "It's so rich with so many artifacts, the art, and they speak their indigenous language."

Norwegian, who is doing some casual work with Deh Cho Health and Social Services in Fort Providence, said she's glad to be back and is being exposed to different spheres of social work.

In the communities, she noted, one has to be prepared to deal with everything from child protection to probation to counselling. She added that she's anxious to get involved with the youth and to assist with fund-raising activities.

"There's so much prevention and intervention, it's not just reaction. It's about promoting a healthy community," she said. "I want to live in my region and help my people."