Ian Kappo and sustainable housing for First Nations students

By Laura Mushumanski

(ANNews) – The hummingbird is one of our pollinator relatives that continues to gift us nourishment. This tiny being carries the understanding that it must sustain itself every fifteen minutes to stay alive. The hummingbird’s visions are embedded in sustainable practices starting with the self by providing sustenance so it can continue to travel far distances, with the main purpose of pollinating plants that in turn gift everything on Mother Earth – life.

And like the hummingbird that over time learned how to sustain itself, so it can share its gifts with the world, a similar adventure based on trials and tribulations occurred with Ian Kappo until one day everything started to make sense. Kappo’s humble beginning provided him with the nourishment he needed for the role he has in supporting housing inequities for First Nations post-secondary students.

“My tipping point was when I came to the realization that I didn’t want to be another statistic and that there is more to life [than drugs and alcohol]”, shared Kappo, founder of Our Nation Student Housing that provides Indigenous centric support for First Nations students attending college or University to help with the transition from off-reserve into post-secondary learning by fostering academic success, personal growth and cultural connections.

Kappo was able to nurture parts of his life that needed help as he learned how to sustain himself emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. “I needed to change my thoughts, I needed to change my attitude…every preconceived notion I have, I had to question it with an open mind and an open heart, I had to learn and take that in – you hear something you need [when] you are open to listening and learning.”

Kappo, our First Nations brother, originally from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, lived on and off reserve most of his life. He became conditioned to a certain way of thinking – until the day he decided to become curious about life outside of his own preconceived notions of thinking and being in ways that previously would have put him in harm’s way. “I was able to do a lot of soul work,” shared Kappo after he made the decision to learn about himself through different holistic healing modalities. And once Ian opened his heart and mind to opportunities and possibilities, his life started to transmute into healthy ways of knowing and being that sustained him, leading to becoming a post-secondary student.

“Because I come from a small reserve, I didn’t think about how I was to support myself when I became a student. [I started to realize] a lot of First Nations students carry these things… I started noticing student housing for Indigenous students was lacking…and housing itself was not enough.”

With the advice that Kappo’s grandfather shared with him many moons ago, “Just do it – even if it’s just cleaning something. Do it, get it out of the way, then you don’t have to do it again.” This advice that Ian kept at the back of his mind, came full circle when he wanted to do something about First Nations student housing. One thing led to another, and with sheer optimism, Kappo chose one of the hardest ventures to begin. He took it step by step, in creation with building a non-profit organization based on programming, peer support, and support workers that walk beside First Nations post-secondary students, so they can learn their own ways how to sustain themselves during their studies and give back to community in meaningful ways.

For more information visit www.ournationhousing.org.

Laura Mushumanski is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.