THE SaCred Turtle Woman legacy

 In Memory of beloved Elder Victoria (Vicky) Whalen, who was a member of the Saddlelake First Nation. 

Vicky had first hand experience with the long-lasting effects of the residential school system, addiction, loss of culture, and impacts of colonization within the Indigenous community. In spite of her hardships, Vicky was able to regain her Warrior Spirit through traditional ceremony and teachings. 

Shortly after receiving her first pipe during a ceremony at Driftpile, Alberta, Vicky began her journey to become an Elder. She began to dedicate her life to providing ceremonies and teachings to those who needed help rediscovering their own spirits. 

By  far, Vicky's greatest achievement was her many, many years spent working  with incarcerated Indigenous men and women, gifting them with love, laughter, kindness and motivation to change. Vicky worked for Native Counseling Service of Alberta as resident Elder at both Stan Daniels Healing Center and Buffalo Sage Wellness House, Corrections Services Canada and as well, for a short time, with the Parole Board of Canada just prior to her passing on April 14th, 2020. 

Vicky's children, Deborah Arcand and Blaine Paul, honored us by gifting her spiritual name of "Sacred Turtle Woman" to our organization so that we may continue her work in helping with the process of healing our people across Canada.