"Am I a modern-day missionary? Reflections of a Cree Social Worker"

Abstract

I have long held a desire to support others as I struggle forward,
\nhopefully forward, in my own life. In the past, I did not reflect on this desire to any great 
\nextent: I just accepted it. It was a drive that came from my inner being. To fulfill my desire, I 
\nlook in several directions and chose social work as the means. I saw that social work has the good 
\nintentions of helping people in need. Generally, I agreed with its philosophy that was based 
\nupon the values of humanitarianism and egalitarianism. But as I began my life as a social worker, 
\nparticularly in university where I looked closely at social work, its values, and its 
\npractices. I also began to reflect upon social work as a means to helping. More recently, 
\nI've been focussing upon Indigenous peoples experiences with helpers and social workers.