Articles

Life On The Streets

Western People Magazine 5 April 1990 By Terry Garchinski Terry Garchinski left his family in Naicam, Saskatchewan to live among the homeless. His personal odyssey has given him answers to questions he never would have asked. Terry Garchinski has been living on the street in the United States to develop an understanding of the reasons for homelessness. Western people interviewed him August 24, 1989, and asked him to send an update on his travels and experiences. The following is an account of his time among the homeless of New York City and Washington, D.C. “Why do you eat food from garbage cans?” I asked the woman who was told to leave Washington’s train station.  Kitty, the homeless mother of five adult children replied, “I’m hungry.  I hate to see food go to waste.  Eating food from garbage is no different than when I ate the unwanted food from my children’s...

The Book: Grandmother, by Elaine Woodward

A wonderful and meaningful gift! Grandmother is a collection of poetry and short stories that speaks to the readers about native traditions and spirituality, beliefs and values. It is about death being a part of the circle of life, mourning and rejoicing in the gift of life, treating all life with reverence, and believing in dreams, visions and spirits. It is about learning to love and understand with our hearts as we walk on this earth, despite the many difficulties that challenge us to grow. It is about learning to heal from loss. It is a book written for Elaine’s little granny, Victoria Bloomstrand. Her Grandmother died in December 1995 at the age of 100. Whenever her little granny was leaving to go somewhere, she would say, “I’m going now.” She did this so her spirit would not be left behind. She taught Elaine that all things have a spirit...

A Presentation of I Believe

Presenting Terry Garchinski of Life Works, I Believe at the National Indigenous Sexual Abuse Conference, February 21-24, 2005. “Terry Garchinski of Life Works has been asked to present at the National Indigineous Sexual Abuse Conference in Edmonton.  February 21-24, 2005.  The name of Terry’s presentation is called, I Believe. This presentation is about creative ways to walk the healing path.  It is based on a little book, I Believe which is “…a compassionate story about a raindrop’s life, losses and loves.”  News North, Yellowknife, NT. I Believe is a parable about human life. It helps people of all ages find a way to acknowledge and accpet life’s hurt and pain, in order to heal and live a truer life without carrying so much baggage. The author and presenter, Terry Garchinski, offers Healing from Loss and Grief Workshops with co-facilitators. In this presentation, Terry presents some of the creative strategies from...

Life Lessons Come Full Circle

By Kathy Ponath Naicam News Volume 18 No.10 Friday, March 10, 2006 Terry Garchinski has made helping people come to terms with grief and loss his life work. Just as he and his own family were coming to terms with a very profound loss, he returned to his alma mater, Naicam School, to share with its students about his work and the lessons he has learned. On March 1st, Terry spent a morning giving two presentations to Grades 7 to 9 and Grades 10 to 12, based on his book, I Believe. He shared with the students that he was home in Naicam because his mother was in the process of dying. After a very long and courageous battle with cancer, Stella Garchinski passed away within days of Terry’s presentation at the school. Terry spoke warmly and informally to the groups of students, disarming them with his direct approach to...

Love In A Peruvian Orphanage – Hogar Belen

Love in a Peruvian Orphanage Published: Friday, July 31, 1987, 12:43 pm |   Author: By Terry Garchinski     Living in Peru, in the city of Moquegua, is a most remarkable woman.  Although her name is Sister Loretta Bonokoski, her 57 children call her “Ya Ya.” St. Loretta was born June 15th, 1931, on a farm ear Torquay, Saskatchewan, to immigrant parents of German descent.  She was the twelfth of fifteen brothers and sisters.  As a child, she would tell her mother that she was either going to be a cowgirl or a nun.  On August 8th, 1948, at the age of 18, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions.  As a religious in Canada, she taught in elementary schools, cooked in convent boarding houses, and cared for the ill and elderly nuns.  An excellent background for the mission that lay before her. In 1968, she...

The Circle Strong Song

Circle Strong is a song that Terry Garchinski wrote with youth at Northern Addictions Youth Inhalant Program in September 1995.  Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. CIRCLE STRONG      © Terry Garchinski 1995 Looking in your big brown eyes Can’t hide the tears or the lies So much pain its been there too long And now you are here and you’re so strong I take your hand and walk with you tonight We’ve walked in darkness but now we’re in the light I feel your pain I’ve walked this road before Let’s raise our voices and walk through that door. CHORUS:    Let’s keep the circle strong:  I’ll be me and you be you Together we’ll sing: “We will all be true.” Let’s keep the circle strong:  I’ll be me and you be you Together we’ll sing: “Keep the circle strong.” Looking at the eagle in the sky Signs of hope, the elders cry...

The Book, I Believe: A Story With A Purpose

The Book “I Believe” by Terry Garchinski A STORY WITH A PURPOSE, Parable Meant To Help Others Deal With Loss by Jennifer Greens, Yellowknifer Newspaper, Northern News Services Ltd.  Counsellor, Terry Garchinski has been using stories and parables in his Healing from Loss and Grief workshops for years. Now he has set one of those stories down in print, a book, titled  I Believe. The book is  a compassionate story about a raindrop’s life, losses and loves.  Events of the raindrop’s journey from birth to the ocean symbolize life events. Characters appear throughout the book to offer advice and comfort to the raindrop as he deals with the challenges and obstacles in his way. “It’s a parable or an analogy for people to address their attachments and their losses,”  said Garchinski. He wrote the original manuscript two years ago and has not only used it in his workshops, but also with clients in...