CELINA CADA-MATASAWAGON
Celina, an Ojibway from Sheshegwaning First Nation situate on Manitoulin Island, ON. Celina is an accomplished hoop dancer, she was crowned Champion at the Salamanca Hoop Dance Competition, and the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation Hoop Dance Competition in 2004. Her hoop dancing has given her the opportunity travel and share the her dances with people from around the world.
In 1999, Celina was involved in the production of “Power” and she travelled to Germany to dance, as well as in 2000 to perform at Expo 2000. In 2008 she was invited to attend the Convening of Indigenous Peoples for the Healing of Mother Earth Conference in Chipas, Mexico. Celina is also a Social Worker for the Native Community Care in mental Health and in the Recreational Leadership Program, and has earned a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree as well as a Bachelor of Education Degree.
When asked what excites her most about MIG 2018, Celina responded “I’m so happy this opportunity final came and hope it will continue for future years. I feel that it’s about time the games came back for this age group because as we get older we need something that could help push and thrive us to work towards something”.
What is the role of sports/ Activities in your life?
The role of sports in my life has always been a very big part of my life all through high school and beyond I have always been very active . Growing up you would always see me running and plays any sport possible in the community. Some of the team sports that I played where baseball, VolleyBall and running. All through high school I always belong to the Track and Field teams and cross country. Once I went to college I decide to try my luck in soccer which I belong to the varsity team while I was attending. Today I feel that sports and activities are more important in my life then every before the reason being that I am so active in so many sports and activities. Since I am a bodybuilder and the fact that I am competing every year in this sport being active and going to the play a very important role in my life. I always find ways to make this happen even thou I am teaching full time. Other activities that are important to me or that I find I enjoy is snowboard. I didn’t get involved in this sport until much later in life or when I moved to ottawa. I now find that snowboarding is very important to me and something I really enjoy during the winter months. Over the last 7 years or so I have become a instructor in the sport and have achieved my level 1 and 2 plus park level 1 certification. I now work at Camp Fortune as a supervisor for all the Ta instructors. I am always helping with the instructor by giving session and helping other improve to be great instructors. Culture is another area that is so important to celina as she is a world hoop dance champion along with a Fancy Dancer. Being as active as she is this really helps her in her dancing all across this country. Being active and being it shape is something that she works towards everyday but not only training is important but eating right also play a important role of all the she does. Being a bodybuilder and competing she makes eating right apart of her lifestyle because it is very important in everything she does. Being a teacher at the Urban Aboriginal Alternative High School her passion and love for sports is something that she tries to share with her students whenever she can. One of the major activities she does w her students every year is taking them on a 4 day canoe trip to algonquin Park. As you can see Sports play a very important role in her life and her passion for sports in something she tries to share with other and always is willing to help others find their way to start their journey not matter where they are.
How Do you Define Wellness?
Wellness to me is all about the whole person and taking care of all aspect of the person. I look at this like a medicine wheel in order to live a balance life we all need to make sure we take care of ourselves and have a balance in all these areas. The teaching I am am referring to includes the Mental , physical, emotional and spiritual. As Indigenous people being balanced in all these area are important to all of our well being as we walk on turtle Island. As a person I always try to make sure that this is what I do every day. I always start my day out on the right path by offer prayers for the opportunities that always come her . Smudging is something she does as well because this help with the spiritual side of her. Celina has been a drug and alcohol free person. She lives her live in balance with the seven grandfather teaching. Again she tries to share this with her students as well as the youth she comes in contact with. One thing shen has learned over the years is to pay attention your body and if you need to take time to rest then do it bc if you dont it could back later on in life. Training , eating right etc are important but taking care of yourself is also important to your own well being as well is good for others. Celina is very much a role model and many people look to her as an inspiration because of her drive to never give but to be successful no matter what it takes.
What are the things you do each do that makes you a “Wellness Warrior?
A wellness warrior embodies the spirit of bravery, respect, generosity responsibility, humility compassion, leadership , peacemaking and spirituality. All of these qualities is something that celina lives her life around which make her a great example of a wellness warrior.
Some of things that celina does everyday to make her a great warrior is just being a role model and example for other. She also has help inspire many aboriginal people to get started on a healthy or fitness journey. Being in the bodybuilding industry itself takes a lot of commitment and dedication. Celina has won many times as she has competed in this industry and has be able to make it to the province and national stage. This year she will be competing again at the pro qualifier in her age group. Celina has had a lot of success in her life in many different area’s such as her teaching career where she has been honoured with a priemer teaching award and a inspire education role model award. She is also being nominated this year for the inspire award 2019 in sports/culture. Some of the things that celina does everyday is just her drive and passion to be the best person she can and being a example for other and her students. She walks her talk and never pretend to be someone she is. Celina is never judges people but is always willing to help whoever needs it. Her passion and love for fitness is beyond words. She recently has been able to get her person training certification which she is hoping to start training people in her home where she has built her gym. Every day celina is always keeping her goals in mind and spending time in the gym training hard as she is preparing for her upcoming competitions. Other things she does daily to help with her goals is dancing and practicing her hoop dance bc it is so important to her. Culture and dancing is very much apart of who she is and training hard just addes to everything she does. Celina Lives her life to the fullest the best way she can and being healthy and active is the only way she feels she can live life. She feels that age is just a number and the older she get the more she just keeps pushing no matter what. Nothing is going to stop her as life’s too short so she just keeps makes choices that is best for but but also to help influence more people to take our healthy more serious. She want to help our youth to see the opportuities that are available to them and to take advance of them as they our their for them to be successful. All she wants is the best for all aboriginal people and she sees that more people in our communities are starting to take healthy and fitness more serious.
Who or what is your inspiration?
Growing up many people inspired me because I always did the best I could but I believe the two people in my life who really had a positive influence on me were my parents they also made the time for me and encouraged me to be the best I could. They always were supporting me in all the different activities I took part in. I also believe many other people have influenced me in so many ways such as dancers, Elders, youth, athletes , runners, and bodybuilders. Celina today feels what inspires her the most is the support and encouragement she get from the others in everythings she is doing. What out the support of her people she feels she wouldn’t be able to keep doing what she does. The influence she has had on people is very rewarding and this what gives her the drive to keep going. She also get her inspiration from the youth and always tries to help them see all the gifts they have and always finds ways to encourage them to be the best they can be. She does what she does for her people but the youth does have a special place for her in her heart. What also inspires her is that she always has goals that she is trying to achieve and not matter if she reaches them she always finds others along the way but never lets anything stop her. A example of this is that her goal for many years was to make the finals at the world hoop dance championship! Well this goal was achieved and now her next goal is to actually win the title.Last year she did win the Intermountain Women’s Hoop dance contest in her age group but also had the highest points in the whole contest.
What excited you the most about the 2018 Master Indigenous Games?
The Masters Indigenous Games is a amazing opportunity for the next generations of our people to come together in such a respectful manner for competition. I am excited to have this opportunity to compete against other indigenous people. Competing is very much in my blood and is something that I do often and the games is going to be very rewarding in many ways. Im so happy this opportunity final came and hope it will continue for future years. I feel that it’s about time the games came back for this age group because as we get older we need something that could help push and thrive us to work towards something. The games are forsure a avenue that could help all our people work toward being healthy but living that lifestyle everyday. I am excited for the games and can’t wait to meet new people but also having this opportunity is very Exciting and cant wait….
