"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, hopefully forward, in my own life. In the past, I did not reflect on this desire to any great extent: I just accepted it. It was a drive that came from my inner being. To fulfill my desire, I look in several directions and chose social work as the means. I saw that social work has the good intentions of helping people in need. Generally, I agreed with its philosophy that was based upon the values of humanitarianism and egalitarianism. But as I began my life as a social worker, particularly in university where I looked closely at social work, its values, and its practices. I also began to reflect upon social work as a means to helping. More recently, I've been focussing upon Indigenous peoples experiences with helpers and social workers.