Story Telling

Welcome to our proud bragging rights pages. Our success is the success of our participants success.

How it all started

“How do you describe the emotional effect of spoken words that touch your soul? How do you express one’s phenomenal gratitude to the First Nations that allows you to experience their mysticism? How do you describe the enduring good fortune when their people welcome’s you as one of their own? You can’t; you can only share your story and leave it up to the readers to appreciate them."
-- Rima Aristocrat, M.Ed.
Founder and President, TeKnoWave Inc.

The TeKnoWave Story As Unique As the Initiative Itself

TeKnoWave was built on a wave of dreams – a vision! It’s an inspiring story of giving and unique partnerships. When asked how TeKnoWave came to fruition, Rima Aristocrat, President and CEO of the 108-year old Willis College of Business & Technology, and the Founder and President of TeKnoWave Inc., tells a story as unique as the initiative itself. “The inspiration for the TeKnoWave initiative began  with an event that took place  three years ago  in Winnipeg, where I was presenting papers at an internation al conference. At the end of the day, educators from 20 different countries gathered for an evening of entertainment. George Bear, an Aboriginal “Hoop Dancer” performed his sacred dance. Afterwards, Bear spontaneously gave a personal account of his lack of education and the hardships that Canadian Indigenous people face in achieving higher education.” Bear’s story moved Aristocrat so much that she awarded him with an $18,000 scholarship to Ottawa’s Willis College. The college has since decided to grant a permanent educational scholarship for Aboriginal students named after Joseph Tokwiro Norton (J.T.N.) Grand Chief of the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. The Joseph T. Norton Scholarship is now accompanied by an additional $10,000 stipend for living expenses which has been raised from the Aboriginal private sector, from corporations such as National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, Mohawk Internet Technologies and Donna Cona Inc.

Selected Projects 

Here is a selection of our projects:

Willis College  An ongoing partnership to develop leading skills-based training for in demand careers and employers. In collaboration, we laid on the foundation of Indigenous  community participation, the TeKnoWave model: “Five Pillars of Career & Community Development“, is based on the proven and successful experiences of Ottawa-based Willis College of Business Technology & Healthcare, a recognized Ontario post-secondary institution, a Quebec approved student funded programs and a leader in skills & training development for over 150 years.

On reserve, Six Nations with G.R.E.A.T. Ogwehoweh Skills and Trades Training Centre on reserve – delivery of skills training programs

Networking Diploma with Industry Certifications and Management studies Willis College and University of Winnipeg – on reserve and off reserve

Volunteer Canada – developed an Indigenous Sensitivity Handbook for employers

Henvey Inlet First Nation, Ontario – in partnership with Willis College, we delivered seminars on Wind Energy

Congress of Aboriginal People – career skills training programs in:

  • Indigenous Foundations Training Certificate
  • Indigenous Personal Support Worker (PSW) Certificate
  • Indigenous Community Service Worker Certificate