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INDIGENOUS-LED · FAMILY-OPERATED · COMMUNITY-ROOTED —

Indigenous-Led
Training.
Built for Your
Community.

Professional certification in camp & program management, Health and Safety, National Lifeguard training, and healthy lifestyles — delivered by Indigenous people, for Indigenous communities.

EST

WIKWEMIIKOONG
UNCEDED TERRITORY

CARLA MISHIBINIJIMA, FOUNDER    ·   WIKWEMIIKOONG  ·  

500+ TRAINED · 60+ COMMUNITIES · 3 CERTIFIED NLS INSTRUCTORS

500+

PEOPLE TRAINED

60+

COMMUNITIES SERVED

4

TRAINING PROGRAMS

3

CERTIFIED NLS INSTRUCTORS

100%

INDIGENOUS-LED

— A FAMILY BUILT ON COMMUNITY

Training Born From the Land. Built for the People.

3-Fires was founded by Carla Mishibinijima of Wikwemiikoong Unceded Territory — an Indigenous woman who saw an urgent gap across Indigenous communities: workers, program staff, and managers doing incredible work across all community programs — but without proper training on how to plan and deliver an excellent camp or program.

The name 3-Fires carries meaning rooted in fire itself — from the first spark of an idea, to the slow smolder of learning, to the open flame of knowledge shared. Fire is how communities have always gathered: to teach, to build, to tell stories, to pass wisdom from one generation to the next. It is also a name tied to the land — the territory where Carla is from. 3-Fires delivers professional training that honours Indigenous ways of knowing and being.​

Today, Carla's sister Jessica — a National Lifesaving and Swim Instructor — leads the National Lifeguard Certification Program alongside Justin Peters, Munsee-Delaware Nation. Katelyn Peters, who is their sister, (Munsee-Delaware Nation), completes this family of four. Together they deliver a growing suite of programs including Health and Safety — a system-based training and certification model enabling First Nations communities to independently deliver safe, culturally grounded programs — and coming soon, Healthy Lifestyles & Nutrition workshops led by Katelyn, designed specifically for Indigenous communities..

"3-Fires is not an outside organization coming into your community. We are your community."

— CARLA MISHIBINIJIMA, FOUNDER

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— WHAT WE OFFER

Our Four Training Programs.

Four streams of professional certification — all delivered by Indigenous instructors who understand your context from the inside. 

🏕️

Camp & Program Management Certification

Professional certification in planning and delivering excellent camps and community programs in Indigenous contexts. Active learning, real tools, and ongoing knowledge exchange. Includes 1-hour webinar updates on rules and regulations, scope of practice changes, and mandatory requirements surrounding Camp and Program Management and Health and Safety — keeping your team current as standards evolve.

Trainers: Carla & Jessica Mishibinijima

Topics: Risk management · Health & safety · Policy development · Program design · Emergency planning

🛡️

Health and Safety Certification

Canada's only Indigenous-led 2-day health and safety certification, grounded in Indigenous values and community ways of knowing. CYFSA mandatory reporting, risk management, emergency response, WHMIS, child protection, and mental health crisis response — for everyone delivering programs and services in Indigenous communities.

Trainer: 3-Fires Team

Topics: Mandatory reporting · Hazard recognition · Emergency action plans · Child supervision · WHMIS · Food safety · Incident reporting · Mental health & crisis response

🏊

National Lifeguard Certification Stream

Gain internationally recognized National Lifesaving Society certifications in a 4-day intensive Lifeguard instruction program — held on Indigenous land and delivered by three certified NLS instructors from Wikwemiikoong and Munsee-Delaware Nations.

3 Certified NLS Instructors: Jessica Mishibinijima (Wikwemiikoong) · Justin Peters (Munsee-Delaware) · Jaden Mishibinijima (Wikwemiikoong)

Prerequisite: Bronze Medallion and Bronze Cross required prior to enrollment.

Program Includes: National Lifeguard (NLS) certification · Standard CPR instruction
 

📧 Join our email list to stay updated on lifeguarding rules, regulations, and scope of practice changes.

Includes: 3 meals daily + shared accommodation, Whitefish River First Nation

🌿

Healthy Lifestyles & Nutrition Workshops

Culturally grounded healthy eating education, wellness workshops, and nutrition programming for Indigenous communities — delivered by Katelyn Peters.

Trainer: Katelyn Peters

Topics: Healthy eating on a budget · Wellness for youth & adults · Culturally adapted nutrition

— UPCOMMING SESSIONS

2026 Training Dates

Open registration · Online via Zoom · All sessions 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EDT · ISET funding may apply

MAY 2026

27 – 29

Camp & Program Management

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EDT · 3 Days

JUNE 2026

16 – 18

Camp & Program Management

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EDT · 3 Days

💡 Need private group training or Health and Safety for your community? We schedule sessions around you. Contact Jessica to discuss dates, pricing, and band/organization invoicing

Health & Safety

A 3-FIRES PROGRAM

3-Fires delivers Canada's Only Indigenous-Led Health & Safety Pathways Certification

"There is no hierarchy in safety — the volunteer and the Director are equally responsible. What we learn in these two days belongs to our community."

— HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITMENT · 3-FIRES

Health and Safety Training

This is a 2-day, certificate-issuing health and safety training program built specifically for anyone working in Indigenous communities — camp and program staff, community workers, volunteers, home visitors, event organizers, program managers, band council staff, coaches, Elders, programs coordinators, cultural program leads, and community leaders. This training is for all ages and all programs — not just camps.

This training is delivered over 2 days — watch for upcoming dates. Leadership and supervisory staff are strongly encouraged to complete this training: as the people ultimately responsible for health and safety in their programs and communities, there is no substitute. Communities must deliver rigorous health and safety programs — free of injuries, incidents, and preventable accidents. This is the only training specifically designed to help Indigenous staff and leadership meet that standard.

Every module is grounded in Indigenous values and community ways of knowing — connecting legal compliance and professional safety standards to the principles that Indigenous communities already live by.
 

This is not a generic corporate safety course adapted for Indigenous people. It was built from the ground up by 3-Fires — for our communities, our contexts, and our responsibilities

Certificate & Next Steps

 Health and Safety Certificate of Completion issued at end of Day 2.

  Pathways provided to: Standard First Aid + CPR-C · WHMIS 2015 Online · Food Handler Certification · Mental Health First Aid Canada

  ISET funding and band council invoicing available — contact Jessica.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Youth workers · Camp staff & directors · Volunteers · Home visitors · Event organizers · Program managers · Coaches · Band council staff · Health workers · Anyone working with children, youth, or Elders in a Indigenous or Indigenous community context.

Each participant receives a Health and Safety Participant Workbook — a practical reference they keep and bring back to every event, camp, and home visit. Includes field checklists, templates, exercises, and a personal safety commitment card.

— FREE TOOLS

Free Resources for Indigenous Program Leaders

Everything here is free. Built by practitioners who have been in your shoes. Enter your email to download — we'll send more good stuff every month.

📋

Camp Safety Checklist

A one-page checklist every camp director needs before opening day — health, emergency procedures, staff ratios, water safety, and cultural protocols

🛡️

Health and Safety Site Safety Checklist

The full pre-event field inspection checklist from the Health and Safety program — fire, food handling, WHMIS, structural, first aid, and cultural protocols.

⚠️

Risk Management Template

A fillable risk management template adapted for Indigenous community program contexts — not a generic corporate form. Bring it to your next planning meeting.

🗓️

90-Day Camp Planning Timeline

Start 90 days before opening day and never feel behind again. Week-by-week from registration to closing campfire — tested in real Indigenous camps.

Top 10 Questions for New Camp Directors

The questions Carla Mishibinijima wished someone had given her before running her first program. Ask these before you start — they will save you time and stress.

📄

Training Justification Letter

Need your band manager or director of education to approve training? Pre-written letter — fill in your name and dates, and hand it in. Unique to 3-Fires.

📬

Get More Every Month

Join our email list for new free tools, training tips, and community program resources — always free, always Indigenous-focused.

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Did You Know This Training May Be Funded?

Many Indigenous organizations, band councils, and Indigenous employment programs can use ISET funding, ISC contributions, or band council professional development budgets to cover the cost of 3-Fires training — including Health and Safety. You may not have to pay out of pocket.

01

CHECK YOUR ISET HOLDER

Contact your local ISET service provider or band office to ask about professional development funding eligibility.

02

DOWNLOAD THE LETTER
Get our free Training Justification Letter — a pre-written document to hand to your supervisor or band manager.

03

REGISTER WITH ONFIDENCE

Jessica can provide a formal invoice and letter of support for any funding application. Just ask.

💰

"Very beneficial training to better manage your community programs and gave me great confidence to facilitate camp for this upcoming Summer. Highly recommend!"

PATRICIA NIGANOBE — YOUTH COORDINATOR

Mississauga First Nation

✏️ More testimonials coming soon — collected from 500+ trained participants across 60+ communities.

📬 Past participant? Send 2 sentences to jessica@3-fires.com — we'd love to feature you here.

— THE PEOPLE BEHIND 3-FIRES

Family Committed to Your Community

Four family members. Two Indigenous communities. One mission — building capacity in Indigenous communities through professional, culturally grounded training.

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WIKWEMIKOONG UNCEDED TERRITORY

Carla Mishibinijima

FOUNDER & LEAD TRAINER — CAMP MANAGEMENT & HEALTH AND SAFETY

Camp & Program Management · Health and Safety Facilitator · Program Design · Risk Management · Health & Safety

Carla is the Founder and Lead Facilitator of 3-Fires, an Indigenous-led training system focused on camp and program management for Indigenous communities. She trains managers, coordinators, and frontline staff to design and implement programs that are safe, sustainable, and culturally grounded. Her work is rooted in the belief that Indigenous knowledge systems are valid and essential in shaping how programs are designed, delivered, and experienced — equipping local staff with the tools and confidence to run their own programs independently.

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WIKWEMIKOONG UNCEDED TERRITORY

Jessica Mishibinijima

ADMINISTRATOR · NATIONAL LIFESAVING & SWIM INSTRUCTOR · OPERATIONS & COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Camp & Program Management · National Lifesaving and Swim Instructor · Bronze Medallion · Bronze Cross · Operations & Community Outreach

Jessica is a National Lifesaving and Swim Instructor and an active trainer in the 3-Fires National Lifeguard Certification Program alongside Justin. She also co-facilitates Camp & Program Management training, and manages all registrations and community relationships. She is your first point of contact — jessica@3-fires.com.

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MUNSEE-DELAWARE NATION

Justin Peters

LIFEGUARD TRAINER & NLS INSTRUCTOR

National Lifesaving Society Certified Instructor · NLS · Bronze Medallion · Bronze Cross

Carla and Jessica's brother, from Munsee-Delaware Nation, is a National Lifesaving Society certified instructor who teaches Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross, and National Lifeguard certification alongside Jessica and Jaden. His Munsee-Delaware roots bring cross-nation depth and credibility to every lifeguard program 3-Fires delivers.

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MUNSEE-DELAWARE NATION · LAUNCHING APRIL/MAY 2026

— NEXT GENERATION · NEW ADDITION — LAUNCHING SOON

Katelyn Peters

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES & NUTRITION TRAINER · NEXT GENERATION

Healthy Eating Workshops · Wellness Programming for Indigenous Communities · Munsee-Delaware Nation

Katelyn is Carla, Jessica, and Justin's sister and part of the next generation of 3-Fires trainers — a young Indigenous leader stepping into this work and bringing her community perspective and energy to everything 3-Fires delivers.

From Munsee - Delaware Nation, Katelyn joins the 3-Fires' growing family. She will be delivering healthy lifestyles and nutrition programming built specifically for Indigenous communities. Launching April/May 2026 — join the waitlist to be the first to know when she opens registration.

WHAT WE STAND FOR

Our Values 

🔥

Community First

We train the way we were taught — in relationship, not in isolation. Your community's needs shape everything we do, every session we run, every resource we create.

🌿

Culturally Grounded

Our programs honour Indigenous ways of knowing and being. This is not an add-on or a checkbox — it is the foundation on which every 3-Fires program is built.

🌊

Building the Next Generation

Katelyn Peters — a young Indigenous leader stepping into this work — represents what 3-Fires is truly building. This organization grows with its community, not away from it. What we build today is for the generations ahead.

RESOURCES & GUIDES

From the 3-Fires Blog

Practical guides, funding tips, and program wisdom — written for Indigenous and Indigenous community program workers.

3-Fires Camp & Program Management acknowledges that we operate with gratitude on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Anishinaabe peoples — specifically the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations of the Three Fires Confederacy. Our home base is Wikwemiikoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, and we extend our respect and relationships to all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities we serve across Canada.

CHI-MIIGWETCH

GET IN TOUCH

Register or Ask Us Anything

Whether you are ready to register, have questions about funding, or want to explore private group training or Health and Safety for your community — Jessica responds to all inquiries personally.

📞

PHONE

📠

FAX

519-472-5996

🌐

HEALTH AND SAFETY

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🏛️ ORGANIZATION & BAND COUNCIL INVOICING AVAILABLE

We welcome registrations from Indigenous organizations, band councils, and Indigenous employment programs. Formal invoices, ISET letters of support, and purchase order arrangements all available. Contact Jessica to discuss.

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