Welcome to Abiinooji Aki!
Abiinooji-Aki Inc. (A.A.I.) was founded in 1992 to assist in the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) tribe’s efforts to combat the high rate of alcohol and drug abuse. In 1999, A.A.I. received its Tax Exempt status as a Charitable Organization. Abiinooji-Aki is located on the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation near Hayward, WI.
Over the past 32 years, Abiinooji-Aki has accomplished many goals in the areas of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA), mental health, women issues and spiritual growth.
Abiinooji Aki Capabilities
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Abiinooji Aki can provide cultural/spiritual presentations to classrooms, agencies and other settings and groups education,
on the aspects of:
Cultural/Spiritual Counseling and treatment philosophies.
AODA cultural issues and roadblocks to recovery.
Positive Native American treatment methods.
Native American family role modeling.
Native American Traditional/Cultural Healing methods and practices.
HEALING
Abiinooji Aki can be instrumental in locating a Spiritual Healer for any of your medicinal needs. We provide teachings on the protocols of Naming Ceremonies, Feasts, Give Aways, Talking circles, Family Circles, Sweat lodge and the medicines.
Abiinooji Aki can be effective in Native American Spiritual/Traditional skill building to the field of Alcohol and Drug Abuse that can help counselors/therapists reach out with understanding to Native Americans afflicted and affected by AODA issues.
SPECIAL GROUPS
Groups can gather together at Abiinooji Aki for 2 to 4 day cultural/spiritual sessions. Relax in our quiet woodland setting, enjoy traditional foods, listen to stories and songs, and get hands-on experience and time in creating bead work, tobacco bags, skirts, and other crafts.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS FOOD BASKET AND TOY FOR TOTS PROJECT
Since 1982, Abiinooji Aki has been gathering food, new toys and monetary funds for Christmas Food Baskets to help struggling families in and around Lac Courte Oreilles and Hayward that are trying to live a good life without substance abuse. We have donors and supporters from all over the country that help us to meet our goal every year. For the last 25 years AAI has had new toys donated to our project by the United States Marines Toys for Tots. Every year we have received 200 or more new toys from them for our Christmas project.
Each year we receive donations from past participants and from their many friends who donate or solicit on our behalf to help others. It is their way of showing gratitude for the healing and spiritual help they’ve received from one of our programs, Anishinaabe Way, Healing the Healers, Women’s gathering, Youth AODA, Winter Renewal, and from the many other retreat groups and special sessions that were held here over the past 36 years.
Over the years we have received the names of families from various Tribal programs and from other tribal members. Our first year, our goal was 2 families. Since then, we’ve gradually increased our goal a few more every year and now, for the past 20 years our goal has been over 40 families each year.
We say a big Miigwech to our friends and their friends, LCO Police and Health Department, Tribal Governing Board for all the help we’ve received to make this another one of our great successes.
