OUR MISSION
At the Gwizhii Institute of Learning, we believe in empowering people to navigate sensitive issues with the highest level of care. We partner with individuals, organizations, and communities to co-create customized workshops, trainings, and policy frameworks rooted in trauma-informed practices, culturally-informed practices, and psychological safety.
Our work is designed to create safe, empowering spaces for learning, healing, and reconciliation. We invite participants into transformative experiences that honor the safety, dignity, and belonging of all.
OUR SERVICES
We provide creative solutions to issues in your specific context
WORKSHOPS
Interactive sessions tailored to build trauma-informed, culturally grounded skills to support your team in navigating conflict with dignity and care.
CONSULTING
Expert advice to help your organization navigate sensitive issues, create safe spaces, and implement trauma-informed policies and practices
COACHING
Personalized guidance to build skills, confidence and trauma-informed practices – ideal for leaders and professionals seeking growth and meaningful impact
COURSES
On-demand, self-paced courses offering practical guidance to create safe, respectful, and trauma-informed organizational cultures.
Birth of Gwizhii Institute
“Gwizhii” means wisdom in Teetlit Gwich’in.
In Gwich’in culture, wisdom is not passed down in one direction — it’s a shared experience of learning, understanding, and community.
The Gwizhii Institute was founded by Karen Snowshoe (K.C.) to carry forward the legacy of her Jijuu (grandmother), Louisa Snowshoe, whose strength, resilience, and teachings continue to guide this work.
Rooted in Indigenous knowledge and lived experience, Gwizhii embodies the wisdom of healing, dignity, and reconciliation — creating space for learning that honours both heart and mind.
The Gwizhii logo reflects Karen’s Western Arctic roots: the Snowy Owl representing wisdom and the Midnight Sun representing new beginnings.
OUR FOUNDER & LEAD
Karen Snowshoe K.C. is an award-winning leader with 30+ years of experience in trauma-informed practice and culturally-informed dispute resolution processes.
A sought-after speaker and educator, Karen continues to inspire individuals, teams, and organizations in the areas of Indigenous reconciliation, transformative learning, and dispute resolution.
Karen continues to be a trusted leader by tribunals, various levels of government, regulatory bodies, unions, First Nations, educational institutions, professional associations, not-for-profit organizations, corporations, and health authorities.
What our clients say
Organizations across Canada trust Gwizhii Institute of Learning to strengthen their capacity for trauma-informed practice and reconciliation.
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While I have received treatment for trauma through personal counseling, this workshop provided me with a framework through which I am better able to understand the impact of trauma on myself and others, feel better prepared to navigate this landscape compassionately and less likely to be overwhelmed.
""By offering trauma training through the lens of her Indigenous experience of intergenerational trauma, Karen offers a path of possibility for everyone feeling blocked by the trauma in their own lives, or in the lives of people they work with."
Barbara Findlay K.C. -Lawyer
"The workshop was the perfect balance of storytelling, theory and practical knowledge. I wanted to express my thanks and gratitude for the Trauma-Informed Practice sessions."
Rajpal K. -Human Resources
"The workshop was powerful. I found Karen's storytelling moving and transformative. The workshop grounded Trauma-Informed practices in real-life experiences with practical tools to carry it forward."