Tanika Norquay has been named as the recipient of the 2024 Metigoshe Ministries Director’s Reflection Award. Tanika lives in Dunseith ND and worships regularly at Metigoshe Lutheran Church. She has been involved in the mission and ministry of Metigoshe since she was a young camper, with an introduction to camp through our Building Bridges Ojibwa Week programming. After many years as a camper, Tanika joined our summer camp staff for the first time in 2015. She served in various roles as a counselor and multiple years on our programmatic leadership staff.

Tanika worked for six summers on our camp staff, but has also come back to work and volunteer in various capacities over the years since then, too. Tanika has helped to ensure that our camp kitchen is running smoothly when we have needed extra hands cooking – and has provided support at the Christian Center as well. During the school year, she has been an important part of our Metigoshe in Motion program: helping to run programs that bring the gifts of camp to area churches. She was also instrumental in helping us to launch a school year component to our Ojibwa Week programming.

Tanika has been a key person in ensuring the continued strength of our Building Bridges Ojibwa Week programming. She not only has continued to serve as one of our program coordinators for this important summer camp program each year, but she has also helped us to build relationships in a way that has brought nearly a dozen former campers to continue their connection to camp as summer staff in recent years. It would not be an exaggeration to say that over the past thirteen years, Tanika has helped to introduce nearly a thousand new campers to the love of God in Christ Jesus through the ministry of Camp Metigoshe. She is tireless in her advocacy and support of youth – not just during the months of summer camp, but all year long. Through her volunteering – both formally and informally – in Dunseith and the surrounding housing communities and towns, youth of all ages know they have an advocate and support from Auntie Tanika!

The Director’s Reflection Award plaque that hangs in the Christian Center says that it is given “to those individuals who have extraordinarily influenced this ministry to the glory of God.” Tanika: thank you for all you have done, and continue to do, in support of our mission.

Tanika: thank you for all you have done, and continue to do, in support of our mission.