Participants at Fire Prevention: Be A Firefighter workshop, GOV 2017, Kelowna Fire Department. Kelowna, BC.
The First Nations Emergency Services Society of BC (FNESS) has the mission as a professional community-minded, highly skilled and committed team, to work with First Nations in promoting, developing and sustaining safer and healthier communities. We believe that our youth are the future of society and that if young people engage in doing something with a purpose, they will build tomorrow’s communities.
FNESS is proud to be involved with youth with the well-established FNESS Youth Engagement Initiative. Every year the FNESS Fire Services department motivates youth to learn about practical fire safety knowledge, firefighter skills and careers in the fire services. Many young people join the Regional FNESS Fire Prevention Youth Boot Camps and the Fire Prevention: Be A Firefighter workshop. The latter is delivered in partnership with Gathering Our Voices Indigenous Youth Leadership Training (GOV).
For the past 2 years FNESS has partnered with schools, school districts, local fire departments, both municipal and First Nations led, to deliver this amazing event to First Nations youth. In 2017 FNESS had the honour to partner with Kelowna Fire Department to participate as facilitators at GOV, where over 100 youth attended and demonstrated their drive and excitement. Also, FNESS partnered with Penticton Indian Band Fire Department, Penticton Fire Department, West Kelowna Fire Department, and School Districts 23 and 67 to host two regional Fire Prevention Youth Boot Camps.
During GOV 2018 FNESS will be attending as an exhibitor at the career fair and as facilitators to deliver the most coveted Fire Prevention: Be A Firefighter workshop. FNESS has partnered with Richmond Fire Rescue to offer the best experience for our First Nations youth participating at the GOV 2018. It is an honour to be able to be part of one the greatest youth initiatives in BC, where thousands of delegates from all First Nations across BC come together to get inspired and motivated through diverse career oriented workshops at the GOV.
This year’s GOV is in Richmond, BC at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel from March 20th to March 23rd. The Fire Prevention: Be A Firefighter workshop will be on March 21st and March 22nd. Make sure you register for our workshop before it’s at capacity. Registrations open in February at www.gatheringourvoices.ca.
New courses offered at North Island College’s Campbell River and Port Alberni campuses aim to feed a booming Vancouver Island film industry hungry for off-screen talent.
NIC is accepting applications for the new television and film crew training program, which starts in October.
It launches as Vancouver Island and BC’s local film industries are roaring. An estimated $2 billion was spent on film production in 2015 alone, creating 25,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Nanaimo, Parksville, Qualicum Beach and Nanoose residents have seen their communities buzzing with activity during filming of Hallmark Channel’s TV series Chesapeake Shores for the past two years.
Joan Miller, commissioner of the Vancouver Island North Film Commission (INfilm), said NIC’s decision to offer the courses comes at a time when the local film industry needs qualified crew to attract productions like Chesapeake Shores.
“We have so many productions that want to film here,” Miller said.
But a shortage of local, trained crew “has been a barrier for years” to bringing more film and television production to the north Island, due to the additional costs of bringing crew from elsewhere to local sets, Miller said.
The pilot program includes four separate training courses, including training to set up lighting and camera equipment, build and design sets and work as a production assistant.
The province announced almost $500,000 in funding to develop the courses in March. NIC also relied on help and expertise from INfilm, which provides liaison and location services to film, television, commercial and media companies filming in communities from Nanaimo northwards.
INfilm consulted with industry partners and urged the province to provide funding for the courses, pitching the idea as a way to invest in local tradespeople.
“This opens up a whole new avenue to find work,” Miller said.
“It’s also going to supply students with a few key certifications they need to get on set including the Motion Picture Industry Orientation ticket,” Miller added.
“NIC is very pleased to be working with our regional film commissioner and industry to develop customized, applied short term training aligned with film and television productions,” said Cheryl O’Connell, NIC’s dean of trades and technical programs. “The fact that these courses are being offered in response to industry demand is very significant to the region.”
There are still vacancies in the program, but prospective students are urged to get their applications in before Sept. 15.
Anyone interested in applying for a course in the training program can request an application package at filmtraining@nic.bc.ca.
As the weeks draw closer to the first day of class at universities and colleges across the country, we look at services provided to Aboriginal students. I had the chance to connect with Sarah Noel, the communication officer/recruitment and communications for the University of Sudbury, and she shared information on the assistance provided by their institution.
University of Sudbury-Aboriginal Centre
“The are many services the University of Sudbury provides Aboriginal students offering cultural, academic and individual support. Such services include the department of Indigenous Studies; a lounge for Indigenous students; access to Traditional Resource People; and a student group called Indigenous Student Circle, to name a few,” Noel said.
Noel said as members of the Laurentian Federation, students can access services offered by the Indigenous Student Affairs office as well as the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Center located at Laurentian University. Programs and courses are also offered by the University of Sudbury directly onsite or via video-conferencing in the communities of the James Bay Coast, which include Moose Factory, Attawapiskat, Fort Albany and Kashechewan.
“The University of Sudbury is dedicated to making education financially accessible by providing numerous scholarships, bursaries and awards to their students. Among the financial aid available is bursaries, scholarships and awards specifically for Indigenous students,” said Noel.
The unveiling of the University of Sudbury’s arbor, Nishnaabe-gkendaaswin Teg (where Indigenous Knowledge is), will take place on Thursday, September 14, which is soon after classes resume. Noel said Nishnaabe-gkendaaswin Teg will be a place to sit with your ancestors, seek the wisdom of elders, receive teachings and explore your place within creation and share in peace, understanding and thoughtful contemplation. The arbor will be available for class time, workshops, ceremonies, teachings and other gatherings.
I asked Noel if she thought these kind of services for Aboriginal students helped them with their studies in terms of giving a sense of belonging, to inspiring them to achieve their program goals.
“Yes, these kinds of services definitely help in giving Indigenous students a sense of belonging. The University of Sudbury provides a safe, inclusive, supportive and nurturing academic environment that allows students to reach their goals,” said Noel.
Noel added she definitely feels Aboriginal Centres are a welcoming place that provides guidance and supports for student success on both a personal and academic level.
“Providing an atmosphere of identity, a place of belonging and being connected with one another eases the transition between home, community and school, and significantly enhances Indigenous culture and way-of-life,” said Noel.
As a former student of Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, I would most definitely agree with Noel that Aboriginal Centres gives students a sense of belonging and encouragement. When I attended Grant MacEwan from 1999 to 2002, I completed the Native Communications Program, aka, NCP, and the Journalism Diploma Program.
Relying on the Aboriginal Centre as a place to go and study, chat with other students and counsellors and experience positive vibes, and sometimes gain inspiration, I remember on many occasions chatting with then Grant MacEwan University Aboriginal Centre counsellor Jane Woodward, who was a great person to speak with and always had encouraging words, making it easier to finish that next assignment.
I have spoken with many former students and they all agree post-secondary institutions need both Aboriginal Centres and their services. In our next issue we’ll look at new programs that are in development, like Alberta announcing a $665,000 grant to train Indigenous language teachers.
Academic requirement for Indigenous course content and new lecture series featuring Indigenous leaders also among key recommendations approved by University Senate
Trent University announced a significant addition to its 48-year history instilling Indigenous reconciliation in the institution’s everyday work with the approval of 11 key recommendations, among them the naming of the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies.
Coinciding with National Aboriginal Day on June 21, the announcement of the newly-named School was among a substantial series of recommendations, furthering Trent’s leadership in Indigenous reconciliation and education. The recommendations include an innovative lecture-talk series that will bring prominent Indigenous leaders to the University to speak on Indigenous issues, and a new academic requirement for all undergraduate students to successfully complete at least 0.5 credits from an approved list of courses with Indigenous content. With this recommendation, Trent becomes only the third university in Canada to institute mandatory Indigenous course content.
“The naming of the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies and the implementation of the associated recommendations are a milestone in the evolution of Indigenous Studies at Trent. We aim to educate indigenous and non-indigenous students about Indigenous history, traditions, cultures, and ways of knowing,” said Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University. “National Aboriginal Day is a good day to celebrate these initiatives, but we are striving to make Indigenous reconciliation part of our everyday work and consciousness.”
The naming of the new School honours the life and history of Chanie Wenjack, a young Anishinaabe boy who died in his attempt to escape residential school in 1966. The Chanie Wenjack School of Indigenous Studies brings together Trent’s undergraduate, master’s and Ph.D. programs under one School and unites various events, initiatives and spaces dedicated to Indigenous perspectives, knowledge and culture at the University. Prior to the launch of the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, Trent University paid tribute to Chanie and other residential school victims and survivors when Wenjack Theatre, the largest lecture hall on campus, was named in his honour in 1973.
“This is the latest effort in Trent’s well-known 48-year record of Indigenous reconciliation,” said David Newhouse, director of the School, and chair of Indigenous Studies at Trent. “We will continue to honour the life of Chanie Wenjack and recognize the impact that residential schools had on Indigenous peoples through the work that we plan to undertake at Trent. Our goal at the Chanie Wenjack School of Indigenous Studies is to constantly advance the knowledge of and about Indigenous peoples with a view to the overall improvement of quality of life and to contribute to the creation of places of respect, dignity and power for Indigenous peoples.”
Additional initiatives listed among the recommendations approved by the University’s Senate include:
Launch of new Indigenous Research Centre – uniting researchers across the University who share an interest in Indigenous issues;
Redesign of Native Studies Reading Room into Centre for Indigenous Learning –housed in the newly renovated Bata Library in fall 2018, his new space will feature a display of significant documents, including the Williams Treaty and other Indigenous documents that are significant to the history of the territory on which Trent is located;
Creation of Indigenous Knowledges & Pedagogies Working Group – within the Centre for Teaching and Learning, this group will assist faculty in the design, or review and redesign of courses, and in the creation of new course offerings;
Establishment of a permanent sub-committee of Undergraduate Studies Committee (USC) to recommend and periodically review courses on the Approved Indigenous Course list; and
Review of Research Office portfolio and operations with aim of developing and/or adjusting current policies to raise awareness of, and respect for, Indigenous people.
“These approved recommendations help set the way forward for the next phase of Trent’s work on Indigenous reconciliation,” said Dr. Jacqueline Muldoon, provost and vice-president Academic at Trent. “Over the course of the University’s first half century, our focus was centred on the development of Indigenous programming. Looking ahead, our goals are to ensure that our foundation supporting Indigenous reconciliation remains strong and that we extend it to encompass key institutional sites and processes so that reconciliation becomes fully engrained into our everyday work as a university.”
Trent’s leadership in Indigenous Studies dates back to 1969 when the University became the first in Canada, and only the second in North America, to establish an academic department dedicated to the study of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous knowledges. Trent was the first university in Canada to create unique Indigenous spaces, hire Indigenous student support staff, recruit and admit Indigenous students through special entry programs, and to teach Indigenous languages and Indigenous Knowledge with elders and traditional peoples. A full timeline of the University’s history of leadership in Indigenous education can be viewed at the new website for the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies at trentu.ca/indigenous.
About Chanie Wenjack
Chanie Wenjack was a young Anishinaabe boy from Ogoki Post in Marten Falls in Northern Ontario, Canada. He attended Celia Jeffrey Indian Residential School near Kenora, Ontario. The school was run by the Women’s Society of the Presbyterian Church. Chanie attended the school for two years and ran away on Oct 16, 1966. He was headed home when he died of exposure on October 23, 1966 on the railway tracks near Redditt, Ontario, the home of his uncle.
About Trent University
One of Canada’s top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that’s personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Trent’s unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than
ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent’s students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent’s Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham – Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
The land on which Trent University is located is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe Mississauga adjacent to Haudenosaunee Territory and in the territory covered by Treaty 20 and the Williams Treaties.
Depending on how one looks at it, patience is either a rewarding virtue or the procrastinator’s guide to failure. Many have excelled thanks to deliberate thought. However, there has been equal success gained by those who don’t just wait around for good things to happen.
Take Regan Gamble, for example. Contrary to her surname, the 40-year-old was leaving nothing to chance when she arrived in Edmonton looking for career options in the fall of 2015. That’s why one of the first places she visited was the Alberta Aboriginal Construction Career Centre (AACCC) at NorQuest College. “I knew that there were organizations out there that could help me,” says Gamble, a member of the Beardy’s & Okemasis First Nation in Saskatchewan. “I just needed to get out there and find them. Once I heard about the Alberta Aboriginal Construction Career Centre, I was completely drawn to it.”
Another good part to this story is Gamble is now working full-time as an engagement advisor with Edmonton’s Women Building Futures (WBF). WBF is one of this province’s leading educational institutions preparing women for work in trade industries like electrician, carpenter, Class I Driver, and other heavy equipment operators. WBF has a record of career success for women within these industries at a consistent employment rate of 90 per cent.
But before that happened, Gamble needed help in her new city. Initially, she thought of going into the safety side of the construction industry so she used Alberta Aboriginal Construction Career Centre (AACCC), services to help earn safety tickets through the Alberta Construction Safety Association.
Through it all she was given emotional support by AACCC staff as a newcomer to Edmonton, provided with help to find information for things like funding, was given assistance with writing resumes and cover letters, and offered a treasure trove of contacts of employers and other helpful services. “I got everything I needed. The centre completely catered to my needs,” said Gamble. Which brings us back to the now. Feeling confident thanks to the AACCC’s support, and using one of her many provided contacts, she reached out to WBF to see if there was any way she could help. In the end, following an extensive interview, a way was discovered.
Seeing her tenacity and determination, WBF recognized Gamble would be a valuable asset when it came to attracting other Indigenous women to the trades. So today, because she reached out and asked for help, because she utilized the training and services the AACCC provides, and because she promoted her existing and new talents with confidence, Gamble has more than a job – she has a career.
UBC Faculty of Medicine’s Aboriginal Admissions Program 2017 graduates. Alex Sheppard, back row center, James Andrews, right of center back row. Photo credit: Kevin Ward
The University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine Aboriginal Admissions program is on track to graduate over 100 med students by 2020 says, James Andrews, University of British Columbia (UBC), Aboriginal Student Initiatives Coordinator. “This year is our 15 year anniversary for the program, and as of May 2017, with seven new med students graduating, we have reached 71 Aboriginal graduates,” Andrews said.
Interest in the program has grown since it began in 2002, the year they received seven applicants, of which two were admitted. Designed to increase the number of Aboriginal medical students and physicians in British Columbia, the program now averages 20 to 25 applicants per year.
Academic success of Aboriginal students is contingent upon early educational engagement. Programs such as the pre-admissions workshop (conducted by the Division of Aboriginal People’s Health) introduce science and medical career role-models to young Aboriginal students where academic success is fostered by early engagement and recruitment. Aboriginal MD students also serve as mentors to applicants in the pre-admissions stage and forge strong relationships and a system of peer support.
Andrews explained many individuals praise the Aboriginal medical program and hope it continues to thrive. “My response is, we still have decades to go and we need at least 300 Aboriginal physicians in B.C. in order to make an impact on our Aboriginal people’s health; we aren’t even a quarter of the way there yet. In Canada we need 3,000 Aboriginal physicians, but the best guestimate is 300 and our work isn’t close to being done,” said Andrews.
About 60 per cent of the program’s Aboriginal graduates have trained and are training to become family doctors, while the remaining graduates are in surgical specialties and other specialties like psychiatry. Aboriginal med graduates are choosing to practice medicine in the community, such as one graduate who is now a family doctor with a practice in Vancouver’s Lumar Housing complex.
As graduates help meet the need of more family doctors in B.C. and throughout Canada, the program continues to improve its curriculum in Aboriginal health. Alex Sheppard, Cree and Metis from Alberta, and one of the seven graduates this year, said she would definitely recommend the UBC Aboriginal Medical program to Aboriginal students interested in pursuing a career in medicine.
“I think they are a leader in Canada for Aboriginal medical education with a separate Aboriginal admissions process and support for Aboriginal students during our four years of training,” Sheppard said. “All of the Aboriginal medical students also had the opportunity to take part in an Aboriginal orientation week before first year started, where we all got to know each other and take part in a number of cultural activities. We also had yearly Aboriginal retreats that allowed us to stay connected to one another and to our heritage.”
Sheppard plans to move to Newfoundland for two years for a residency in family medicine. She is in a program called NunaFam, which involves spending six months of second year training in Iqaluit. “I’m really looking forward to being immersed in rural generalist medicine and to further cultivate my interest in Aboriginal Health,” said Sheppard.
Sheppard said there are a number of health disparities facing Aboriginal communities across Canada today and she thinks, in general, there is a lot of room for improvement in how they deliver healthcare to the unique Aboriginal populations. “As a general practitioner, I hope to be able to work in these communities and have some opportunity to make changes on a systemic level,” said Sheppard.
During her time in medicine, Sheppard said she has been lucky enough to meet amazing Aboriginal residents and doctors who’ve taught her a great deal and inspire her every day. “I know what I have learned from them will inform my practice for many years to come,” said Sheppard.
I asked the UBC Aboriginal Student Initiatives Coordinator what students interested in gaining admittance into the Aboriginal Medical Program need to do to qualify. “Because the Undergraduate MD program is a professional degree, we require students to excel in their academic and non-academic endeavors,” Andrews said. “Academically, they should have strong marks, grades, and a relatively good MCAT score (Medical College Admissions Test). Non-academically, students should have demonstrated they can work with people through their volunteer and or work experiences.”
Danette Burden is a carpentry teacher at SIIT, her background showing a distinct penchant for carpentry. In her own words, she’s “… a red seal /Journeyman Carpenter. I pursued my career as a carpenter in 2006 when I had taken a pre-employment carpentry course in Outlook, Saskatchewan that was offered through SIAST. It offered the Level 1 and Level 2 technical training, and a 2-week work practicum. I worked with a couple well-known companies in the 4-years, and was able to get my ticket in 2011. Prior to my schooling with SIAST, I had a computer business diploma, and had most of my high school. I ended up working with SIIT IN 2014 when I had seen an ad for a women in trades instructor posted online. I have always wanted to do something to help make a difference within the indigenous community. I was able to see 11 women graduate a CWP course. A few of them are still working on the trade as a carpenter, and are pursuing their career as a carpenter.”
Burden was born and raised in Edmonton.
“I moved my young family of 4 boys to Saskatchewan in 2005,” she recounts. “We have made Saskatchewan our home. I am a carpenter instructor teaching apprenticeship courses. I have taught Level 1, Level 2, and at the moment I am teaching a Level 3 class. I have also taught a women in trades CWP course in Montréal Lake (2014), a CWP–RRAC program in Mistiwasis (2014), and a steel stud drywall course. I have been employed with SIIT on and off since 2014, where I taught courses. As of September 2016, I was hired as the apprenticeship instructor.”
Finding the right career is never easy, but carpentry had been a natural calling for Burden, and teaching was the perfect move.
“I love teaching and feel I have found my career. Being able to use my skills and knowledge to help others on the path of their careers is very rewarding as an instructor. I feel I am making a difference,” beams Burden. “To see the accomplishment on my students faces when they complete a project, completing a course, or passing a level is very rewarding. I know I have done what I could as an instructor.”
Not only is she happy with her career choice, Saskatchewan has been the right move.
“The post-secondary education for Indigenous students in Saskatchewan is amazing,” affirms Burden. “Being from a large city like Edmonton, and as an Indigenous women, I wish we had as much opportunity as there is here in Saskatchewan. My personal goal is to continue working with Indigenous people and helping better their lives, working towards building their future. By doing what I love doing, it continues to allow my own children to see the importance of helping others.”
Marci Lyon teaches heavy equipment operation at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology. She has dealt with unusual circumstances in her life, but has always managed to triumph in situations that might have prevented someone with less survival instincts. She was born in northern Saskatchewan.
“My family on both my mother’s side and father’s side are all integrated in the construction industry, from drilling, mining, road building, cooking in camps, etc. It’s in my blood and desire to become involved one way or another,” asserts Lyon. “One day my mother had become ill. Her heart was troubling her, and she asked if I’d come to cook in the camp with her up near Sandy Bay. After 18 hours a day working weeks alongside her, cooking and preparing meals for up to 75-150 men, I realized I wanted to be on the other side of the buffet table. These men were working only 12 hours a day, and were paid three times more than my mother and I.”
Lyon’s moved on, taking up part time jobs while trying to find employment in order to start a career. “Now after praying, I landed a permanent full-time job, and take small semi-driving jobs like hauling up north, or driving across country. I continued to apply myself to jobs and careers that suited my skills and knowledge.”
She began teaching Essential Life Skills, and eventually she did find a job. It worked out for several years, but eventually Lyon’s was tempted by a more promising offer. A job at SIIT, which she thought she would never get.
“But I applied anyway, and got the dream job I never expected. Now I’m in a position where I help guide, mentor, encourage, empower, and inspire others to do whatever they dream and pray for. My position with SIIT construction careers here in Prince Albert gives me the ability to help others every day.”
Lyon’s experience in teaching, not only in heavy equipment, but also in essential life skills, has given her a reason to feel she has made a change. When asked what her personal goals are, she humbly replied, “My personal goals and dreams came true with the help of our creator as he guides us in all four directions. My children, Jonathan (26) and Christopher (23), my grandson, Liam (3), and my retirement shack at Denare Beach, Saskatechewan, awaits me. Til then, I have planted my seeds here at SIIT, and my roots are growing deep and strong.”
Lyon’s has no regrets, she loves her work and believes her decision to teach at SIIT was the true turning point in her career. “After having the opportunity to teach essential life skills to various groups (up to 25 students) throughout the industry in the central and western provinces, I was notified about an opportunity to teach for SIIT in 2014. I’ve never taught on a scale this large, it seemed. At the time, I was working in partnership with the city of Saskatoon as the city engineer, clearing and making the land ready for a new residential area. I was also the first female H.E.O. instructor for both SIIT and city of Saskatoon. On such a scale, the privilege was so uncomprehensive. To teach in an environment where everyone wants each, and every student to shine, engage, inspire, empower, and achieve was their motto! I was in awe in a surrounding filled with all the people and things I’ve been loving to do my entire life. Above and beyond my wildest dreams. Now it’s time to prove to others that they can do what ‘‘ve done with the backing, knowledge, and empowerment from the huge province wide institution of SIIT.”
At Camosun College, the Eye? Sq’lewen Centre for Indigenous Education & Community Connections believes fully in the value of wholistic education. Students are not just there to take classes and complete assignments; a good education includes strengthening and upholding one’s own mind, heart, body and spirit. Most of the time, the Eye? Sq’lewen Centre focusses on students at Camosun and the local communities we serve. Once every few years, however, we turn our focus to the Indigenous education world at large, and open our doors to other educators. This is the spirit of the upcoming S’TENISTOLW Adult Indigenous Education Conference, which will be held on Lkwungen and WSÁNEC territories, in Victoria, BC, from August 23-25, 2017.
S’TENISTOLW is a SENCOTEN term referencing the concept of ‘moving forward’. This conference will focus on both the “doing” and “being” of Indigenous education. “Doing” involves teaching methods and the day-to-day practices of Indigenous educators in classrooms. The themes around “doing” for this conference are Land and Community-Based Experiential Learning, as well as Supporting Learner Engagement. “Being” involves relationships and connections between educators, communities, students, cultures and lands. The conference themes for “being” are Practicing Indigenization and Strengthening Alliances.
Adult Indigenous educators, allied educators, scholars, students, Elders and other knowledge keepers from across Turtle Island and beyond are invited to join us. Together we will spend one day at the Songhees Wellness Centre for the cultural pre-conference, in partnership with the local Songhees Nation. Activities will include a community tour, canoeing, introduction to the language, plant identification and a sweatlodge ceremony. We will complete day one with a welcome dinner with Keynote Dr. Gregory Cajete, a Tewa educator and author.
Conference sessions will begin on the second day at the Lansdowne campus of Camosun
College. In addition to Dr. Gregory Cajete, we are excited to have Indigenous relations from afar join us as keynote speakers. Linda Tuhiwai Smith, a Maori educator and author, and her husband Graham Hingangaroa Smith, also a Maori educator and Indigenous education advocate will travel from New Zealand to speak.
Get to know the breathtakingly beautiful lands of the Lkwungen and WSÁNEC peoples. Make new connections with Indigenous educators, scholars, students and Elders from across the world. Join us in an experience designed to enrich Indigenous adult educators, and uphold Indigenous education as a wholistic practice at S’TENISTOLW 2017.
Early bird registration for conference attendees is open until February 28, 2017. Regular registration is open until June 30, 2017. We also invite people and organizations to submit proposals for workshops and panel discussion that fit into our themes.
Proposals are due on January 31, 2017 at 5pm PST.
Please visit www.camosun.ca/stenistolw for registration, proposal submission, and more information on the conference.
