August 13, 2025

Victoria News reports that the Greater Victoria School District (SD 61) is considering a new electoral model based on municipal and First Nations boundaries. The new model was created by a taskforce that formed at the request of the Township of Esquimalt with an aim of building stronger relationships and reconciliation within SD 61. The proposed model would create seven trustee electoral areas: one each from Esquimalt Nation, Songhees Nation, Esquimalt, Oak Bay, and View Royal and Highlands; as well as two each from Saanich and Victoria. At an upcoming session, representatives from each of the regions and the school district will share further details with the public. “It’s encouraging to see real steps being taken to make space for Indigenous voices in decisions that shape our kids’ education and futures,” said Esquimalt Nation Chief Jerome Thomas. “This kind of collaboration shows what’s possible when we all come to the table with respect and open minds.”

A group of 20 Indigenous youth from across Canada have set sail on a voyage aboard the Polar Prince (Oqwatnukewey Eleke’wi’ji’jit), which will take them along the coast of Newfoundland as part of the Indigenous Co-created Geo School. CBC reports that the students taking part in this voyage hail from the Miawpukek First Nation, Qalipu First Nation, and Nunavut. The students will travel to the south coast of Newfoundland, stopping near the Conne River to deploy a smart buoy that will be used for data collection and then taking part in cultural activities in the community. Along their four-day journey, they will have the opportunity to learn from researchers from Memorial University’s Marine Institute. “I genuinely love the natural world around me, so I thought that this would be an amazing experience to just meet people like me and experience the world together,” said student sailor Sarah Doucette. The Indigenous Co-created Geo School is operated through a partnership between Memorial Marine Institute, Miawpukek Horizon, Audubon, Canadian Geographic, Cornell University Bioachoustics, and Ocean Networks Canada.

Three elementary schools in the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board (PVNC) recently took part in the Reconciling with the Land initiative. The initiative brought together Camp Kawartha, GreenUP, and knowledge holders from Curve Lake First Nation to reshape and rewild the schoolyards of Curve Lake First Nation School, St John Catholic Elementary School, and St Paul Catholic Elementary School. As part of this project, students learned about the living world through the lens of two-eyed seeing and helped to co-design the new grounds. Kawartha NOW reports that the project helps students develop a sense of agency in the face of eco-anxiety by learning how to transform paved spaces into vibrant ecosystems that are rich with life. The resulting grounds also serve as places to revitalize Anishinaabemowin as students learn the words used for the living world around them.

The Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre recently hosted a Sprouting Ceremony to mark the beginning of work on its new Wije’winen centre. The friendship centre serves as a central hub for urban Indigenous people in Halifax, delivering early childhood education, employment supports, and other key programs and services. With the Wije’winen centre, the friendship centre will be able to grow its essential services through a health centre, an education department, and an outdoor gathering space for ceremony. The ceremony saw a birch tree and an ash tree planted at the new site to represent the roots of the tree holding people together. “In Mi’kmaw, Wije’winen means ‘come with us’—an open invitation that reflects the heart of everything we do at the Centre,” said Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre Executive Director Pam Glode Desrochers. “As we move into this next phase of constructing our new Wije’winen Centre we keep this spirit of welcome and inclusion at the forefront of our work.” The centre is expected to open in Summer 2027.

Algoma University’s Arthur A Wishart Library recently was transformed into a living library through an event called Human Library: Unjudge Someone. This event was hosted as a part of the university’s commitment to truth, reconciliation, and experiential learning. It brought together students, staff, faculty, Elders, and residential school survivors for a unique experience where participants (the “readers”) sat with the volunteers (the “books”) and listened to their stories. “I love talking to people and informing them that what I’m saying is the true history of Canada, even though it was very tragic,” said Elder and Shingwauk Survivor Dolly (Sharon) Syrette. AlgomaU Library Access Services Coordinator Megan Jones-McLeod explained that the event helped connect participants with their shared humanity.

Eeyou/Eenou midwives who complete the Eeyou Istchee Pimaatisiiwin Chiskutimaachawin (EIPC) midwifery training program in northern Québec are now able to train and work in their own communities, thanks to a provincial regulation change earlier this year. The Government of Québec amended its regulations to enable participants in Indigenous community-based training programs to do the work of licensed midwives, without needing to travel to complete their certification. “The law basically controls who can and who cannot do what are called ‘reserved acts,’” said EIPC head Jasmine Châtelain. “But that law excluded Indigenous people learning midwifery in community-based programs, even though it was written after Indigenous midwifery education programs started.” Midwifery training Shannon Chiskamish described the many benefits she has seen come from the community training program. “I think it helps with trust and cultural safety,” said Chiskamish, noting that parents who may have generational trauma can receive support in their own community and in the Cree language. She also pointed to the return of cultural birth practices and traditions.

The University of Manitoba’s Physical Therapy program held an Indigenous welcoming ceremony for students, faculty, and staff. The ceremony was attended by over 100 first-year and second-year students. It included a pipe ceremony led by Elder Charlotte Nolin and Knowledge Keeper George Muswaggon, a water ceremony led by Ongomiizwin – Education Director Chantal Daniels, a smudge, and an opportunity for students to give a tobacco offering. “I thought the ceremony was great. I really like what the Knowledge Keeper said about how fast-paced this campus can be and it’s always good to take a step back and reflect on our upbringings and what got us here,” said Student Calvin Reimer, who volunteered to assist with the water ceremony. UManitoba Physical Therapy Department Head Dr Mark Garrett stated that the plan is to make the welcoming ceremony a permanent part of student orientation for the program.

Students from Concordia University’s Space Concordia Rocketry Division and the Cree community of Mistissini are launching a liquid-fueled rocket into space. The rocket—named Starsailor and adorned with Cree syllabics in honour of Chikabesh—will be launched from the plane landing strip of a now-defunct mining company. Global News reports that 700 students have contributed to the project, building many parts in Concordia’s makerspace. If the launch is successful, it will be the first space launch from Canada in more than 25 years, and the first led by students. “For me, it’s an exciting opportunity for our community to be a part of something this historic,” said Mistissini council member Pamela MacLeod. “Some of our legends around this Chikabesh[, …] we’ve heard these growing up. To link it to this project, I think [it’s] important for our community.”

Six Nations Polytechnic has received a letter of support from the Six Nations of the Grand River (SNGR) Elected Council, enabling the institution to participate in Indigenous Services Canada’s funding application process. SNP Director of Advancement Matt Ferlin appeared before the council to formally request the letter of support. Ferlin explained that Indigenous Services Canada expected that Indigenous and educational organizations to signal their interest and needs in a survey and submit a letter of support from the First Nations communities that they represent. Councillor Audrey Powless-Bomberry noted that the council has also submitted an application for funds to support lifelong learning in the community.

The results of a project into the experiences of women from the First Nations reserve of Mashteuiatsh, led by Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) Professor Stéphane Guimont Marceau, are being shared through an exhibition at the Maison du développement durable de Montréal this month. The exhibition draws on testimonies and art to share contemporary Indigenous realities and highlight the historical roots of many current issues. INRS doctoral student Naomie Léonard shared that the project stemmed from her doctoral research and expressed her delight that the opportunities for meeting and sharing created by the project will continue to grow. The exhibition is accompanied by a podcast that was released earlier this summer.