Champlain College Saint-Lambert’s English department recently offered its first Indigenous Literature class thanks to the contributions of the Kanien’kéhá:ka community of Kahnawà:ke. The class included a collaboration between Indigenous Pedagogy Consultant Diane Labelle, Indigenous Student Life Counsellor Jennifer Kanerahtorónkwas Paul, and instructor Emma Gerlach. Nearly a dozen members of the Kanien’kéhá:ka community were guest speakers for the class and shared their stories, experiences, and knowledge. Guest speakers spoke on a variety of topics, including sovereignty, the creation story, land expropriation, and the Oka Crisis. The wider Champlain community was invited to attend the events to learn alongside students in the class. “It’s not a class that can be recreated,” reflected Gerlach, who emphasized how the contributions of Paul and the guest speakers were essential to the unique learning experience offered by the course.
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