July 10, 2024

The Peepeekisis Pesakastew School in Peepeekisis Cree Nation has received $2.5M in federal funding for green retrofits. The school will use the funds to undertake upgrades such as the replacement of light fixtures, windows, and skylights, as well as the installation of photovoltaic panels which will increase energy efficiency and allow the school to be used as a safe shelter during power outages. “[I]ncreasing our knowledge of ways to hold our community accountable to the environment has never been as important as it is now,” said Peepeekisis Pesakastew School Principal David Still. “Applying this green project to our school will teach our younger generations that we all have to share the responsibility of taking care of Mother Earth.”

Two postsecondary schools recently shared Indigenous films involving their alumni or students. Six Nations Polytechnic hosted a private film screening of Fancy Dance, which was directed by SNP alumni Odewayę́:sta’ Erica Tremblay. “I wrote much of the film in the student lounge at Six Nations Polytechnic during my Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ immersion program,” said Tremblay. “Getting to share this work with community means everything.” The University of Manitoba shared that an Ojibwe version of Star Wars: A New Hope—created through a partnership involving UManitoba, Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council, Disney-Lucasfilm, and APTN—will premiere in Winnipeg on August 8th. Several members of UManitoba’s community were involved in the project: UManitoba Assistant Professor Cary Miller served as one of the project leads, UManitoba Assistant Professor Patrician Ningewance served as lead translator, and a group of UManitoba students shot behind-the-scenes footage and interviews.

A new program spearheaded by the Atlantic Ballet of Canada is giving new training opportunities to Indigenous high schoolers who are interested in dance. The Intercultural Indigenous Dance program—which Atlantic Ballet says is “deeply rooted in the worldviews, cultures and practice of Mi’kmaq and Wolastoq nations of the Wabanaki Confederacy”—aims to provide emerging Indigenous dancers with enhanced employment opportunities and expanded networks to help enhance their employment opportunities. Students in the two-year program will stay in their home communities while they are training and attend in-person sessions for one week each month. Program graduates receive high school credits and a diploma in dance, as well as the opportunity to network and train with professionals who will help them pursue dance professionally. “It was really important for me to see an opportunity for our youth that are coming up to be supported in a way that I wish I could have been supported,” said Atlantic Ballet Indigenous director Nipahtuwet Naka Wespahtuwet Possesom Paul. The program is supported by $400K from the federal government.

The University of Saskatchewan and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami have signed an agreement to support the creation of a secure process for verifying Inuit enrolment status for Indigenous-specific university opportunities and jobs. Under this partnership, USask and ITK will work together to ensure that work, study, research, and procurement opportunities intended for Inuit are provided solely to Inuit. ITK will serve as a liaison between USask and Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Makkivik, and the Nunatsiavut Government. “This agreement is truly about recognizing Inuit Treaty Organizations and their sovereign and inherent rights to determine their membership and who they claim,” said USask Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement Dr Angela Jaime. “It is our job at the university to make sure that the space for Indigenous people is held for Indigenous people.”

Red River College Polytechnic has launched an Indigenous entrepreneurship acceleration and incubation initiative called Mittohnee Pogo’ohtah, which is Cree for “this is where you do it correctly.” This program will connect Indigenous graduates of the Social Innovation and Community Development program with the resources and expertise they need to start their own businesses. Established Indigenous entrepreneurs and band-operated businesses that are interested in pivoting, scaling up, or entering joint ventures will also be able to access the program for support. The initiative will include an entrepreneur-in-residence/mentorship program, acceleration services, dedicated spaces for meeting and incubation, and more. RRC Polytech has received $1.5M in federal funding and $773K in provincial funding to support the project.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has announced that the Newfoundland and Labrador Studies 2205 high school elective course will become a required course for students beginning high school in September 2027. The course will cover the province’s history, culture, and heritage. The NL Department of Education will begin consultations with Indigenous Governments and Organizations to ensure that the province’s Indigenous heritage is properly included. “The final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called on governments to ensure historical and contemporary contributions are part of changes in the curricula to accurately capture the perspective of Indigenous Peoples, said Minister of Labrador Affairs and Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation Lisa Dempster. “[R]evising the Newfoundland and Labrador Studies course is an important step towards advancing Reconciliation.”

The British Columbia Institute of Technology, Capilano University, and Squamish Líl̓wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create educational pathways for graduates of SLCC’s Indigenous Youth Ambassador program. Through the partnership, program graduates will receive credit for their work toward programs at BCIT and CapilanoU. “This recognizes their training certificates, their on-the-job work experience and their connection to knowledge keepers along their learning journey with us at the SLCC,” said SLCC Indigenous Youth Ambassador Manager Cheximiya Allison Burns Joseph. “Many graduates have continued their education following the completion of the program and this will ensure proper recognition for their efforts and hard work.”

A non-Indigenous woman who pled guilty to defrauding Inuit organizations of over $158K for her daughters’ education was sentenced to three years in prison by the Nunavut Court of Justice. In 2016, Karima Manji fraudulently obtained Inuit enrolment status for her daughters with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc (NTI), which in turn enabled them to obtain $158K in scholarships toward their education at Queen’s University. The Kingston Whig reports that Manji’s daughters were also charged with fraud, but the Crown withdrew those charges when Manji pleaded guilty. NTI President Aluki Kotierk said that the case resulted in NTI strengthening its enrolment process, requiring additional paperwork for out-of-territory residents and families who are new to the system. “It’s terrible, because it creates a suspicion,” said Kotierk, who described the damage Manji has done to Inuit as “irreparable.”

The Chinook’s Edge School Division (CESD) has adopted a new land acknowledgment in order to support reconciliation. The land acknowledgment includes updates that were made in consultation and collaboration with Indigenous leaders and other stakeholders, as well as visits to the district’s historical sites. “A land acknowledgement is a way that we can demonstrate our commitment, as a school division, to reconciliations,” said CESD associate superintendent Karyn Barber. “We truly appreciate the support and participation of students, central office leaders, staff, school board trustees and Indigenous partners in this work.”

Dalhousie University’s libraries recently held a Wikipedia edit-a-thon to improve the website’s information on Mi’kmaw people and Mi’kma’ki, the traditional and current territories of the Mi’kmaq people. Dal Assistant Professor Dr Stacy Allison-Cassin guided participants through the basics of Wikipedia article creation and editing. Together, participants edited 19 Wikipedia articles to contribute 50 new references and over 3,300 words of content. Dal states that this work demonstrates the important role that digital platforms play in honouring, preserving, and promoting Indigenous people and histories.