May 15, 2024

Schools across Canada honoured Red Dress Day with commemorative events and dedicated time for reflection to bring awareness to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people. Several schools held walks or marches to honour the lives lost, including Cape Breton University; John NA Janvier School at Cold Lake First Nation in Alberta; and several schools in British Columbia, including Ruth King Elementary, David Cameron Elementary School, Savory Elementary School, and Spencer Middle School. Institutions like Durham College and Mount Saint Vincent University installed red dresses on campus to commemorate the lives lost. The University of Saskatchewan held a beading workshop and Brock University held ribbon skirt and medicine pouch workshops to offer opportunities for community members to learn and share.

Federal Minister Harjit Sajjan recently announced over $3.7M in PacifiCan funding for four projects in British Columbia. Among the recipients of the funding was Clear Seas, which received $1.75M toward the Indigenous Marine Career Advancement Program. Indigenous workers who are interested in starting or growing a career in the maritime sector receive training, culturally safe wrap-around supports, and career opportunities through IMCAP. IMCAP’s goal is to address the skills and labour shortages in the marine industry while bolstering Indigenous participation in related industries. “Investing in innovation, strong communities and our workforce is laying the groundwork for prosperity for British Columbians today and well into the future,” said Sajjan.

A national dance program called Outside Looking In is helping to motivate Indigenous youth to finish high school. Students in Outside Looking In learn hip hop and Indigenous cultural dance through in-person and remote visits from choreographers. The program culminates in a dance camp that prepares students to perform in Toronto. 96% of participating students reportedly go on to graduate high school, thanks to the program’s minimum grades and attendance requirements. The program includes a Future Leader mentorship program which supports students as they transition from high school to postsecondary education or careers. “One of the biggest issues facing Indigenous youth in our communities – in all Indigenous communities – is getting the kids to come back through the doors of school and to stay consistently,” said Outside Looking In CEO Hope Sanderson.

Camosun College and Vancouver Community College have each announced new pathways to help Indigenous individuals pursue careers in new fields. Camosun is launching a 12-week, tuition-free Indigenous Peoples in Technology Pathway that covers topics in computer science and civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering. The program offers wraparound supports such as personal protective equipment, transportation, and counselling services. VCC will be launching a tuition-free adult upgrading pathway for Indigenous learners that will act as a low-barrier introduction to postsecondary education. The program will include cultural workshops and Elder visits with the aim of fostering a safe learning environment for Indigenous students. Both programs are supported by funding from the Government or British Columbia.

The Anishinabek Education System and Superior-Greenstone District School Board have signed a historic Engagement Framework Agreement at the new Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Endzhi-gkinoohmaading. Over 100 people gathered to witness the signing of the agreement, which will foster collaboration and cooperation on decisions that directly impact First Nations students attending schools in the Superior-Greenstone District School Board. Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Educator Director Lisa Michano-Courchene shared the importance of the process that led up to the creation of the framework: “We learned so much about our systems, how they are different and how they are the same, and about our challenges and the things that come easy. […] These were things that could not have been learned by a phone call.”

Indigenous high school and university students from across Canada recently had the opportunity to explore career opportunities through dedicated visit days and recruitment programs. In Winnipeg, several students from the River East Transcona School Division are taking part in a 17-week Indigenous student work experience program at the St Boniface Hospital. Each week, students spent time shadowing healthcare professionals and gained hands-on experience. In Saskatchewan, Regina Police Service hosted the two-week Treaty 4 Police Academy at First Nations University of Canada. During this program, Indigenous students in the Academy learned about working in law enforcement and took part in special firearms training, first aid courses, drills, and cultural sessions. At Mt Boucherie Secondary School in West Kelowna, high school students participated in an RCMP Recruiting Indigenous Cop Camp where they met a police dog, paddled the detachment’s traditional Indigenous canoes, and learned about the gear used by officers. The camp focuses on healing relationships between RCMP and Indigenous communities, while boosting Indigenous recruitment.

The Government of Ontario is investing $5M into mental health and addiction services for postsecondary students in underserved communities. Institutions will be able to use this funding to hire nurse practitioners, social workers, psychotherapists, traditional counsellors, and healers to fill gaps in their mental health services. The funds will support eight unique projects involving postsecondary institutions such as Algoma University, Algonquin College, College Boréal, Niagara College, Nipissing University in partnership with Canadore College, Iohahiio Akwesasne Education and Training Institute in partnership with St Lawrence College, the Shingwauk Teaching Lodge in partnership with the Shingwauk Anishinaabe Student Association, and Six Nations Polytechnic.

Aurora College’s Board of Governors has appointed its first academic council and a new Indigenous Knowledge Holders Council (IKHC). The academic council and IKHC, along with the college’s Board of Governors, are the three parties that make up Aurora’s new tri-cameral governance structure. The academic council—which is comprised of 30 faculty, staff, and students—will be responsible for guiding the institution on all academic matters, including ensuring academic freedom and meeting quality assurance requirements. The college explained that the council members’ terms have been staggered to ensure the composition of the council shifts gradually over time. The IKHC includes 13 residents of the Northwest Territories who are of Dene, Inuvialuit, and Métis ancestry who will help ensure that the spirit and intent of Indigeneity is embedded in the College’s strategic direction and decision-making processes.

Pictou Landing First Nation recently celebrated the long-delayed grand blessing of its new school. The First Nation’s school serves children from kindergarten to grade eight and follows a curriculum that is centred around traditional Mi’kmaq knowledge and the Mi’kmaq language. At the blessing, students sang, read poems, and made speeches expressing their enthusiasm for the school. Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre also brought an artifact display to the school, announcing that it will be housed there so that students and community members can learn more about objects such as arrowheads and knives. “Our school was a labour of love, and it’s really grown to be a focal point of the community. It provides a safe space to learn and allows our children to learn and speak our language,” said Chief Tamara Young. The grand blessing was originally scheduled for 2020, but was delayed by the pandemic.

During National Nursing Week, faculty and staff at the University of Regina and the British Columbia Institute of Technology touched on the importance of Indigenizing nursing and nursing education. BCIT highlighted its ongoing work to Indigenize the Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum, including how the program ensures that students learn to be advocates for Indigenous patients. URegina Faculty of Nursing Dean Cheryl Pollard spoke to Global News about the need to recruit and retain more Indigenous nurses in Saskatchewan in order to strengthen community connections and ensure better care for Indigenous people. Pollard emphasized how important it is to ensure that Indigenous students know that there are multitudes of opportunities within the province. “It’s also absolutely critical that Indigenous students believe that they can do this,” said Pollard.