Indigenous

U of T Mississauga's teaching lodge to host new course on Indigenous feminisms

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 18:17:52 +0000

U of T Mississauga's teaching lodge to host new course on Indigenous feminisms

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 11/29/2024 - 13:17

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A new, third-year course on Indigenous feminisms will be the first at U of T Mississauga to take place predominantly in the campus's Indigenous teaching lodge (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Megan Easton

Topic

Our Community

Indigenous

U of T Mississauga

Subheadline

“I find that it’s not until students are outside on the land and in Indigenous spaces that they really understand the teachings”

This winter, students taking Maria Hupfield’s “Indigenous Feminisms” course won’t meet in a classroom or lecture hall, but will head to the northern edge of the ��߲ݴ�ý Mississauga campus where, nestled in a quiet spot among trees, sits the Indigenous teaching lodge.

Inaugurated in September 2023, the lodge has hosted workshops, conferences and occasional classes – but this marks the first time a course will predominantly be held in the space.

Maria Hupfield (photo by Grégoire Féron)

For Hupfield, an assistant professor in U of T Mississauga's department of English and drama who is cross-appointed to the department of visual studies, the walk to the lodge will be just as integral to students’ learning as the conversations that will take place beneath its canopy.

“This small journey will start the process of moving students away from their usual way of thinking,” says Hupfield, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Transdisciplinary Indigenous Arts. “Then, once they get into the lodge, it defamiliarizes them because they’re not in the usual lecture hall or seminar room. It opens up how they respond to the teaching and how they approach the content.”

A third-year English course, “Indigenous Feminisms” will rely on traditional and modern Indigenous texts, media and performances. Classes will be held in the teaching lodge – which has a wood stove – whenever possible, moving to the Multimedia Studio Theatre only when advanced digital technology is needed.

Leading a course in an Indigenous space marks the latest chapter in a longstanding connection between Hupfield, an off-reservation urban Anishinaabe who belongs to the Wasauksing First Nation, and U of T Mississauga.

An alumna of the university, Hupfield earned a degree in art and art history with a minor in Aboriginal studies – somewhat unusual in the late 1990s. “I became very interested in working at the intersection of Anishinaabe cultural knowledge and Western-based art practices,” she says. “The program made room for me to do that.”

As a student, Hupfield mounted her own exhibits and launched partnerships with Indigenous arts and social services organizations. After graduating, she went on to establish herself as an internationally respected artist, holding exhibitions at prominent galleries across North America and winning prestigious awards.

In 2019, she returned to U of T Mississauga as a faculty member, and amid increased institutional support for Indigenous initiatives, has thrived and expanded the scope of her projects.

As director and lead artist at the new Indigenous Creation Studio, Hupfield leads a team of faculty members and students exploring media ranging from traditional sculpture to video. Her current research, conducted in collaboration with Indigenous communities, aims to bring new life to Indigenous artefacts via the creation of a digital archive that presents each piece in novel ways, such as through storytelling, video and 3D rendering.

She also leads a seminar series for students in the master of visual studies program at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

Hupfield also continues to work on an array of projects beyond campus. Earlier this year, she contributed to the first ever Native Fashion Week held in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is also currently presenting an original commission at the Toronto Biennial of Art, an opportunity she describes as “a really powerful moment in my art practice.”

The teaching lodge is equipped with a wood stove and can be used year-round (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

As she looks forward to the "Indigenous Feminisms" course, Hupfield reiterates that Indigenous pedagogy is about doing and experiencing. “I find that it’s not until students are outside on the land and in Indigenous spaces that they really understand the teachings,” she says.

Tee Duke, director of U of T Mississauga’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives, notes that expansion of Indigenous curriculum and spaces – along with hiring of Indigenous faculty – were among the calls to action outlined in Answering the Call – Wecheehetowin, the final report of the U of T Truth and Reconciliation Commission Steering Committee. “It’s an important development to have a course on Indigenous Feminisms taught in UTM’s own teaching lodge," Duke said.

The course also ties into U of T Mississauga’s strategic framework, specifically the central values of truth, openness and reciprocity, according to Terry F. Robinson, associate chair of the department of English and drama. “We’re thrilled to be able to offer this experiential, land-based course, led by inter-disciplinary scholar Professor Hupfield,” Robinson said.

Registration for the course is already full – a fact that is incredibly heartening for Hupfield.

“I love that there’s interest. It’s beautiful,” she says. “More courses like this, held in Indigenous spaces and rooted in experiential learning, will attract more Indigenous students. We need to continue to support Indigenous research and teaching, and focus on retaining Indigenous faculty.

“But so much is happening here right now and I’m happy to be part of it.”

Murray Sinclair, who led Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, dies at age 73

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 19:25:01 +0000

Murray Sinclair, who led Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, dies at age 73

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 11/04/2024 - 14:25

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(photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Topic

Truth and Reconciliation

Subheadline

Sinclair received an honorary degree from U of T in 2017 in recognition of his advocacy for Indigenous Peoples

Murray Sinclair, the Anishinaabe senator and lawyer who served as chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), has died at 73.

A member of Peguis First Nation, Sinclair grew up in Selkirk, Man., and went on to become a successful lawyer and the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba in 1988, The Globe & Mail reported, eventually being named the commissioner of the TRC in 2009.

Under his leadership, the TRC visited hundreds of communities and spoke to thousands of Indigenous Peoples over a six-year period, before concluding that Canada had committed “cultural genocide” against Indigenous Peoples, and that its residential schools were a key element of its policy to destroy Indigenous cultures, said CBC News.

In recognition of his lifelong advocacy for Indigenous People, Sinclair was awarded an honorary degree from the ��߲ݴ�ý in 2017. He accepted the honour less than a year after the release of Wecheehetowin, the final report of the Steering Committee for the ��߲ݴ�ý Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The report contained 34 calls to action for the university to pursue to advance the cause of reconciliation.

In his address at Convocation Hall on Nov. 6, 2017, Sinclair urged graduating students to keep an open mind and a strong social conscience as they navigated their careers.

“Not everything you have been told is right, and not everything that you have learned is all you have to know. You now have to begin to live life,” Sinclair said. “You now have to begin to put in practice some of those things that you know inherently is the right thing to do, using the information that you have gathered. That is your challenge.”

Sinclair's family said a sacred fire has been lit outside the Manitoba Legislative Building to mark his passing, according to APTN News.

Read the Globe and Mail story

Read the CBC News story

Read the APTN News story

Read the U of T News story about Murray Sinclair’s honorary degree

In photos: 2024 All-Nations Powwow at U of T Mississauga

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:48:42 +0000

In photos: 2024 All-Nations Powwow at U of T Mississauga

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 10/16/2024 - 11:48

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Emilee Ann Pitawanakwat, a hoop dancer from Wikwemikong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, was the head dancer at the second-annual All-Nations Powwow at U of T Mississauga (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

U of T Mississauga staff

Topic

The ��߲ݴ�ý Mississauga recently welcomed hundreds of participants and attendees from as far away as Aotearoa New Zealand, for the second annual All-Nations Powwow.

Scattered showers didn’t stop the outdoor event from going ahead on Sept. 28.

It was the first time the All-Nations Powwow was held outdoors. The event, which took place on the north field in front of Maanjiwe nendamowinan, was free to attend and open to all.

U of T Mississauga photographer Nick Iwanyshyn was on hand to capture the day:

Dan Secord of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation performs a dance while spectators look on (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

More than 30 dancers in regalia competed in the Traditional Men’s and Jingle Dress Dance Specials and took part in intertribal spot and exhibition dances.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Celeste Pedri-Spade, who is an Anishinaabe scholar and artist from northwestern Ontario and a band member of Lac des Milles Lacs First Nation, took top prize in the Jingle Dress Dance. Pedri-Spade has a PhD in visual anthropology and travelled to the All-Nations Powwow from Montreal, where she is the associate provost of Indigenous initiatives at McGill University.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Members of a Māori delegation, visiting from Aotearoa, New Zealand, demonstrated Haka, a ceremonial dance in Māori culture, for the assembled crowd.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Outside of the dances, All-Nations Powwow attendees were invited to browse the vendor stalls, which featured a variety of canned goods and other food along with clothing, accessories and wellness products.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

All attendees were invited to participate in intertribal dances. Intertribal dances are for all ages, backgrounds and abilities, with no set dance style.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Members of the Manitou Mkwa Singers, Juno-nominated hand-drum performers from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, were among the invited drummers in attendance.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

John Hupfield, who is Anishinaabe from Wasauksing First Nation and one of the All-Nations Powwow Head Dancers, took part in a grass dance during the event. Hupfield, who has a PhD in education from York University, has researched the roles that Powwows play within Anishinaabe contexts of education and pedagogy.

He welcomed the chance to lead dancers and to share Powwow traditions with the U of T Mississauga community.

“It is a space to work and gather together, share and pass tradition with everyone,” he said of the All-Nations Powwow. “That’s the beautiful aspect of it and I hope it continues to grow at UTM.”

U of T community commemorates Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

mattimar — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 15:32:22 +0000

U of T community commemorates Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

mattimar Mon, 09/30/2024 - 11:32

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Attendees wear orange shirts during a U of T tri-campus event, held at Hart House, to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (photo by Polina Teif)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Our Community

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Subheadline

“Reconciliation cannot be an afterthought”

Shirley Cheechoo doesn’t want to be recognized as a residential school survivor, a term commonly used to describe Indigenous Peoples who were subjected to Canada’s horrific residential school system.

“We should be identified as residential school warriors,” said the Cree actor, artist, filmmaker and founder of Weengushk Film Institute.

“Calling us warriors, you empower us. You empower our children and you empower communities across the country.”

Shirley Cheechoo, Cree actor, artist, filmmaker and founder of Weengushk Film Institute, shared the horrors and abuse she endured in Canada’s residential school system (photo by Polina Teif)

Cheechoo delivered the keynote address at a ��߲ݴ�ý event to commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The tri-campus event, held at Hart House on the St. George campus, was streamed live on YouTube.

She shared the horrors and abuse she endured after being kidnapped from her parents at age six and placed in a residential school. With a long-standing passion for working with young people, Cheechoo encouraged universities like U of T to partner with Indigenous leaders to fund and support Indigenous students and youth.

Jay-Daniel Baghbanan, a student at the Faculty of Music and vice-president of student life at the faculty’s undergraduate association, said “Reconciliation cannot be an afterthought” (photo by Polina Teif)

Benji Jacob, a fourth-year psychology student from U of T Mississauga, introduced Cheechoo at the event, while Jay-Daniel Baghbanan, a student at the Faculty of Music and vice-president of student life at the faculty’s undergraduate association, emphasized the critical nature of the work ahead.

“There are 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. U of T has 34 of their own published,” said Baghbanan. “Reconciliation cannot be an afterthought.”

Benji Jacob, a fourth-year psychology student from U of T Mississauga, was among the speakers at the event (photo by Polina Teif)

Attendees also heard remarks from several U of T leaders, including U of T President Meric Gertler and William Gough, acting vice-president of U of T and acting principal of U of T Scarborough.

President Gertler, for his part, said the U of T community is committed to advancing reconciliation across its three campuses, including by: expanding the presence of Indigenous students, staff, faculty and librarians; incorporating Indigenous content into U of T’s curriculum; supporting Indigenous research programs; and creating physical spaces that honour Indigenous Peoples’ tradition and histories.

Flags were lowered to half-mast across U of T’s three campuses on Sept. 30 for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is formally recognized across Canada.

U of T community members attend the ceremony in Hart House’s Great Hall while others tuned into the livestream (photo by Polina Teif)

Hart House Warden David Kim thanked U of T Mississauga student MJ Singleton for designing the orange shirts worn by many at the U of T event, which depicts a mother holding hands and walking forward with her two children beneath the words “Every child matters.”

After the ceremony, a sacred fire was held for U of T community members at the newly opened Ziibiing, an Indigenous landscape project near Hart House.

U of T President Meric Gertler and Chancellor Wes Hall deliver remarks to attendees in Hart House’s Great Hall (photo by Polina Teif)

Earlier this month, U of T Scarborough hosted a reflective walk for reconciliation from the U of T Scarborough flagpole to the Ma Moosh Ka Win Valley Trail. In addition, Orange Shirt Beading Workshops were held across the three campuses, while U of T Mississauga live-streamed the Hart House event in the Grand Hall at Maanjiwe nendamowinan.

In his closing remarks at Hart House, U of T Chancellor Wes Hall encouraged the audience to continue sharing their stories, no matter how difficult, to ensure we do not repeat the past.

In photos: U of T marks opening of Indigenous landscape project at Hart House Green

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:34:50 +0000

In photos: U of T marks opening of Indigenous landscape project at Hart House Green

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 09/27/2024 - 09:34

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The pathway that extends along the east side of Ziibiing follows the trail of Taddle Creek, a buried stream running under the St. George campus that once served as a gathering place for Indigenous Peoples (photo by Polina Teif)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Our Community

Ziibiing

Indigenous Initiatives

John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture

Landmark

Truth and Reconciliation

Subheadline

The Ziibiing space includes a central pavilion, amphitheatre and plantings of medicinal trees and shrubs

The ��߲ݴ�ý commemorated the official opening of Ziibiing, an Indigenous landscape project that uses architecture, horticulture and storytelling to honour Indigenous cultures and provide a space for community members to gather, learn and host ceremonies on the St. George campus.

The opening celebration for Ziibiing, held Monday Sept. 23, included a traditional Elder’s opening, a welcome song and the burning of a sacred fire – the first fire to be lit in Ziibiing’s pavilion and one of several Indigenous ceremonial practices that are welcome on all three U of T campuses.

Here’s how the event unfolded through the lens of U of T photographers:

(photo by Polina Teif)

Michael White, director of First Nations House, tends to the sacred fire in the Ziibiing pavilion as Jenny Blackbird, resource centre and programs co-ordinator at First Nations House, looks on.

Ceremonial fires, smudging and pipe ceremonies are among the important Indigenous practices that take place on U of T’s three campuses.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Blackbird performs a traditional song to welcome U of T community members to the celebration.

(photo by Polina Teif)

The vision for Ziibiing was developed by an Indigenous Advisory Committee in collaboration with the Indigenous Design Studio at Brook McIlroy, who in turn consulted with Indigenous students, faculty, staff, the Council of Indigenous Initiatives Elders' Circle and representatives of local First Nations.

The project was born out of Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin, the final report of the Steering Committee for the ��߲ݴ�ý Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which outlined the need for dedicated Indigenous spaces on campus.

From left: James Bird and Shannon Simpson (photos by Polina Teif)(photo by Polina Teif)

Several members of the U of T community spoke at the event.

“Our voices, traditions and histories are woven into the fabric of this new landscape, sending a clear signal that we are seen, that we matter and that we belong,” said Shannon Simpson, senior director of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and a member of the Mississaugas of Alderville First Nation, in her remarks at the ceremony.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Ziibiing is named for the Anishinaabemowin word for “river,” a reference to the Taddle Creek waterway that once flowed through the area and served as a gathering place for Indigenous Peoples.

It’s an example of how Indigenous design and Western architectural disciplines can come together to assist in placemaking, according to James Bird, a Knowledge Keeper from the Nehiyawak and Dene Nation and PhD candidate in the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

“In the practice of architecture, there are ways one can approach the creation of space and its activation through design," said Bird. “This alternative viewpoint assigns agency to the metaphysical aspects that exist within Indigenous cultures and in turn allows metaphysical relationships to be made into physical form.”

(photo by Polina Teif)

In her remarks to the event’s attendees, Kelly Hannah-Moffat, U of T’s vice-president, people strategy, equity and culture, said that, in addition to serving a vital role as a teaching and ceremonial space for Indigenous students, employees and Elders, Ziibiing will encourage the entire U of T community to “find innovative ways to Indigenize this institution.”

She noted the space has already hosted a recent land-based learning workshop that invited members of the U of T community to deepen their understanding of Indigenous world views, teachings and connections to the land. The workshop was organized by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, with future sessions scheduled for Oct. 22 and Nov. 19.

(photo by Polina Teif)

The Ziibiing pavilion is supported by 13 columns that symbolize the 13 moons of the year. They circle a fire pit where ceremonial fires may be lit and maintained by Indigenous firekeepers.

(photo by David Lee)

The creation of Ziibiing took place alongside the Landmark Project, which aimed to revitalize the historic core of the St. George campus.

Scott Mabury, U of T’s vice-president, operations and real estate partnerships, said U of T community members have already embraced Ziibiing, as well as the other new spaces, as evidenced by their increased use of the reimagined landscapes.

“We didn’t know what we didn’t have before,” he said.

U of T prepares to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:06:56 +0000

U of T prepares to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 09/27/2024 - 09:06

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The Survivors' Flag, raised at U of T Varsity Stadium on Sept. 20, will be lowered to half-mast on Sept. 30, when the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is observed across Canada (photo by Jill Clark)

Jelena Damjanovic

Melinda Mattos

Topic

Our Community

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Orange Shirt Day

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

The Survivors’ Flag, which honours Indigenous lives and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada, has been raised across the ��߲ݴ�ý’s three campuses as the community prepares to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.

On the St. George campus, the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE), in partnership with First Nations House and the U of T Office of Indigenous Initiatives, raised the Survivors’ Flag at Varsity Stadium earlier this month.

It will be lowered to half-mast on Sept. 30 when the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is formally recognized across Canada.

U of T Mississauga (photo by Julia Le)

Flags have also been raised at U of T Scarborough and U of T Mississauga.

“Recognizing the painful history of Canada’s residential school system, and the tragic consequences that are still being felt today, is a vital component of the reconciliation process,” said Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education.

“It’s also a time for settlers to reflect on what they can do to strengthen relationships with Indigenous Peoples in order to build a better future together.”

The U of T community is invited to honour the experiences of residential school survivors by joining a tri-campus event being held in the Great Hall at Hart House on Sept. 30 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Participants will have the option to register to attend the event in person or register to watch the live-stream on YouTube.

The event will feature a keynote address by Shirley Cheechoo, Canadian Cree actor, artist, filmmaker and founder of Weengushk Film Institute, who will be introduced by Benji Jacob, a fourth-year psychology student from U of T Mississauga. There will also be a land acknowledgement by Jay-Daniel Baghbanan, a student at the Faculty of Music and vice-president of student life at the faculty’s undergraduate association, welcoming remarks from David Kim, warden of Hart House and remarks by U of T President Meric Gertler and William Gough, acting vice-president of U of T and acting principal of U of T Scarborough. U of T Chancellor Wes Hall will deliver closing remarks.

U of T Scarborough (photo by Harry Xu)

While wearing any orange shirt is a show of solidarity, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives has partnered with the U of T Bookstore on a limited supply of orange t-shirts that feature an award-winning design by MJ Singleton, an Ojibwe, two-spirit student from Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation who is studying at U of T Mississauga. All proceeds from the sale of the shirts will be directed to the Orange Shirt Society.

Members of the U of T community are also encouraged to use the Orange Shirt Day virtual background and profile icon, featuring Singleton's design.

‘A space for everyone’: U of T Mississauga prepares to host second annual All-Nations Powwow

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 15:21:04 +0000

‘A space for everyone’: U of T Mississauga prepares to host second annual All-Nations Powwow

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 09/10/2024 - 11:21

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Dancers perform during the inaugural All-Nations Powwow at U of T Mississauga in 2023 (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Topic

Undergraduate Students

When you invite everyone, you need to make sure you have plenty of space.

With that in mind, the ��߲ݴ�ý Mississauga’s All-Nations Powwow will be moving outdoors this year.

“A Powwow is a space for everyone,” says event co-lead dancer John Hupfield, who is Anishinaabe from Wasauksing First Nation. “A Powwow is not a show. It is a space to work and gather together, share and pass tradition with everyone.

“That’s the beautiful aspect of it and I hope it continues to grow at UTM.”

The free Sept. 28 event is hosted by the U of T Mississauga Indigenous Centre (UTMIC) and will be held on the north field in front of Maanjiwe nendamowinan, also known as MN.

Moving the event to an outdoor venue is welcome news for Hupfield, who specializes in grass dancing.

“Traditionally, when our people relocate, folks are sent out ahead to pat down the grass to allow work and settling to be done on the land,” he says. “It is done with song and ceremony – so when the people arrive, they know this place is safe. It is a way of taking care of the community.”

Community is a huge part of Powwows, adds Hupfield, who pursued his postdoctoral research in Indigenous forms of movement on both the U of T Mississauga and St. George campuses.

He says he is honoured to have been asked to lead the dancers into this year’s Powwow as part of the grand entry ceremony.

“It’s really humbling,” says Hupfield, who also assists the UTMIC with firekeeping in the Tipi on Principal’s Road for events that require sacred fire, as well as giving guest talks and dance demonstrations. “It’s a big responsibility and a chance to invite and honour all who came before us.”

Among the dancers he will be leading is MJ Singleton, a fourth-year U of T Mississauga student who is double majoring in psychology and criminology law and society.

Singleton, who is Anishinaabe and a two-spirit person, will be participating in both the fancy shawl and jingle dress events. They say they became involved in the Powwow through host group UTMIC, where they have participated in beadwork seminars and luncheons, led a paint session and helped create a community art installation for the MN building. Singleton says the centre, and Office of Indigenous Initiatives Director Tee Duke and Special Projects Officer Jessica Tabak, have been vital in helping them adjust to life at university.

“I didn’t grow up in a city – I was in a small northwestern town, four hours west of Thunder Bay, so coming from there and transitioning to Mississauga was a big challenge,” says Singleton, 21.

“Through the Indigenous Centre, I was able to meet people who were having a similar experience moving from up north to the hustle and bustle of southern Ontario. They gave us community.”

Singleton, who designed the Every Child Matters charity shirt sold in campus bookstores, says hosting an event like a Powwow at U of T Mississauga goes a long way to help Indigenous students overcome their feelings of isolation, and that the gathering and amplifying of Indigenous voices on campus is an important part of U of T’s ongoing reconciliation process.

“To be able to see everyone in person and celebrate with other people is really important,” says Singleton, who plans to take their U of T Mississauga education home to Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation (Eagle Lake) to help improve legal representation for Indigenous people in northern communities.

“Having access is especially important for those who have never been to a Powwow.”

Singleton says the benefits are magnified in places like U of T Mississauga, which draws students from around the world.

“UTM has such an amazing and diverse population of international students and local students who have never seen a Powwow, so this is a chance to learn about our culture,” Singleton says, noting they discovered a new relative through interaction at last year’s event.

“One of my best friends is from Peru and she thought last year’s Powwow, her first, was the most amazing thing. We had so much fun and I was so proud.”

Singleton says they hope many first-timers will turn out for the event and share in the spirit of community. In addition to a full afternoon of traditional ceremonies, singing and dancing, there will also be a marketplace featuring Indigenous-owned businesses.

“Come with an open mind, come with an open heart,” Singleton says. “Get to know the people in regalia, make those connections, form friendships and celebrate us as a people. It’s wonderful to be able to invite people of all kinds to dance during intertribal. It’s just so much fun for everyone.”

U of T unveils Indigenous beaded stole at 2024 convocation ceremonies

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 13:49:45 +0000

U of T unveils Indigenous beaded stole at 2024 convocation ceremonies Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 06/10/2024 - 09:49

Topic

The first-ever Indigenous beaded stole was introduced to the ��߲ݴ�ý’s convocation ceremonies last week.

Created by artist Katie Longboat, the stole is worn by the Eagle Feather Bearer, who leads the chancellor’s procession into Convocation Hall, and symbolizes the university’s enduring partnership with Indigenous Peoples.

In a video released today, Longboat explains that the design is inspired by the campuses’ natural surroundings and includes elements such oak leaves, acorns, pine needles, a blue poppy flower, a trillium flower and a beaver.

“Another element in the beadwork is the waterways,” said Longboat, who is originally from Six Nations of the Grand River.

“If you look closely, there are what look like streams flowing from the top to the bottom of the work and that represents the waterways in Toronto that are connected to the area.”

A lifelong advocate for Indigenous Peoples, Wilton Littlechild receives U of T honorary degree

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 20:04:17 +0000

A lifelong advocate for Indigenous Peoples, Wilton Littlechild receives U of T honorary degree Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 06/06/2024 - 16:04

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(photo by Steve Frost)

Scott Anderson

Topic

Our Community

Convocation 2024

Faculty of Information

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Honorary Degree

Indigenous

Truth and Reconciliation

As a youth, Wilton Littlechild, like so many Indigenous children, was removed from his home and sent to a nearby residential school. Since then, he has devoted much of his life to helping others overcome the legacy of this experience and promoting respect and justice for Indigenous Peoples in Canada and around the world.

Today, in recognition of his inspirational and transformative advocacy for Indigenous rights and human rights, Littlechild will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the ��߲ݴ�ý.

Born in Hobbema, Alta. (now Maskwacis) in 1944, Littlechild was initially raised by his grandparents in the Ermineskin Cree Nation and taught the traditional ways of the Cree people. At the age of six, he was taken from his family and placed at a nearby residential school; he later attended others. In an interview with Cultural Survival, he recalled the physical abuse he experienced at the schools and the trauma of being separated from family.

“Your family bond, if not broken, is really stretched to the limit,” he said.

At school, he wasn’t allowed to speak his own language or practise his own culture. “They were outlawed completely,” he said. Nor was he permitted to see his siblings, even though they attended the same school.

To escape this grim reality, he started jogging – several kilometres around the school compound – every night. “I didn’t know why I was doing it and often times I’d break down and cry, but after I finished the run, I would feel better,” he said at an event last year at U of T’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education. “Sport became my escape and my salvation … it gave me an opportunity to go to university and play, to compete and travel the world.”

(photo by Steve Frost)

Littlechild came to believe so strongly in the power of sport for personal advancement that he founded and coached the first all-Indigenous junior hockey team in Alberta, and helped establish the North American Indigenous Games and, later, the World Indigenous Games. “Finding that balance between looking after your physical health and your mental health, and being proud of who you are culturally, provides a wholesome foundation for life,” he said.

Littlechild excelled at hockey, swimming and baseball. At the University of Alberta, he swam competitively and played on the hockey team, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1967. He went on to get a master’s in the subject and then enrolled at law school, becoming the first status Indian from Alberta ever to earn a degree in law in 1976.

After graduating, Littlechild established a law practice on Ermineskin reserve and in 1977 was invited to be part of the Indigenous delegation that contributed to the writing of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

That experience marked the beginning of a lifetime of advocacy for Indigenous rights in Canada and around the world. In 1981, he appeared before British courts to make a case against patriating the Canadian constitution until it included guarantees of Indigenous rights.

He decided to run for federal office, and in 1988 was elected as a Progressive Conservative in the riding of Wetaskiwin, Alta, becoming the first MP ever to hold Treaty Indian status. Years later, in Saskatchewan, he chaired a commission to investigate and make recommendations about the treatment of First Nations and Métis people by that province’s police and justice system. Its final report, issued in 2004, made more than 100 recommendations to address systemic racism against Indigenous people.

Not long after, Littlechild was named a commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Its final report, released in 2015, argued that the residential school program had resulted in cultural genocide. It made 94 Calls to Action. At the time, he told Cultural Survival that he saw the role as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute to building a better Canada – one that is inclusive of everyone.”

In the Cree language, “reconciliation” is called Miyowahkotowin, which translates as “having good relations.” Sometimes, Littlechild said in the same interview, that means letting go of a bad experience and practising forgiveness. “There needs to be the truth, an apology, forgiveness and a sense of justice. Then we can talk about true reconciliation.”

For his advocacy for Indigenous rights and the advancement of Indigenous peoples, Littlechild has received numerous awards. He was made a member of the Order of Canada in 1998 and was promoted to companion in 2023. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and an Indspire Award for law and justice. In 2018, he was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

‘We belong here’: Indigenous beaded stole to be introduced at U of T’s spring convocation ceremonies

mattimar — Thu, 30 May 2024 14:18:50 +0000

‘We belong here’: Indigenous beaded stole to be introduced at U of T’s spring convocation ceremonies

mattimar Thu, 05/30/2024 - 10:18

Cutline

An Indigenous stole, created by artist Katie Longboat and inspired by nature around campus, will be introduced to this spring’s U of T convocation ceremonies as a symbol of the university’s enduring partnership with Indigenous Peoples (photo by Polina Teif)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Our Community

Convocation 2024

Indigenous Initiatives

Convocation Hall

Indigenous

Truth and Reconciliation

Artist Katie Longboat hopes the beadwork she created for an Indigenous stole to be worn during the ��߲ݴ�ý’s convocation ceremonies sparks a conversation about reconciliation within the education system.

The stole will be unveiled on June 3 – worn by the Eagle Feather Bearer who leads the chancellor’s procession into Convocation Hall.

The incorporation of the Eagle Feather, Eagle Feather Bearer and beaded stole into U of T’s official convocation ceremonies symbolizes the university’s enduring partnership with Indigenous Peoples and grew out of a recent review of U of T’s convocation.

Katie Longboat (photo by Polina Teif)

“I think actions like this – incorporating beadwork on a stole and including Indigenous culture and arts – highlight the diversity of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people, and says, ‘Yes, we belong here. I belong here and have a space in post-secondary education,’” says Longboat, a Mohawk and Cree bead artist and educator based in Toronto.

“I hope the message cycles down to the younger generations – the youth who are now entering post-secondary education – and they can feel that they have a place here, too.”

Originally from Six Nations of the Grand River, Longboat began beading when she was 14 years old in an effort to connect with her community. Her design for the stole was inspired by the nature she saw when she walked around the university.

“Some of the elements include oak leaves, acorns – there are pine needles all around the beaded piece,” she says. “The central flower, blue poppy flower and then the trillium flower at the top. There’s a beaver at the bottom of the beadwork, which is representative of the ��߲ݴ�ý symbols.

“Another element in the beadwork is the waterways. If you look closely, there are what look like streams flowing from the top to the bottom of the work and that represents the waterways in Toronto that are connected to the area.”

The stole's design was inspired by the nature Longboat observed at U of T (photo by Polina Teif)

Shannon Simpson, senior director of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, met with Indigenous leaders from the three campuses to discuss potential themes for the stole. U of T’s Council of Indigenous Initiatives was also involved in the process.

“We wanted something that represents all three campuses and something that signifies the land U of T sits on,” Simpson says. “[But] we didn’t want to get in the way of the creative process.”

Shannon Simpson (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Using two different techniques, Longboat created two separate pieces for convocation – the beadwork for the stole and a beaded stem to hold the Eagle Feather. She used flat-stitch beading for the stole and peyote-stitch bead weaving for the stem of the feather.

In 2017, the Steering Committee for the ��߲ݴ�ý Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released its final report, Wecheehetowin. It called on the university to act in six key areas to engage in the ongoing process of reconciliation. A Convocation Advisory Review Committee was subsequently formed with a mandate that included reviewing ceremony elements with a goal to preserve U of T’s traditions while incorporating Indigenous cultures.

Simpson emphasizes the importance of inclusion and notes that Indigenous students previously felt under-represented.

“I think for a lot of our students, many of them have said they’re the first person in their family to attend a post-secondary institution, or that they feel like they’re the only Indigenous student in many of their classes,” she says.

“By the time they get their degree, they had a lot of firsts in their journey. To see these elements in their convocation, to see the recognition – I think that makes them feel like Indigenous students matter at U of T and that their experience has been valued.”

Originally from Six Nations of the Grand River, Longboat began beading when she was 14 years old (photo by Polina Teif)

Simpson says she is excited to have Longboat’s work featured in U of T’s convocation ceremonies.

“Katie does beautiful work and she’s a member of one of our host nations,” she says. “So, that was really important to us as well – to have someone from one of our local communities really be involved in this way.”

The addition of the beaded stole, Eagle Feather and Eagle Feather Bearer are among several initiatives that seek to make convocation more inclusive for Indigenous students. Others include a land acknowledgment and a protocol where Indigenous graduands can choose to wear traditional regalia with academic hood in lieu of an academic gown to their ceremonies.

Simpson says the university’s journey to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples still requires much work and relationship-building – but that the recent changes are steps in the right direction.

Longboat, meanwhile, hopes the stole’s wearers feel a sense of pride and that Indigenous students receive its intended message: “We belong here.”

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