New Canadian Canoe Museum to Feature Languages and Voices from Indigenous Communities

Visitors to the new Canadian Canoe Museum (CCM) will see and hear languages and voices from Indigenous communities the moment they step into the museum.

Kokomis Tchiman, a 26-foot long birchbark canoe built by Marcel Labelle, Métis elder and canoe-builder from the Mattawa Ontario region, sits on display in the Canadian Canoe Museum’s collection storage centre. Photo by Fusionriver Photography.

The new home for the CCM, set to break ground this fall and open in 2023, will feature a 17,000 square foot exhibition gallery that will share the history and enduring relevance of the canoe and kayak.

With a significant gift of $500,000 over five years from TD the Museum will work directly with individuals in eight Indigenous communities. The funding also enables the CCM to hire an emerging Indigenous museum professional.

These actions will help ensure that knowledges, perspectives and voices from Indigenous communities are directly represented in the exhibitions and educational programming.

“The CCM has a deep commitment to collaborative relations with the Indigenous communities of origin across Turtle Island (Canada) for the watercraft in the Museum’s collection,” said curator Jeremy Ward.

Building outwards from relations with Curve Lake, Hiawatha, Alderville and Scugog ­– local Michi Saagig First Nations on whose territory the CCM resides ­– the Museum will work with Inuit communities in northern Labrador and Nunavik, Mi’kmaq in the east and the Haida Gwaii Museum in the west.

In each community, the Museum’s team will gather knowledge about canoes and kayaks, their roles in resource harvesting, changes caused by settlement, and the resurgence of Indigenous watercraft-making and use as part of community healing.

“All work supports languages from Indigenous communities, whether by recording vocabulary about canoes in Anishnaabemowin, interviews conducted by fluent Haida speakers with language learners, or translating conversations from Michif or Inuktitut, ensuring Indigenous People can speak their truths in their own language and voice,” said Ward.

The Michi Saagig dialect of Anishnaabemowin will be used throughout the Museum and within its exhibits alongside English and French, and other languages from Indigenous communities will feature in relation to specific watercraft.

Funding for the CCM’s Indigenous Languages Program marks the largest investment made to date by TD Bank Group through TD Ready Commitment program in the Peterborough region.

For more information about the new museum or the CCM’s collaborative relations work with Indigenous communities visit canoemuseum.ca/collaborative-relations.

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Fleming Congratulates Students That Completed their Indigenous Perspectives Designation

Fleming College along with members of the Indigenous community hosted a special event to recognize students who completed an Indigenous Perspectives Designation (IPD) on July 9.

Aerial shot of Fleming Sutherland Campus. Photo Courtesy of Fleming College.

The IPD gives students the chance to learn about Indigenous perspectives, peoples, cultures, histories, traditions and contributions to our shared society. To graduate with an IPD it is required that they take discipline-specific Indigenous curriculum in each semester, beyond what is already required in the two mandatory Indigenous Studies courses, as well as experiential Indigenous activities.

“Very proud of the IPD graduates and faculty who work hard each year to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy into their learning,” said Elizabeteh Stone, Academic Chair for Indigenous Studies at Fleming. “This is reconcili-action! As described by the Downie Wenjack Foundation: ‘A ReconciliACTION is a meaningful action that moves reconciliation forward. ReconciliACTIONs aim to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together in the spirit of reconciliation to create awareness, share and learn.’ Nishin Graduates.”

The IPD is available to students enrolled in certain programs. For more information click here.

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Local Peterborough Businesses Donate Canada Day Sales For Indigenous Issues

Peterborough businesses have donated proceeds during Canada Day and the following weekend in support of Indigenous causes.

Mohawk children cheering for Team Haudenosaunee at the 2019 World U19 Women's Field Lacrosse Championships at Justin Chiu Stadium at Trent University in Peterborough. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Planet, Silver Bean Café, KitCoffee, The Night Kitchen, Le Petit Bar and St. Veronus were participating restaurants that have donated a portion of their earnings made on Canada Day or the following weekend.

The inspiration came after the trending hashtag #CancelCanadaDay surfaced as a part of truth and reconciliation for Indigenous people. Community members would not celebrate the country’s anniversary and reflected Canada’s involvement of Residental Schools’ treatment towards Indigenous people until the 1980’s.

The Planet and Silver Bean Café have donated 25 per cent of their Canada Day proceeds to Legacy of Hope Foundation; an Indigenous charity to educate and create awareness and understanding about the Residental School System according to their website.

“The recent news of more mass graves being discovered at residential schools is so upsetting,” said The Planet on a Facebook post. “We can't change the past but we can work towards a better future.”

Mohawk children ran across the stands flying the Six Nations flag after every Team Haudenosaunee goal. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

KitCoffee is donating all its Canada Day profits to the Indian Residential School Survivor Society (IRSSS); an organization that provides services to Indian Residental School Survivors.

Le Petit Bar and St. Veronus are donating 15 percent of all their weekend sales towards IRSSS. In addition to them, The Night Kitchen donated all their Tuesday proceeds to Mnoominkewin festival held in Curve Lake during the month of September.

Donations to Legacy of Hope Foundation and IRSSS can be made on their official websites.

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