MPP Dave Smith Announces Murray Whetung Community Service Award Act To Be Introduced

MPP Dave Smith and other dignitaries have announced the introduction of the Murray Whetung Community Service Award Act in a teleconference held on Thursday afternoon.

(from left to right) MPP Dave Smith; Chief Emily Whetung; Michael Ford, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism and Chief Mel Hardy, Anishinabek Nation Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief and former Chief of Curve Lake First Nation. Photo courtesy of MPP Dave Smith.

Michael Ford, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, Chief Mel Hardy, Anishinabek Nation Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief and Chief Emily Whetung, former Chief of Curve Lake First Nation were also in attendance to make the announcement.

The bill, if passed, creates an award for Cadet Corps and Squadrons at the Annual Ceremonial Reviews. Ontario’s 288 active Canadian Cadet Corps and Squadrons can select a member who has displayed exceptional volunteerism and citizenship over the past year to be eligible for the Murray Whetung Community Service Award.

“Murray Whetung was a pillar in our community. He volunteered to fight in the Second World War and dedicated his life to family and service. I was honoured to receive his endorsement for this legislation before his passing,” said MPP Dave Smith. “This bill does more than recognize the life of one man, it seeks to teach others of the injustices First Nations veterans faced for risking their lives in service to Canada.”

In the First and Second World Wars, roughly 7,000 First Nations residents voluntarily served. For those who served continuously, their rights were stripped for time away from the reserve. Indigenous veterans able to retain their status were often ineligible for benefits available to non-Indigenous veterans following the wars.

“My Shomis (grandfather) was humbled when MPP Smith approached him about the idea of an award named after him,” said Whetung. “My Shomis did what he thought needed to be done and didn’t expect special recognition. He was a shining example of choosing happiness in the face of adversity and an inspiration to so many of us.”

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Electric City Culture Council Highlights Resources To Promote Truth And Reconciliation On National Indigenous Peoples Day

June is National Indigenous History Month, and June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. In hopes to encourage education, Electric City Culture Council (EC3) has compiled a list of resources they invite the public to read, watch and listen to.

Pow Wow in Curve Lake, 2014. File Photo.

These resources will help individuals learn about Indigenous history, peoples, and culture, as well as the legacy of Canada’s treatment of Indigenous people.

Learn

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission delivered its report and 94 calls to action. These calls provide a roadmap to start this country on the path towards healing.

Look at Canadian Artists' Representation (CARFAC)’s website Indigenous Protocols for the Visual Arts, which includes toolkits and discussions for arts administrators, curators, and programmers around respectful engagement with Indigenous art and artists. Those interested can also watch the Ontario Arts Council’s video about the importance of Indigenous arts protocols.

The Government of Canada has set up a learning portal full of resources to learn more about the history, cultures, and experiences of Canada’s Indigenous peoples.

To get a sense of the Indigenous peoples and languages across Canada (and around the world), as well as the treaties that affect them, Native Land Digital is a massive, interactive map that presents detailed information about this land’s peoples in a visually striking way.

For several years, the University of Alberta has offered their first-year survey course Indigenous Canada to audit online for free. This intro course is taught by Indigenous instructors and informed by work with Indigenous Elders and leaders.

Locally, the Nogojiwanong Project offers a series of interpretive panels highlighting the evolution of local treaties and inherent rights of Indigenous peoples in the area, on permanent display down at Millennium Park.

Watch

Explore the work of Indigenous artists and creators, with the lists of books, movies, podcasts, and more below.

The National Film Board has a list of Indigenous Cinema available to watch for free through their website. Those subscribed to CAMPUS through an educational institution can also access additional learning resources for many of the films.

CBC has put together two excellent resources lists: one of Indigenous-themed podcasts that explore the diversity of Indigenous cultures, as well as Indigenous history; and a comprehensive list of 35 books to read for National Indigenous History Month.

The Government of Canada’s #IndigenousReads is an extensive reading list of works by Indigenous authors and about Indigenous topics. This list was set up to encourage reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples by sharing Indigenous literature.

The Downie Wenjack Fund is hosting a series of four Indigenous History Month events online this month. The events feature Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, artists, and allies from Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick, and conclude with a special Canada-wide episode.

Last year, Peterborough’s own GreenUP published A top 10 summer listening list for truth and reconciliation on KawarthaNOW.

Heal

Those in need of healing, specifically Indigenous people, review the list below.

Talk4Healing offers 24/7 help, support and resources for Indigenous women, by Indigenous women, all across Ontario.

Hope for Wellness Helpline provides 24/7 culturally grounded assessment, referrals, support in times of crisis, and suicide intervention. Service languages include Ojibway, Cree, Inuktut, English, and French. Call 1-855-242-3310

Native Women’s Association of Canada’s Elder Support Line. Available Monday-Friday 9AM-11AM EST & 1PM-3PM EST, Canada-wide. Call 1-888-664-7808.

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s Supports for Survivors, including support lines across Canada. Call 1-888-301-6426 in Ontario.

Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program, offered by the Government of Canada as part of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement: 1-866-925-4419

Local organization: Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle provides counselling and healing services for Indigenous women and their families.

Teach

For those with young ones, these resources will help children explore and learn about Indigenous history and culture.

TVO Kids’ Indigenous Peoples Day page is full of useful resources, including activities, videos, and games. Also take a look at their Sharing Stories page, with a reading list of picture books about Indigenous peoples.

The Ottawa Public Library offers a Teaching Toolkit for National Indigenous History Month. A variety of great resources for teaching young ones.

CBC Kidsnews offers an excellent explainer video, “National Indigenous History Month: When did it start and what is it?”.

Lovevery’s blog post “How to discuss injustice toward Indigenous Peoples with your children, age 0 – 8” is thoughtfully written, and includes links to a number of children’s books about Indigenous history, as well as links to additional resources.

Support

Canada Helps offers a list of Indigenous charities that can be supported with donations. This link includes local organizations, the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, the Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle, and the Peterborough Native Learning Program.

Join

Here is a list of events happening locally for Indigenous History Month and Indigenous Peoples Day.

Curve Lake First Nation is offering programming throughout the day on Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, including self-guided history walks, videos, a sunrise ceremony, drive-through lunch, movie matinee, and fireworks at dusk. See more details.

Two local organizations that provide services to Indigenous peoples, the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre and Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle are coming together for a celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day and Summer Solstice on June 21, including a sacred fire, meal, craft vendors, and traditional dancers. The Friendship Centre will also be hosting a Sunrise Ceremony at dawn on the same day.

The Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival, the world’s first Indigenous fringe festival, returns June 21 to 26 at Trent University, and it kicks off with a Community Picnic for Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, with food and entertainment. This is followed by five days of events, including theatre, dance, burlesque, spoken word, songs, and stories. Check out the full schedule of events.

For Indigenous History Month, the Peterborough Public Library has selected The Strangers by Katherena Vermette as the book for their Adult Book Club. This book is a searing exploration of race, class, inherited trauma, and matrilineal bonds that – despite everything – refuse to be broken. The Book Club meets June 28 at the library.

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Curve Lake Honoured By Lakefield Chiefs In Partnership At Last Regular-Season Game

Curve Lake First Nation was honoured with a plaque unveiling by the Lakefield Chiefs to celebrate their partnership in their last regular-season game on Tuesday.

(from left to right) Carson Hartwick, Lakefield Chiefs assistant captain; Shawn Dunbar, Chiefs general manager; Michael Battaglia; Andy Mitchell, Selwyn mayor; Anita Locke, Lakefield Ward Councillor: Jeff Jacobs, Deputy Chief of Curve Lake First Nation; Assistant General Manager of Lakefield Chiefs Junior Hockey Club George Ripoll, Chiefs assistant general manager and Jake Hagen, Georgina Ice assistant captain. Photo courtesy of the Lakefield Chiefs.

The plaque is located in the main lobby of the Lakefield-Smith Community Centre that describes the team’s history and affiliation with the Curve Lake First Nation.

Another sign had a land acknowledgement statement of being on the treaty and traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg.

(from left to right) George Ripoll, Chiefs assistant general manager; Shawn Dunbar, Chiefs general manager; Jeff Jacobs, Deputy Chief of Curve Lake First Nation and Andy Mitchell, Selwyn mayor. Photo courtesy of the Lakefield Chiefs.

The Chiefs have been under fire in recent years for the use of Indigenous logos and names for the team’s branding. The plaque explains the team was formed in the 1960s by then-Curve Lake First Nation Chief Dalton Jacobs. The logo (also used by the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks) is a symbol of strength and perseverance.

“The community and the players that come play for us, they know our winning culture,” said George Ripoll, Chiefs assistant general manager. “I think they need to understand how we were made and come from.”

As part of the team’s continued partnership with Curve Lake First Nation, the team will wear orange warm-up jerseys with the “Every Child Matters” slogan on the front.

Lakefield fell to the Georgina Ice 4-1 with Carson Hartwick as the lone goal-scorer for the Chiefs.

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Fleming And Trent Partner To Expand Pathways For Indigenous Learners

Fleming College and Trent University have signed new articulation agreements that allow Fleming students to obtain a Bachelor’s degree through programs offered at Trent’s renowned Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies.

Photo courtesy of Trent University.

Eligible graduates from Fleming’s Ecosystem Management Technology, Environmental Technology, and Fish and Wildlife Technology programs will have the opportunity to complete a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Indigenous Environmental Studies at Trent in two additional years of study – graduating with both their diploma and degree credentials in five years.

Eligible graduates of Fleming’s Early Childhood Education and Educational Support programs, who also self-identify as Indigenous, will receive 7.0 and 5.0 credits, respectively, towards Trent’s Indigenous Bachelor of Education degree. These are two new pathways are exclusively for Indigenous students.

“These pathways are another step towards Fleming’s commitment to upholding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations for postsecondary institutions,” said Maureen Adamson, President, Fleming College. “The new agreements build on Fleming’s long-standing relationship with Trent University to provide academic programming and research partnerships in areas related to environmental and natural resource studies that value Indigenous teachings.”

The Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada and the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People have both identified addressing the educational gap for Indigenous learners as a priority.

“Creating more opportunity for individuals who identify as Indigenous to access higher education, especially opportunities in both college and university environments, is an important factor in honouring and advancing the teachings and leadership of Indigenous communities,” said Professor David Newhouse, chair of the Chanie Wenjack School of Indigenous Studies at Trent. “The Indigenous-focused degree programs at Trent aim to support generations of Indigenous youth by producing greater numbers of role models. We know these programs are successful in that way as Trent University is ranked first in Canada for promoting Indigenous visibility.”

There are now two Fleming certificate programs and five diploma programs that lead to an Indigenous Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Environmental Studies or Bachelor of Science in Indigenous Environmental Science programs for Indigenous students.

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Canadian Canoe Museum Board of Director Appointed the Order of Canada

Victoria Grant of the Canadian Canoe Museum’s Chair of the Board of Directors has received the highest honour of Canada as she was appointed the Order of Canada by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon on Thursday.

Grant is a member of the Teme-Augama Anishinabai Kwe, Loon Clan. Photo courtesy of the Canadian Canoe Museum.

Grant received the honour for her work on bridging the gap between Indigenous, non-Indigenous culture, business and communities through her facilitation and mediation.

She became involved with the Canadian Canoe Museum through the National Council in 2017. She joined the board in 2018 and became the Chair of the Board of Directors in 2020.

“I cannot think of anyone who deserves this high recognition as much as Victoria,” said Carolyn Hyslop, the Canadian Canoe Museum’s Executive Director. “Her contribution to this country has been immeasurable. The museum is so proud and fortunate to have her leadership and knowledge. She has been such a valuable asset to us, especially during those turbulent pandemic times, as we continued to forge ahead with our plans to create our new home in the community.”

Grant co-founded the Temagami Community Foundation in 2000. She helped create the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund. Both foundations have raised and disbursed millions of dollars through resiliency grants.

The newly appointed recipient has served on numerous boards including being a member of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Vice-Chair of the Ontario Health Quality Council, Chair of the Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, Director of the Counselling Foundation of Canada and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award.  

Created in 1967, the Order of Canada is one of our country’s highest civilian honours, recognizing outstanding achievement and dedication to the community and service to the nation.

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$1 Million Estate Gift Supports Indigenous Graduate Student Scholarship at Trent University

A generous $1 million estate gift from philanthropist Bill Reid will provide opportunities for Indigenous graduate student scholarship at Trent University.

Photo courtesy of Trent University.

This is the largest gift of its kind in the University’s history.

The gift will help endow the William B. Reid Scholarship, first established at Trent in 2016, providing more than $30,000 in annual funding to support Indigenous graduate students at Trent.

The scholarship will fund research expenses of Trent graduate students in Canada or abroad, hands-on training opportunities related to the thesis or major research project, and opportunities to engage with specialists in the field, through attending international conferences

“After the recent inaugural Truth and Reconciliation Day, more and more Canadians are asking themselves how they can best support Indigenous peoples,” said Sherry Booth associate vice president of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at Trent. “Bill was a passionate individual who listened to Indigenous people’s stories, wanted to make a difference, and created a fund that encourages many young Indigenous students in their pursuit of higher education so that they, in turn, can better support their communities.”

Trent’s Indigenous Studies Ph.D. program is a first-of-its-kind in Canada, and offers students an opportunity to engage in advanced learning experiences grounded in Indigenous cultures and reflecting on the interaction between traditional and contemporary Indigenous knowledges. The University’s deep roots in reconciliation date back more than 50 years.

Reid became involved in Indigenous issues through reading, personal friendships with Indigenous people, and a hobby of collecting and restoring Indigenous beadwork, says his long-time partner, Bob Seabourn. Before his death in 2019, he donated nearly 400 pieces of beadwork to the Art Gallery of Guelph.

Reid was a long-time supporter of Trent with a legacy of giving over more than 20 years.

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The Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival is Accepting Applications for Next Year's Event

Applications are now being accepted by Indigenous artists in all genres to perform in the Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival (NIFF).

File Photo.

NIFF is an unjuried, uncensored festival for independent indigenous performers.

Unlike the fringe movement, NIFF focuses specifically on local and regional Indigenous artists, mentorship, collaborative learning, knowledge sharing and skill development.

Performers are chosen by lottery and receive 100% of the box office proceeds.

The deadline to apply is Dec. 17.

Artists are chosen in January and selected artists perform at Trent University from June 21-26, 2022.

For more information on the Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival, click here.

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Trent University Honours Local Michi Saagiig on National Truth and Reconciliation Day

To mark the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Trent University unveiled new installations paying tribute to the Michi Saagiig Anishnaabeg, on Thursday.

Treaty Rock unveiling on Thursday. Photo courtesy of Trent University.

The tribute highlights the importance of the original treaties pertaining to the land upon which the two campuses are built and honouring the original signatories of the Michi Saagiig Anishnaabeg.

“For more than 50 years, Trent has been committed to providing education in Indigenous history, traditions, cultures, and Indigenous knowledges for students and the broader community,” said Julie Davis, Trent University vice-president of External Relations and Development. “As we honour Truth and Reconciliation Day, recognizing the local treaties and the Michi Saagiig people is foundational.”

On the Peterborough campus outside of Bata Library, the University unveiled three limestone boulders bearing the symbols of the dodem (clan totems) carvings of the Treaty 20 Michi Saagiig signatories as well as a statement identifying the Symons Campus lands as being situated on Michi Saagiig traditional territory.

At Trent University Durham GTA, a new Treaty Wall has been installed in the front atrium of the campus featuring original signatory documents and a pre-confederation treaty map.

“Curve Lake First Nation and Trent University have a gold-standard relationship,” said Chief Emily Whetung of Curve Lake First Nation. “Trent University prioritizes hearing the teachings of our Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers and ensuring the teachings are respected. We are very pleased to see these installations, developed in a true partnership, come to life. The meaningful acknowledgment of our ancestral lands and the treaty in which Trent University is situated will raise awareness in all who pass through Trent University.”

The University has created a new webpage to advance the goals of education, reflection and action, and is sharing ways our communities can engage meaningfully in reconciliation and honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The webpage highlights important resources like the 94 Calls to Action, testimonies of residential school survivors and a list of local Indigenous businesses.

“Here at Trent, on this very important day, as we come together to remember and honour all those who were forced into the Indian residential schools, we are committing ourselves as an institution to engage in the process of reconciliation,” said Dr. Dawn Lavell-Harvard, Trent University director of the First Peoples House of Learning, on Thursday. “As a small but important first step we must acknowledge the truth of our shared history and these installations were designed to educate all those who study, work, or visit our campuses. We give these places of honour to the Michi Saagiig Anishnaabeg, the original signatories of Treaty 20 and Williams Treaty, as a sign of respect and our commitment to do better and to work together in true partnership as the original treaties intended.”

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City Bus Wrapped In Orange In Smudging Ceremony For National Day of Truth And Reconciliation

A city bus is on board for the “Every Child Matters” movement as it was wrapped in orange during a smudging ceremony to raise awareness of residential schools and encourage Indigenous reconciliation on Thursday.

Crystal Scrimshaw (pictured) was one of three people that brought the idea of the bus design to council. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

City council quickly approved the motion on Monday to have the bus covered in orange and the “Every Child Matters” wrap on it. The idea was brought forth by Crystal Scrimshaw, Kelli Marshal and Pam Goldsworthy.

Curve Lake Chief Emily Whetung, Mayor Diane Therrien, Coun. Stephen Wright and several other Indigenous supporters and representatives were in attendance.

“The most important thing is raising awareness and making sure the people know the true history of Canada so that they can learn and know what happened and make a choice to make it better,” said Chief Whetung.

“The circumstances behind it are obviously tragic but I think this is a beautiful artistic way to honour those children and to raise awareness about the fact that there’s going to be more children found,” said Therrien. “Hopefully it will educate Canadians more about the reality of residential schools and intergenerational trauma and impact its had on families.”

The bus circuited from town hall, down George Street and circled back around Water Street as a ceremonial lap. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The smudging ceremony was performed by Whetung’s father, Lorenzo Whetung. He purified the bus by waving burnt sage in an abalone shell with a feather.

The shell with the sage symbolizes a woman carrying life similar to the bus carrying and protecting people Lorenzo tells PTBOCanada.

(left to right) Coun. Stephen WriGht, Chief Emily Whetung, Mayor Diane Therrien, Crystal Scrimshaw and Pam Goldsworthy after the bus was cleansed from the smudging ceremony. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The orange wrap will remain on the bus for at least six months and then will be reevaluated for normal wear and tear after the winter.

“I think every time people are going to see this bus and that’s how you start learning and that’s what’s going to drive conversation,” explained Chief Whetung. “That’s what’s going to drive change.”

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Mayor Diane Therrien Issues Statement Regarding National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

With Canada celebrating National Day for Truth and Reconciliation for the first time following the discovery of buried childrens’ bodies at residential schools earlier this year, Mayor Diane Therrien has issued a statement regarding the day’s observance in its inaugural year.

File Photo.

This year the Federal Government announced September 30th to be National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The last several years saw September 30th become “Orange Shirt Day”, so named based on the experience of residential school survivor Phyllis (Jack) Webstad. Upon her arrival at the Mission School, she was stripped of her orange shirt and made to wear a uniform.

Orange Shirt Day became a national movement, a day to remember and reflect on the horrific treatment of Indigenous children at residential schools across Canada.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Reports consolidated the experiences of survivors and included 94 Calls to Action, covering a range of topics, and includes an entire section on “Missing Children and Burial Information”.

The staggering death rates of Indigenous children at residential schools, and the callous disregard for their bodies has been known in Indigenous communities for generations. Parents were often given no information about why their children didn’t return home.

With the discovery of 215 children’s bodies in unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Residential School, the reality of Canada’s horrific past became a national discussion.

Additional bodies have been found since May and will continue to be found as communities conduct ground penetrating radar searches to find their children and bring them home.

It is incumbent upon all of us to contribute to the truth, reconciliation, and healing process. There are numerous resources online to help you understand the true history of this country. As has often been said, we cannot have reconciliation without first having truth. It will be uncomfortable. Imagine how uncomfortable it was for the children taken from their families, their home, their lands, and forced to assimilate to Euro-Christian ways of living.

Imagine it was your children, your grandchildren, your nieces, and nephews. Taken by force (parents who fought to keep their children were arrested or threatened with arrest by the RCMP), to institutions that were designed to strip them of their language, culture, and ties to land and family.

John A Macdonald said “that Indian children should be withdrawn as much as possible from the parental influence, and the only way to do that would be to put them in central training industrial schools where they will acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men”. Imagine that happening to your family.

Read, at the very least, the Executive Summary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the 94 Calls to Action.

Read the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Read the Ipperwash Inquiry.

Read the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Support Indigenous people and communities. Not just on September 30th, but year-round. Attend events organized by Indigenous communities and organizations.

You are on Treaty Land. That comes with rights and responsibilities on both sides. Learn about the Williams Treaty (or the Treaty that covers the area you live). Do as much research as you can. Follow Indigenous scholars, artists, lawyers, activists on social media. Read their posts. Donate to them and Indigenous organizations if you can.

The City of Peterborough has raised the Every Child Matters flag alongside the City flag, which has been at half mast since the discovery of the first 215 children. The City commits to Call to Action #57, “to provide education to our public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties, and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-Crown relations [through] skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.”

The City, and I as Mayor, will continue to work with partners at Curve Lake First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation, Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, and the urban Indigenous communities to chart a good path forward. We will remember these children, their families, and their communities, and we will honour them.

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