Indigenous Awareness Weeks offer听students, staff, and faculty the opportunity to learn about Indigenous cultures, histories, and communities, promoting greater knowledge and understanding about Indigenous peoples in Canada. They aim听to raise awareness and initiate an exchange of ideas on First Nations, M茅tis, and Inuit topics within the 91社区 community.
Indigenous Awareness Weeks provide a space to amplify听Indigenous voices and perspectives on campus. Since 2011, invited guests have included听academics, community members, Elders, and students. Topics have included health, identity, language revitalization, the Indian Act, Residential Schools, Indigenous legal traditions, Canadian policies, education, child welfare, and Indigenous ways of knowing.
The 11th annual IAW series took place from Monday, September 19th to Friday, September 30th.听
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Event Calendar
Week One
Monday, September 19th, 2022
Opening Ceremony & Keynote Address (5:45-8:00 pm), 91社区, Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building, Room M/1
Join us in celebrating the launch of this year's Indigenous Awareness Weeks! The event will begin with opening words from Kanien'keh谩:ka Faith Keeper Otsi'tsak茅n:ra (Charlie) Patton, followed by a keynote address by Celeste Pedri-Spade, 91社区鈥檚 first Associate Provost (Indigenous Initiatives). Following this, attendees will be treated to performances by Inuit throat singers Nina and Sierra Segalowitz, and Kanien'keh谩:ka social song singers Iakotennikonhrare Doreen, Tiohatehkwen Patton, and Karonhiakwas Patton. Food from the Roundhouse Caf茅/Caf茅 de la Maison Ronde and drinks will be provided.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Tuesday, September 20th, 2022
Film screening of听Three Thousand听and Q&A with the director, asinnajaq (6:00-7:30 p.m.),听91社区, Macdonald-Harrington Building, G-10听Auditorium
asinnajaq is a visual artist, filmmaker, and writer based in Montreal, QC. For her short film Three Thousand (2017), she uses thousands of hours of historical footage from the National Film Board of Canada's archive to reframe the past of Inuit and create a vision for the future. For more information on the film, visit the .
We look forward to seeing you there and encourage you to come prepared with questions!
Wednesday, September 21st, 2022
Virtual presentation and Q&A with Cassidy Caron (President, M茅tis National Council) (11:00 am - 12:00 pm), Zoom
Cassidy Caron is a M茅tis woman with roots in the historic M茅tis communities of Batoche and St. Louis, Saskatchewan. She grew up closely connected to her M茅tis traditions, heritage and culture and is driven by her family and community values of respect, honesty, collaboration and responsibility. Cassidy is the first elected woman to hold the office of President of the M茅tis National Council.
Join President Caron for a live Zoom presentation on the听past, present, and future of the M茅tis Nation. We kindly ask that you register in advance for this event using .听After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the link to join the meeting.
Thursday, September 22nd, 2022
91社区 Farmer's Market x Indigenous Awareness Weeks Collaboration (11:00 am - 5 pm),听91社区, 3460 McTavish St, Montreal
To celebrate Indigenous Awareness Weeks at 91社区, Indigenous Initiatives is collaborating with the听91社区 Farmer's Market to bring more Indigenous artists and vendors to the Market. Stay tuned for a complete list of the Indigenous vendors you can check out and support.
Roundtable discussion on Inuit self-governance with panelists听Pita Aatami (President, Makivik Corporation), Lisa Koperqualuk (President, Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada), and Natan Obed (President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami) (6:00-7:30 pm),听91社区, Moyse Hall Theatre
This roundtable discussion will explore Inuit self-governance at various levels: regional, national, and international. It will be moderated by Patricia Johnson-Castle, the former Director of Policy and Planning at the Nunatsiavut Government and the former Coordinator of the Indigenous Studies Program at 91社区.听
Watch the recording听.
Friday, September 23rd, 2022
21st Annual 91社区 Pow Wow (11:00 am - 4:00 pm),听91社区, Lower West Field (845 Sherbrooke St. W.)
Dancers bring your regalia and drummers, bring your hand drums. First Nations, Inuit, and听M茅tis artisans, vendors, and organizations are welcome. This is a free, public event.
For more information, please contact firstpeopleshouse [at] mcgill.ca.听
For the full pow wow schedule, please visit the First Peoples' House events page.
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Week Two
Monday, September 26th, 2022
Niriqatigiit听(Coming Together to Eat) with Inuk chef Trudy Metcalfe-Coe (5:00-7:00 pm),听First Peoples' House
Originally from Nain, Nunatsiavut, the Inuit Land Claims region in Northern Labrador, Inuk Chef Trudy Metcalfe-Coe has called Ottawa home for thirty plus years. Trudy started cooking around the age of twelve and takes pleasure in bringing comfort to family, friends and community, through her love of creating tasty dishes from Country Food (food from the Arctic such as caribou, seal, arctic char and musk ox).听
Join Chef Trudy as she prepares a meal for the Indigenous community at 91社区's First Peoples' House.
If you are Indigenous and would like to attend this event, please contact听aneeka.anderson [at] mcgill.ca听indicating your interest. Please note that the First Peoples' House will also be sending out an invitation to RSVP for this community dinner in the coming days.听
Tuesday, September 27th, 2022
Live broadcast of "Wampum in Montreal History" with Darren Bonaparte (12:30 - 1:00 pm), 91社区 YouTube
Tune into this live YouTube broadcast of听"Wampum in Montreal History" with Darren Bonaparte. Bonaparte is the Mohawk writer, artist, and cultural historian behind . In this video, Bonaparte discusses wampum, or the belts through which the Haudenosaunee documented their history and culture, in the Montreal context.
View the presentation here:听
Wednesday, September 28th, 2022
Inuit games demonstration by听釔嬦摢釗� 釔嬦摢釗毺�(12:00-1:30 p.m.), University Centre - Shatner Building,听Madeleine Parent Room (202)
Born in St. John's, NL, and raised in Ottawa, ON, 釔嬦摢釗� 釔嬦摢釗� (which translates to Stranger in English) has spent more than a decade demonstrating and teaching traditional Inuit games. At this event, 釔嬦摢釗� 釔嬦摢釗� will talk about the history of the games and demonstrate some of his favourites.
Join听釔嬦摢釗� 釔嬦摢釗� on the 2nd Floor of the University Centre (3480 McTavish Street) for this exciting demonstration.
Space for this event is limited, so we kindly ask that you RSVP听.听Thank you!
"The Legacy Game: Honouring the Indigenous Roots of Lacrosse" (Part One): A Presentation on the Meaning and History of Lacrosse by听Mike Kanentakeron Mitchell (4:00-5:30 pm), RVC West Lounge 014
Kanentakeron is a knowledge keeper from Akwesasne who has played lacrosse all his life. For almost twenty years, he served as President of the Iroquois Lacrosse Association. He also served as the First Nations Director to the Canadian Lacrosse Association from 1998-2011. In 2014, Kanentakeron was awarded the Lester B. Pearson Award by the Canadian Lacrosse Association for his dedication, sportsmanship, and leadership in the lacrosse world. Read more .听
Kanentakeron is also the former Akwasasne Grand Chief, and "was a member of the historic Indian Film Crew, an all-Indigenous group of film trainees formed at the [National Film Board] in 1967." Kanentakeron directed the IFC film You Are on Indian Land听(1969), which was formally credited to him in 2017. Read more .
Space for this event is limited, so we kindly ask that you RSVP . Thank you!听
Thursday, September 29th, 2022
91社区 Farmer's Market x Indigenous Awareness Weeks Collaboration (11:00 am - 5 pm), 91社区, 3460 McTavish St
To celebrate Indigenous Awareness Weeks at 91社区, Indigenous Initiatives is collaborating with the 91社区 Farmer's Market to bring more Indigenous artists and vendors to the Market. Stay tuned for a complete list of the Indigenous vendors you can check out and support.
"釔冡搫釔� 釔娽捇釖摋 釚冡悈釖敧釚� (INUA and Qaumajuq): Going Forward Together" with Krista Ulujuk Zawadski (6:00-8:00 pm),听Macdonald-Harrington Building, G-10 Auditorium
Krista Ulujuk Zawadski is a curator, anthropologist, arts leader, researcher, scholar and writer, who is originally from Igluligaarjuk (Chesterfield Inlet) and now calls Rankin Inlet, NU, home. Zawadski will present a talk on her involvement in听听and听.听INUA is the inaugural exhibition of听Qaumajuq, the new Inuit art centre at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, that brings together听the work of over 90 Inuit artists from across Inuit Nunangat and southern centres.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Friday, September 30th, 2022
4th Annual "We Will Walk Together/Sk脿tne听Entewathah矛ta" Event (10:00 am - 12:00 pm), Education Building (3700 McTavish St) Patio (outside) and Learning Commons area (inside)
This year's "We Will Walk Together/Sk脿tne Entewathah矛ta" event will involve an outdoor ceremony honouring the children, survivors, and families impacted by residential and day schools. It will include guest speeches and drumming performances. Following the ceremony, there will be an interactive information fair that highlights Indigenous initiatives within the Faculty of Education and beyond. The event's theme is "Education is the key to reconciliation."
"The Legacy Game: Honouring the Indigenous Roots of Lacrosse" (Part Two):听Varsity Men's Lacrosse Game and Ceremony (7:45 - 10:00 pm),听Percival Molson Memorial Stadium (475 Pine Ave W)
Friday, September 30th's varsity men's lacrosse game against Queens University will be dedicated to both Orange Shirt Day and Indigenous contributions to and stewardship of the game of lacrosse. In addition to the varsity game, the event will feature an opening ceremony, fundraising, half-time performances, and a closing ceremony involving the awarding of legacy sticks to the teams. Importantly, this is the first edition of what will become an annual Legacy Game at 91社区.
The game will be free to attend for Indigenous peoples (please contact Aneeka Anderson at aneeka.anderson [at] mcgill.ca to receive your promo code). Orange shirts designed by听White Buffalo Crafts By Isabelle (Isabelle Zwicker) will be sold at the game as a fundraiser for听the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal, and donations are being accepted on the ticket platform below.
Get your tickets here:听
