RRC Polytech is excited to welcome Grandmother Elder Ivy Chaske to our community!

Grandmother Ivy will be joining the Indigenous Student Support Team once a week to provide additional support to Indigenous students. Join us in the Indigenous Support Centre for a come-and-go Meet and Greet with Grandmother Ivy. Drop by the centre for a chat and some coffee as your schedule allows.

• Wednesday, Jan. 31 • 3pm – 4pm
• P407, Exchange District Campus

About Grandmother Ivy Chaske

Grandmother Elder Ivy is a full-blood Dakota with strong family ties to Sioux Valley First Nation and a connection to Sayisi Dene First Nation through marriage. She was raised in a traditional family and community, grounded in her culture and teachings.

As a Residential School Survivor, Grandmother Ivy is considered a Warrior by her family. She escaped Residential School and made her way to Winnipeg, where she connected with others who had also fled. She endured and overcame life on the streets and the challenges of gang involvement in the city.

Despite these hardships, she completed high school and attended the University of Manitoba. Grandmother Ivy is unapologetic in her belief that Indigenous people do not need colonial validation to prove their intelligence or worth.

She has dedicated her life to serving her people and building a strong urban community for future generations. She is especially proud of helping to organize the first annual walk for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Over the years, she has played a key role in founding numerous organizations and has contributed her knowledge and guidance to schools, post-secondary institutions, health educators, and government departments.

As a Grandmother, she is deeply committed to supporting youth who face barriers, along with the individuals who work alongside them. This work fuels her hope and belief that our young people have the power to change the world.