On Dec. 5, College Transition students received beads and a bracelet to recognize the sacred Cree Teachings they attained during the first four months of the eight-month program. The teachings represented by the beads are based on the sacred Cree Teachings of self-determination, culture, and interconnectedness, which are also reflected in seven of RRC Polytech’s ten commitments outlined in the 2015 Manitoba Collaborative Indigenous Education Blueprint for Universities, College and Public School Boards.

Students learned how to incorporate the teachings and live a healthy life based in their strength and ability to live and work with a double worldview approach. Each student chose their beads for further connection to the teachings, which were adapted to apply to each students’ own nation.

Instructor and Knowledge Keeper, Marilyn Dykstra, opened the ceremony with a welcome and a brief explanation of College Transition: the program is designed to help learners prepare for post-secondary education with classes in communication, math and science, career and professional development, and Indigenous cultures and practices. The program also has a dedicated practice in reconciliation.  

Following Marilyn’s welcome, students from Treaty 1 Territory, Treaty 5 Territory, and Nunavut took turns presenting their names and home communities in land acknowledgements they developed together in relation to each of their nations.

Every student was presented their beads from staff that supported their journeys, including Jamie Wilson, VP of Indigenous Strategy, Research, and Business Development; Fred Meier, President and CEO of RRC Polytech; and the Deans of the School of Indigenous Education and the School of Skilled Trades and Technology.

“Education is about walking with learners while they grow all parts of themselves. The students’ statement that they made at the end of their land acknowledgements stand—’We are the connected spirits of our land.’ It’s our responsibility to support that connection because education is not just about reading books.  It’s how we are all interconnected in spirit and in reconciliation.  When students grow, so do our kinships, communities, nations, environment, and ancestors,” said Marilyn.

This was the first bead ceremony held for College Transition and the students are looking forward to their next set of traditional teachings in term two, which starts January 2023!

To learn more about College Transition, visit the Program Explorer page.

All students, staff, faculty are invited to our Winter Solstice gatherings at EDC on Wednesday, Dec. 7 and at NDC on Wednesday, Dec. 14 in the Indigenous Support Centres.

This year, we are honouring our ancestors and the children that never made it home with gatherings for Winter Solstice.

Gathering for Winter Solstice brings comfort and warmth as we prepare for the longest night of the year and the season of rest. People come together to share stories and laughter and to recall the events of the past year. In many Indigenous cultures, winter represents the ancestral spirit, so reflecting on the past by sharing stories and giving thanks to our ancestors is an important part of honouring where and who we are from, especially as we plan for the cold months ahead.

No registration is required. Everyone is welcome to come as they are.

Sistering Indigenous and Western Science (SINEWS) is a paid mentorship program for female-identifying students. SINEWS supports pairs of students in the development and implementation of projects that address the needs of Indigenous communities. Selected projects will focus on braiding traditional Indigenous knowledge with western scientific methods under the guidance of experienced research scientists, Elders, and community knowledge keepers. At least one member of each pair needs to be Indigenous to qualify for this program.

Register for the SINEWS Information Session on Monday, December 12 at 1:30 pm!

This information session will cover the fundamental aspects of the SINEWS program and the application details. The presentation and slideshow will be about 30 minutes and time will be allotted at the end for a Q&A.

For more information and to apply to SINEWS, visit the Government of Canada website Sistering Indigenous and Western Science program (nrcan.gc.ca).

For Indigenous students at RRC Polytech living with disabilities, the observance of Indigenous Disability Awareness Month has potential to be a turning point for the College. Offiially adopted in Manitoba in 2021, this year is the first time the College marked the observance.

Teddy Lands (they/them, she/her), a Creative Communications student living with visible and invisible disabilities, says recognizing the intersection between Indigeneity and disability is important to address the unique issues and layered experiences that many Indigenous people living with disabilities face in every day life.

“If I’m having a hard day and people see me staggering a little bit while walking, or my eyes start wandering, they make assumptions about me because I’m Indigenous. It doesn’t occur to them first that I might have a disability,” says Lands.

According to the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, Indigenous people were more likely to have one or more disabilities than non-Indigenous people. Disabilities across the board ranged from pain-related conditions and mobility problems to mental health and cognition issues.

Compassion is a huge outcome of raising awareness on disability, especially during Indigenous Disability Awareness Month. Offering help to someone that appears to be having difficulty managing on their own can directly challenge the stereotypes and assumptions people living with disabilities might face.

Lands used Accessibility Services when they entered Creative Communications last year and has since had a range of options to help them be successful—from switching to the part time stream of the program, to regular check-ins with a counsellor, the program coordinator and instructors.

“The network I built at the College is as important as the support network I have at home,” says Lands.

Instructors are provided with information and resources on how to best accommodate student needs, like implementing the use of assistive technology, having accessibility staff to take notes for students, or allowing extensions for assignments and tests, among the many other options. Having that two-way communication helps Lands stay in class.

Lands says observances like Indigenous Disability Awareness Month can help catalyze systemic change as people learn more about how having disabilities and being Indigenous can impact a person’s life. Ensuring people can get access to the resources they need, even if that means going into a deficit, means that decision makers will see the need for these services and act on it.

“Support services should do away with standardized tests,” says Lands, noting standardized evaluations, like IQ tests, don’t necessarily reflect the intelligence of people who don’t fit those standards, whether it’s cultural- or ability-based differences.

“I’ve met people with two-digit IQs who are the most brilliant people I’ve ever met. Just because they’re not textbook smart, doesn’t mean they’re not intelligent. I have cognitive issues that affect my ability to perform academically—doesn’t mean that what I have to contribute isn’t valuable,” says Lands.

Lands, who has dyslexia and other cognitive impairments, says that developing relationships and communicating regularly with instructors, staff, and peers really helps to alleviate the pressure they’re under to perform at the same capacity as those who don’t use accommodations. A program like Creative Communications can be especially challenging for people with cognitive disabilities.

Kelly Stifora, Program Coordinator for Creative Communications, says support is very individualized and that instructors and students both rely on counsellors to coordinate solutions for meeting student needs.

“Students need a lot of resilience to be successful, even without the need for accommodations. It’s a matter of leveling the playing field for those students that need those accommodations,” says Stifora. “Academically speaking, students who have accommodations for their needs are just as successful as students who don’t use accommodations,” says Stifora.

Additionally, 4 Seasons of Reconciliation training is mandatory for all RRC Polytech staff and faculty to acquire a baseline knowledge of the initiatives in Truth and Reconciliation at the College and how these initiatives contribute to the healing of Indigenous peoples in our community. This training is supplemented by voluntary professional development opportunities, like the blanket exercise.

As for Teddy Lands, they say the current approach is a good start and has been working for them so far.

“After CreComm, I want to use my diploma and my experience in social work to influence change in education policies to be more forgiving for people with disabilities and cultural differences. It’s not just for me, but for my daughter and others living with disabilities, Indigenous or not,” says Lands.

For now, raising awareness during Indigenous Disability Awareness month is the first step in making sure students know that supports are available for them.

Students, staff and faculty can visit Accessibility Services at the College’s Winnipeg campuses in person Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm in room D102 at the Notre Dame Campus and in room P210 at the Roblin Centre. Accessibility Services has a page on RRC Polytech’s website to find more information on their services or to book appointments virtually. Staff members who need accommodations to work can contact their immediate supervisors or the Supportive Employment Program.

If you’d like to contribute to future professional development opportunities, the Diversity Self-Identification Survey helps the College to get a better picture of where we can provide more supports and better inform EDI initiatives. Click here to get started.

If you or someone you know someone is struggling to maintain steady work or stay in school, the Compass Skills Program can help.

Compass Skills is a free, paid 10-week course with potential for post-program financial assistance for education or employment.

Learners will gain the skills they need to enter post-secondary education or the workforce. They’ll learn how to manage their resources, self-reflect and plan for the future, and have access to culturally-inclusive supports for a holistic experience.

Compass Skills focuses on personal and professional growth. The program is not designed to put the pressure of grades or competition on learners. Compass Skills is designed with learners’ success in mind.

The Compass Skills program is delivered 25 hours a week, or five hours per day, Monday to Friday, which can be flexible based on learners’ needs. Childcare support options are available to help learners find the time to learn and grow.

Compass Skills participants will receive a living wage to support them while they learn. They’ll get training in first aid and mental health first aid, Manitoba Health Certified Food Handler Training, and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS). Compass Skills will help learners access the class 5 learner’s driver’s license handbook, the Canadian Adult Achievement Test Level C (CAAT), the CliftonStrengths Test, and criminal record checks.

Compass Skills introduces participants to life skills that aren’t necessarily reflected in the standard education system and would otherwise be inaccessible without first having someone to show them how to nurture these skills.

When does Compass Skills start?

Compass Skills starts Monday January 9, 2023, and runs until Friday, March 17, 2023.

Who can apply?

Compass Skills is offered to learners ages 18 – 30, who are Indigenous (First Nations status, First Nations non-status, Inuit, Métis), and not already in education or employment. Access to a laptop or computer is required to participate fully.

Transcripts, textbooks, references, and payments are not required.

If you or anyone you know is ready to apply to Compass Skills, check out the program page here for more information and to apply.

If you have any questions, contact Monica Morin, Program Manager, at momorin@rrc.ca.

Join us in NDC’s Indigenous Support Centre for a Holiday Craft Making Family Fun Night! Supplies for the holiday crafts will be provided, and refreshments and snacks will be available. All staff and students are welcome to bring their families and friends for a night of holiday creativity!

When: 5 pm – 8 pm, Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Where: Indigenous Support Centre F209, Notre Dame Campus

Send an email to Terri-Lynn at tlanderson@rrc.ca to register.

Pathway to IT Programs is still accepting applications all December long! When you submit your application, remember that you also need to provide proof that you have submitted all the required documents:

• High school transcript, or proof of enrolment in high school
• Transcripts from any other post-secondary you may have attended
• The application

The enrolment fee is waived until the second semester, so you don’t need to include any proof of payment in your proof of submission.

**From today, proof of submission is required within 5 days of submitting your application.**

If you submitted your application before November 28, you still have 30 days to submit your proof of submission.

If you need assistance with organizing your proof of submission, talk to Marshall Richard, Indigenous Liaison Advisor at indigenous@rrc.ca and he can help you out.

Check out this blog post for supplemental information and a tutorial to fill out the application, or visit the Program Information page directly to get started on your application!

Register now for an on-demand Information Session presented by Jamie Chahine, Manager, Access Pathway Programs and Marshall Richard, Indigenous Liaison Advisor!

If you have any questions, you can contact Marshall at indigenous@rrc.ca.

We are currently accepting applications for the Pathway to IT Programs for the Winter term that starts on Monday, January 3, 2023. You can access the application on the Pathway to IT Programs webpage when you’re ready to apply!

Movement and Wellness with Yoga Instructor Dawn Chartrand on Nov. 30 will be postponed until the new year due to unforeseen circumstances.

Date and time will be forthcoming in January. Location will remain in the Roundhouse Auditorium at Manitou a bi Bii daziigae.

We’ll keep attendees on the register until the new date is available and be in contact to ensure they can attend. No need to re-register. New attendees can register with Terri-Lynn tlanderson@rrc.ca when the new date becomes available.

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Thank you for your patience and understanding. We hope to see you in January 2023!

Please see the new schedule as updated in February 2023.

Join us for Sweat Lodges in the Medicine Wheel Garden with Elder Paul Guimond!

Sweats take place at 1 pm in the Medicine Wheel Garden at the Notre Dame Campus. To register, email Stephanie at sdwright@rrc.ca. Subscribe to our blog for reminders of upcoming Sweats and any schedule changes!

Sweat Lodge Ceremonies are a way to heal oneself and connect with all four parts of the self: the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Limit of 20 participants per Lodge. Register now!