Fall Equinox has always been a significant and ceremonial time of year as we enter into equal part day and night and a new phase of the year. Just like us, Aki (earth in Ojibwe), and all its inhabitants, is preparing itself to get ready for winter. Gardens are giving their final gifts, leaves are falling, animals are changing colour, and the beautiful harvest moon provides extra light so we can prepare to move into a colder, restful season. It’s a season of preparation of what’s to come.

Fall Equinox also leads into why we recognize September 30 as Orange Shirt Day, which has now been declared as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, as the time of year when Indigenous children were taken forcibly from their families to Residential Schools.
Next week is our third annual Truth and Reconciliation Week where special guests will join us to share their stories and knowledge on Residential Schools, treaties, anti-racism, intergenerational trauma, and healing.

As the College will be closed on September 30, staff and students are invited to wear orange on Wednesday, September 29.

Red River College’s third annual Truth and Reconciliation Week, September 27 – October 1, 2021, is dedicated to deepening our understanding of Canada’s history, Indigenous cultures, and sparking a conversation around Truth and Reconciliation.

During the week, you will hear from Indigenous voices, engage in the conversation, as well as participate in some interactive activities. Some of the themes we will be touching on this year include anti-racism, Every Child Matters, the Canadian Residential School System, intergenerational trauma, healing, and strength.

Join the TRC Week Microsoft Teams site to easily access events and resources, receive notifications on and join the conversation! Live events will be hosted via Microsoft Teams for ease of use.

There will be a few different channels for you to explore, including channels hosted by the Student’s Association, the Academic Success Centre, and the Library.

To join, use code: z3znhh2

Learn more about this new FREE six-week pilot program for Indigenous students so you can start a job in warehousing and distribution! Get job-ready skills, receive a micro-credential and employment services, plus a two-week paid placement. The program builds on the successful training model used by Mohawk College’s City School in Hamilton, Ont.

Material Handling 4.0 Information Session
NEW DATE ADDED: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 – 1:00 pm

No need to register. Click to join to launch WebEx virtual event.
Event password:  RRC2021

For program details, visit rrc.ca/indigenous/materials-handling-4-0

You’re invited to participate in Red River College’s third annual Truth and Reconciliation Week, September 27 – October 1, 2021.

The week is dedicated to deepening our understanding of Canada’s history, Indigenous cultures, and sparking a conversation around Truth and Reconciliation.

During the week, you will have opportunities to hear Indigenous voices, engage in the conversation, as well as participate in some interactive activities. Some of the themes we will be touching on this year include Every Child Matters, the Canadian Residential School System, intergenerational trauma, healing, and strength.

All are welcome to participate in special events and join the conversation. As you participate in this week’s events strong emotions may arise. Be sure to take breaks and practice good self-care. Remember to be kind and do check-ins with yourself. We will share more ways you can do this as we get closer to events, but you can always access RRC Mental Health supports and resources at rrc.ca/wellness

Warehouse worker crouching down and checking boxes on shelves with scanner. Female worker scanning boxes in rack.

FREE SIX-WEEK PILOT PROGRAM OFFERS SOUGHT-AFTER CERTIFICATION FOR CAREERS IN WAREHOUSES OR DISTRIBUTION CENTRES

Are you ready to prepare for in-demand career opportunities in warehousing and distribution?

Red River College is launching a new six-week Material Handling 4.0 pilot program that provides industry-driven training, individualized student supports and hands-on work experience to those who face barriers to employment and education.

Participants will also enhance their soft skills, and be provided a full slate of wraparound supports, including opportunities for child care, all required personal protective equipment and supplies for work safety, and referrals to support services such as legal clinics, housing and health care.

The program builds on the successful training model used by Mohawk College’s City School in Hamilton, Ont. Upon completion of the training, participants receive a micro-credential and employment services to help them successfully transition into long-term, stable employment.

Red River College joins Mohawk College, Vancouver Community College and Nova Scotia Community College in piloting the new training, which is designed to help people transition into careers in the supply chain sector, while also supporting economic recovery in their regions. Funding for the pilot is provided by the government of Canada under the Future Skills program.

“Red River College is committed to building more pathways for our students — especially our Indigenous, newcomer and immigrant learners — to move from classroom to career with the human and technical skills they need to access gainful employment, all while helping to rebuild the Manitoba economy,” says Dr. Christine Watson, RRC’s Vice-President, Academic and Research.

What You’ll Learn

• Supply chain logistics environment
• Using technology in the material handling workplace
• Product receiving, storage, packing and shipping
• Important 21st-century workplace skills that employers are looking for

Eligibility

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• 18 years of age or older
• Legally entitled to work in Canada
• Unemployed or working less than 20 hours per week
• Not enrolled in full-time education

Course Details

• Starts September 2021
• Online and virtual delivery
  • Six weeks training
  • Two weeks paid work placement
• Access to RRC student supports, including Indigenous supports Opportunity for child-care supports

If you would like to be contacted about the Materials Handling 4.0 program at Red River College, please visit rrc.ca/indigenous/materials-handling-4-0

Join us for an interactive conversation about how Red River College can use its new space, the Innovation Centre Project, to strengthen Indigenous academic programs, supports and community on campus.

Isabel Bright (Dean, School of Indigenous Education), Carla Kematch (Manager, Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement) and Tracy Brant (Chair, Aboriginal Education and ACCESS Programs) will highlight some of the College’s Indigenous-focused academic programs and supports, opportunities for partnership with Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses, and how the new space can help grow connections and community on campus.

This discussion is being moderated by Sky Bridges, CEO, The Winnipeg Foundation. Sky is a graduate of Red River College’s Business Administration program and is both the first Indigenous (Métis, Cree, Blackfoot) and LGBTQ2S+ person to hold the position of CEO at The Winnipeg Foundation.

When: Tuesday, June 29 2021
Time: 12:00p.m. CDT (Winnipeg)
Where: WebEx Events

If you require ASL interpretation or other accessibility items for this event, please email CollegeRelations@rrc.ca

Click here to read more about panelists.

Pride Week 2021 features live events and self-guided resources that explore LGBTQ2+ inclusion and the Two-Spirt identity

Red River College’s Pride Week 2021, June 7-11, offers opportunities for the College community to gather virtually, create safer spaces and learn together.

“June is Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month, and the College has very strong Indigenous supports as well as powerful commitments through diversity and inclusion for LGBTQ2+. However, we witnessed the opportunity for education, enlightenment, and further inclusion for Two Spirit persons. During Pride 2021 we have decided to highlight Two Spirit identity, and provide opportunities for knowledge sharing and the creation of safe(r) spaces as we work towards enhancing inclusion and equity at the College,” says Priyanji Mediwake, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist.

The week begins with RRC’s Pride flag raising ceremonies with Fred Meier, President & CEO, and Dr. Christine Watson, Vice-President, Academic. Events include three live virtual opportunities as well as self-guided from the National Film Board of Canada and resources. The live events will provide opportunities for participants to engage in the conversation, share in a virtual Healing Lodge with Elder Gayle Pruden, a Two-Spirit Anishinaabe dancer, and hear lived experiences with special guests who will share more about the meaning of Two Spirit – from pre-colonization to the present. Live events will be held by either WebEx or Microsoft teams.

Thursday, June 10 – Live
Live: Panel Event: Healing and Reclaiming Two-Spirit Identity
12 – 1:30 pm
WebEx Events

Prior to colonization, First Nation’s peoples did not try to fit their societies into binaries of male and female for gender nor for sexuality. Those peoples who did not fit into these roles were given room to live, express themselves, and contribute to the community in a good way. Two Spirit people were celebrated and given important responsibilities such as teaching, healing, and leading.

Dr. Elaine Mordoch will present research findings on behalf of their research team to lead us into the panel discussion. Then, our panelists we will go on to unpack the Two-Spirited identity prior to contact, discuss how colonization has impacted Two Spirit ways of being in today’s culture and we will then discuss how these communities are reclaiming culture and space today. There will be an opportunity for you to ask panelists a question.

Panelists:

• Lorne Olson, Filmmaker
• Levi Alizaar Foy (Manidoo-gwiiwizens), Executive Director, Sunshine House
• Barbara Bruce, O.M., President, All My Relations Inc; Associate of AMR Planning & Consulting
• Dr. Myra Laramee, Indigenous Elder
• Moderated by Bradley C West. CPHR. SHRM-SCP. CCP.PMC

“The word Two Spirit actually originated from Winnipeg. We have so many strong, intelligent, esteemed voices in this space locally, so to have them together for this discussion will be powerful,” says Carla Kematch, Manager, Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement. “It’s so important that we create opportunities for stories to be heard and to be able to have conversations in a safe space, especially when we need to try and create connections during this time of self-isolation. Cultural reclamation requires our attention, time and effort. We invite all to explore what the Indigenous perspective was pre-colonization and what it means today.”

To learn more and read panelist biographies, visit rrc.ca/diversity/resources/pride-2021/

Inspiring stories from RRC’s Indigenous Alumni

How do successful people get to where they are? What did that journey look like? What did they learn and how did they stay the course? What does it mean to be an Indigenous student in post-secondary?

The Stay the Course speaker series is a hand from one generation to the next, hosted by Carla Kematch, Manager, Truth and Reconciliation and Community & Engagement. Every month, incredible RRC Indigenous Alumni share their experiences on their journey to success. Advancing Indigenous achievement at RRC means listening to Indigenous stories. This is just one of the many ways we can embed the efforts of Truth and Reconciliation in our daily lives.

Haven Stumpf, Executive Director, Urban Circle Training Centre Inc.

My name is Haven Stumpf and my spirit name is White Eagle Woman from the Deer Clan. I carry the Sundance Colours of Blue, White, Yellow and Red. I am a 55-years-old, First Nations woman whose family roots are from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, MB. I was born, raised and lived all my life in the North End of Winnipeg. The highlight of my life is raising my son as a single mother, who is now 36-years-old, and being grandmother of two beautiful grandchildren who are now 13 and 15-years-old. They teach me daily and allow me to continue to grow and learn the precious “life lessons” that arise in my life journey.

Our family, like many others have been affected by the historical genocide in Canada – the Residential School System. Our family has been stripped of our Indigenous culture, language and identity. I myself have been stripped of a mother, a loving nurturing mother who just didn’t have the skills of being a mother. Today, our family is still affected by these systems as I raise my two grandchildren, avoiding falling into the same cycles of systematic oppression.

I am now entering into my 26th year with Urban Circle Training Centre Inc. and am currently the Executive Director. I have come full circle as I am a graduate of Urban Circle’s Banking Business Retail Program in 1996. I started off as the receptionist at Urban Circle and have worked my way into my position today with continuous education, workshops with professional and personal growth while working full-time. I have always worked a part-time job to meet my financial obligations as I was always considered the “working poor.” It wasn’t until five years ago I left my part-time job as a support worker with a CFS agency and focused all my energy into Urban Circle.

I have been taught the importance of the Seven Teachings and the Medicine Wheel Teachings by the many Elders (particularly the late Elder Stella Blackbird and Elder Audrey Bone) whom I have met throughout my journey. Learning the importance of these teachings and beliefs have brought balance and wellness in my life. It is difficult at times to continue to walk this good life as these teachings are new and sometimes the old coping is the one I know and the easiest to do. The “wellness” that is displayed is like a domino effect and now hope it continues to grow within my children’s lives and also onto my extended families lives.

MÍNWASTÁNIKÉWIN TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION BURSARY RECIPIENT INSPIRED BY GENERATIONAL HEALING

Chasline Spence, a Pathway to Business, Creative Communications and Digital Technology Programs student at Red River College, has been selected to receive the 2021 Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award, presented in partnership by RRC’s School of Indigenous Education and its Campus Store. The word Mínwastánikéwin is Cree, and means ‘to set it right.’

“Honestly, I felt really emotional because the story I wrote was really personal and I was able to talk about my father. It was good-emotional,” says Spence, the second student to receive the award.

Spence’s father is a Residential School survivor and she wanted to include his story in her essay, a response to the question “What does Truth and Reconciliation mean to you?”

“It was one of the first times we really talked about it,” she says. “Throughout the years he told me about what happened in Residential Schools, but this time he really opened up to me so I could write about it.”

In her essay, Spence shared the impacts the residential school had on her father, and in turn, her life.

“It wasn’t until I became an adult and then heard my dad’s stories that I realized what I have been going through in my life was a part of the effects of Residential Schools, and what stemmed from it.”

When she turned 18, she began her own healing journey. Now, after recently becoming a mom, she is on a path towards a new career in business.

“My daughter inspires me. I’m just ready for this change,” says Spence.

“For so many years I did carpentry, landscaping, I was a stagehand, I did a lot of physical labour, and when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter it was a sign it was a good time to change career paths. For me, it was all about timing and feeling ready and confident to take on the responsibility of post-secondary schooling. I feel ready now.”

Her daughter is now two and Spence has received her Mature Grade 12 diploma from Urban Circle Training Centre Inc., is completing the Indigenous Education Pathway program at RRC, and plans to go into the Business Administration program in the fall.

“I feel really blessed. I think because I have that gap in schooling, the program I’m in now is really preparing me for Business Administration and what’s to come next year. I’m really grateful.”

Spence says her education at Urban Circle helped her get a real understanding of Truth and Reconciliation.

“We really go deep into what TRC is, and what I want people to understand is that it wasn’t yesterday, it was recently. The Residential Schools and intergenerational trauma are affecting our Indigenous people and I’m just so glad that TRC started when it did so we can teach the new generation what it is and hopefully get some healing. It has lingered into our young people today and we are still being affected by it.”

Spence is the second recipient of the award, which seeks to advance Indigenous achievement and support Indigenous students at RRC. The grassroots initiative was created through the generous support of the College community during the first Truth and Reconciliation Week in 2019. Staff and students purchased T-shirts at the Campus Store that brought awareness to Indigenous issues and key dates such as Orange Shirt Day: Every Child Matters and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Awareness Day.

“I’m just really happy that RRC considered me for the award,” says Spence. “I worked really hard on it and my dad is really happy about it. It’s about being recognized for it and it feels really good.”

RRC’S PRAIRIE RESEARCH KITCHEN TO HOSTINDIGENOUS FOOD BUSINESS STORIES WEBINAR

Food and story-telling has always brought people together. The Prairie Research Kitchen is creating a community environment for Indigenous stories and food science to blend and grow. On May 12 from 9 am – 12 pm, the Prairie Research Kitchen will host an Indigenous Food Business Stories webinar to foster discussion and relationship building in the food entrepreneur community.  

Community and economic development representatives, aspiring researchers, and entrepreneurs are invited to this discussion on food product development stories from Indigenous business leaders and to learn how the Prairie Research Kitchen can help as a product development resource. 

Click here to read more.