Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Time: 4:00 – 7:00pm

Ever wondered about Indigenous Education programs at RRC Polytech? Curious about your options? Want to talk directly to instructors and staff?

Join us for our virtual Indigenous Education Exploration Fair where you can connect, discuss, and explore programs and career paths virtually.

This event will help you learn, plan, and start your post-secondary education in a supportive environment so you can receive the skills, training, and confidence to strengthen the path forward for the next seven generations. Let us know how we can help you carve your path as you aspire towards your personal, professional and community goals.

This event is for future First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, their families, friends, and support networks, community organizations, and anyone who wants to learn more about Indigenous Education at RRC Polytech.

What to Expect

• Keynote Speaker Sheila North, RRC Alumni, Journalist, Former Grand Chief, Advocate
• Greetings from Elders-In-Residence: Paul Guimond and Una Swan
• Visit a variety of booths – meet staff and ask questions
• Tune into a live broadcast to learn all about Indigenous Supports at RRC Polytech
• Learn about programs, supports, and campuses

Wednesday, March 16, 2022
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
VIRTUAL – ZOOM
FREE

Are you a student interested in meeting a potential mentor in your desired field?

Join us for our free virtual Indigenous Youth Networking Forum – where we will bring together local business mentors with Indigenous post-secondary students to discuss career journeys, life advice and how to seek meaningful employment.

Hosted in partnership with RRC Polytech’s Indigenous Education and HP Change, attendees will first hear from an Indigenous business panel discussion then be broken into smaller groups, depending on the student’s interest and business leader’s specialization.

Why should students attend:

• Get your questions answered and gain credible career advice from local business leaders matched to you
• Create meaningful relationships with potential mentors
• Network with future employers located here in Winnipeg

To help us engage mentors that would be relevant and of value to students in attendance, we have just a few questions in the above registration.

Thursday, February 17, 2022 | 7pm-8pm

It’s Family Fun Night – with a Métis theme in honour of Louis Riel Day! Indigenous Student Supports invites you, your family and friends to join us virtually to play a Métis version of Kahoot! with prizes to be won. Navigation Coach Terri-Lynn Anderson and her family will also share a short lesson on how to do the Red River Jig. The event is hosted via Microsoft Teams and all are welcome to come – we hope to see you there!

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 | 12-1 pm

Shirley Delorme Russell from the Louis Riel Institute joins us for a lunch hour session to share the history of Métis peoples in Manitoba in advance of Louis Riel Day (February 21) to support our collective truth and reconciliation journey.

Learn about Louis Riel and why we have a provincial holiday named for him!

Find out why the creation of the province of Manitoba (where Louis Riel was the President) led to the Supreme Court Land Claims Case of 2013.

Understand all the resources that are available to Métis citizens (including RRC Polytech students!)

Shirley Delorme Russell

Shirley Delorme Russell (Class of 2007 Aboriginal Languages) is a proud Métis woman from the heart of the Métis nation by her momma as a Delorme. She is a humble Anisinaabekwe from her father from the land of the Sleeping Giant by her dad as a Russell.

A history nerd at heart, Shirley loves to instill pride and excitement as she shares Métis history with others.

Trained at RRC Polytech in Aboriginal Languages as part of her Bachelor of Education (University of Winnipeg 2010), Shirley is currently the Instructor of Métis History and Culture at the Louis Riel Institute, the educational affiliate of the Métis national government- the Manitoba Métis Federation.

Wednesday, January 26, 2022 | 7pm- 8:30pm

Indigenous Student Supports invites you to a family fun night with online bingo! Feel free to join with your family, friends and classmates.

We will do four rounds of full cards for each direction (North, South, East, West) and there are prizes to be won! The event will be hosted via Microsoft Teams. Everything for this event is online – no dabbers required.

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.

Darrell Brown

Darrell Brown is a Cree business owner based in Winnipeg. Darrell is President of Kisik Clean Energy and Kisik Commercial Furniture. He is a 2004 founding member and current chair of the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce based in Manitoba. He holds an Advanced Diploma in International Business from Red River College in Manitoba and a Certificate of Indigenous Leadership, Governance and Management Excellence from the Banff Centre. Darrell holds the designation of ICD.D from The Rotman, Directors Education Program through The Institute for Corporate Directors. Darrell also holds a certificate in the 20/20 Catalyst program focusing on the Indigenous Renewable Energy Sector. Darrell is the newly elected chair of the Indigenous Clean Energy Network, a social enterprise to advance renewable energy for indigenous people across Canada.

Live conversation with Bomgiizhik (Isaac Murdoch), author of The Trail of Nenaboozhoo

MONDAY, JANUARY 17, 12:00-1:00 PM

Conversations with Authors is a new series hosted by Indigenous Education and Library and Academic Services to further the conversation and our understanding of truth and reconciliation. We have selected some of the best of Canadian Indigenous writing, and lined up live conversations with the authors of these books. Everyone is welcome to attend the live sessions, which will also be recorded and posted on this site at a later date.

“Nanaboozhoo, the creator spirit-being of Ojibway legend, gave the people many gifts. This collection of oral stories presents legends of Nanaboozhoo along with other creation stories that tell of the adventures of numerous beloved animal spirits. The Trail of Nanaboozhoo is a book of art and storytelling that preserves the legends of the Anishinaabe people. Each story is accompanied by strikingly beautiful illustrations by revered Indigenous artists Isaac Murdoch and Christi Belcourt.” (Published by Kegedonce Press, 2020)

Save the Date for virtual Winter Solstice! Gather ‘round the fire and join us for tales, teachings and story-telling from Elder Paul Guimond and special guests Franco-Manitoban Métis storyteller Rob Malo and the Bighetty & Bighetty Puppet Show, Cree brothers from Pukatawagan, MB.

As we get ready for the longest night of the year and the season of rest, gatherings for the Winter Solstice bring comfort, warmth, and people together to share stories and laughter. In many Indigenous cultures, winter represents an ancestral spirit, so reflecting on the past by sharing stories and thanking our ancestors is an important part of honouring where we’re from, especially as we plan for the cold months ahead.

This family friendly event will be streamed live on the Indigenous Education Facebook page – no need to register, just watch!

Schedule

Elder Paul Guimond

Elder Paul, Okonace (Little Eagle Bone), RRC Polytech Elder-in-Residence will begin our event with a teaching and Honour Song for this time of year.

Rob Malo

Rob Malo, also known as TiBert le Voyageur is a Franco-Manitoban Métis storyteller, author, stage performer, juggler, poet, and community builder who shares his passion for history and culture with people of all ages. He is recognized by Storytellers of Canada as being a Master Storyteller and has been the Storyteller in Residence at the University of Manitoba. Rob draws on his background as an Educational Programs Developer at the Manitoba Museum and as a Professor in the Tourism Department of l’Université de St. Boniface to delight audiences through storytelling, juggling and music. Rob has been awarded Certificates of Excellence from Interpretation Canada for both TiBert le Voyageur live presentations and digital educational tools available to teachers through the Province of Manitoba DREF website.

Bighetty & Bighetty Puppet Show

Brothers Kelsey, Andrew, Daniel and Ken Bighetty from Pukatawagan, MB, inspired by The Muppets and Fraggle Rock in their youth, have created hilarious and spontaneous characters that spread laughter across the prairies with a growing online audience. Known for their interactions with Elders and children alike, these brothers use their Cree language and culture to bring representation through humour.

Photo of Gayle Sinclair from TRC Week 2021

Blended: In-Person & Virtual
Wednesday, December 1 – 6:30 pm
Virtual: via WebEx Events
In-Person: Limited Capacity, Indigenous Support Centre, Notre Dame Campus (F209)

Join us virtually with your family, friends, and loved ones to paint along with Gayle Sinclaire. Gayle shares a deeply spiritual experience, often sharing her traditional teachings through her demonstrations.

From Norway House Cree Nation, artist Gayle Sinclaire has pursued the use of colour through oils and acrylics on canvas and paper for the last 37 years. As a fine Arts student at the University of Manitoba Gayle began her formal inquiry into the concepts of colour and composition, the effects of light and how content can give significance to culture and spirituality. Her work is in the collections of the Manitoba Assembly of Chiefs, the community offices in Norway House and Cross Lake, and the homes and offices of numerous private patrons.

We have a limited number of painting supply packages available for students to pick up at the NDC Indigenous Support Centre (F209). Supplies included and required for this workshop are a canvas, a few paint brushes, and a few paint colours (black, white, red, blue, yellow). Supplies can be purchased at most dollar or craft stores. A cup with water and cloth or paper towel is also good to have on hand. Please contact Terri-Lynn Anderson, Navigation Coach, to arrange pickup.

Oji-Cree artist Matthew Monias, who goes by MattMac, recently performed at Directions 2021 powered by RBC Future Launch.

Directions is an annual business and applied arts conference showcasing Red River College Polytech students and local industry practitioners. Students spent the day in Breakout Sessions, in the Networking Lounge, and at the various Roundtables.

Hailing from Garden Hill First Nation, Manitoba, Mattmac has been blind from birth. He grew up surrounded by music both on the radio and singing in his community’s gospel choir. Mattmac began to struggle with depression at a young age and credits music for helping him cope. A fully self-taught artist, he first began to make beats and write songs when he was 13-years-old, and later taught himself how to play piano and guitar. He also has impressive skills with beat production software and equipment, and attributes his creative competencies to the support of the Blind & Famous group, a USA based collective of blind music artists who collaborate and connect with one another through the internet. Mattmac hopes to continue to use his platform to inspire others to know that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to.

Watch his performance here: