Mínwastánikéwin is a Cree word that means ‘to set it right.’

RRC Polytech introduced the award in December 2019 and presented the first award in January 2020. The College has since presented the award to three Indigenous students over the past three years. For 2023, two recipients will be selected to each receive the $1000 bursary.

The Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award was made possible through the generous support of RRC students, staff and faculty supporting campaigns at the RRC Campus Store that bring awareness to Truth and Reconciliation and Indigenous issues such as Orange Shirt Day: Every Child Matters and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Honouring and Awareness Day.

We know that over the last 150 years, 150,000 Indigenous children attended Canadian Residential Schools. We know that 90% of children in Manitoba’s foster care system are Indigenous and more than one-third of Winnipeg’s Indigenous population, nearly 70,000 people, live in poverty. And we also know that despite making up almost 17% of the provincial population, Indigenous peoples are typically underrepresented in post-secondary institutions.

This award is for full-time Indigenous students who have a stake in Truth and Reconciliation and a personal connection to the intergenerational effects of colonialism. Recipients will be selected based on an essay response on what Truth and Reconciliation means to them. To be eligible, applicants are required to submit a General RRC Application, proof of Indigenous heritage, and a one-page essay submission. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2023.  Completed application forms should be submitted by email to financialaid@rrc.ca.

For more information about the Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award, see the Awards, Bursaries, and Scholarships Catalogue.

The previous recipients of the Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award were Morgan Barbanchon (2019-20), Chasline Spence (2020-21), and Naomi Henderson (2021-22).

At Manitou a bi Bii daziigae in the Atrium, 11am – 4pm

RRC Polytech and the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce are proud to present the third annual Indigenous Student Career Fair on January 18, 2023 at Manitou a bi Bii daziigae from 11:00am – 4:00pm in the Atrium.

The event will feature over 30 employers from a range of industries that have job openings and opportunities to hire Indigenous students. We’ll have an online list for you to view the available job listings and the booths where you can apply directly, so make sure you bring your resume! Prospective employers will have space to conduct interviews on site.

You will have the opportunity to network with potential employers, industry partners, RRC Polytech alumni, Chamber members, and other learners. At noon, an alumni panel guided by student hosts will discuss breaking into industry and how to navigate job seeking.

From 1pm to 3pm, a photographer will be available to take headshots for you to use for your LinkedIn profiles and other professional bios. Please have your student ID and email ready to share.

Tickets for a hotdog lunch will also be available at the registration table on a first-come, first-served basis.

Register in advance for a chance to win one of two $50 SkipTheDishes giftcard! Click here to register.

Transportation to the Career Fair:

Students at the Notre Dame Campus can access bus tickets for transportation to the event from Terri-Lynn Anderson in the Indigenous Support Centre F209 on a first-come, first-served basis. One ticket per student.

Students can take the 26 Logan – Berry to City Hall from the bus stop (20456) outside at the bus loop directly to the Exchange District Campus bus stop on William Ave. at King St. (10720). We’ll post the bus schedule that day so you can plan the best time to come.

Please send any questions to Carla Kematch, Director of Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement at cakematch@rrc.ca.

We’re excited to see you there!

Welcome back! It’s 2023 and we hope everyone had a safe and relaxing winter break. Most classes started up again today, so here’s a look at upcoming events and observations for January:

• Our first-ever cohort for Pathway to IT Programs starts today! Welcome future IT students!
• Today is the first anniversary of Jamie Wilson becoming the VP, Indigenous Strategy, Research and Business Development at RRC Polytech!
• Tomorrow is National Ribbon Skirt Day, and we invite everyone to wear their ribbon skirt! We’re planning a ribbon skirt-making workshop! More information to come.
• We’ll be hosting meet-and-greets with our new Knowledge Keeper Richard Curé in the next couple weeks at both campuses! Stay tuned for more details.
• RRC Polytech and the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce are hosting an Indigenous Student Career Fair on January 18! There will be opportunities for networking, interviews, and headshots. Keep an eye on our blog for more information and to pre-register.
• Next week, the winter cohort for Compass Skills starts!
• Elders and Knowledge Keepers rest their bundles for January, so the Sweat Lodge schedule will resume in February.

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The semester is wrapping up for most classes this week and we just wanted to give a shout-out to all our amazing students! You did it, and we can’t wait to see you next year! Here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect when you return in 2023:

• Classes start Tuesday, January 3, including our first-ever Pathway to IT cohort!
• The 2023 cohort for Compass Skills starts Monday, January 9!
• January 4 is National Ribbon Skirt Day, and we’ll be planning a ribbon skirt-making workshop in early January!
• We’ll host a meet-and-greet with our new Knowledge Keeper, Richard Curé, a couple of weeks into January at both Indigenous Support Centres!
• Elders and Knowledge Keepers rest their bundles in January, so Sweats will resume in February!
• Get your applications in for the Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award before January 15. The recipients will be selected in late January!

Happy holidays, stay warm and safe, and get lots of rest!

Red River College Polytechnic and the School of Indigenous Education are pleased to welcome Knowledge Keeper Richard Curé to our community!

This past summer, Richard conducted a Drum Making Workshop to create beautiful drums that now hang in our Indigenous Support Centre at Notre Dame Campus. He has also worked with Elder Paul in Sagkeeng First Nation for many years.

Richard will work alongside Elder Paul and our Indigenous Student Support Team on campus to support RRC Polytech students, staff, and community partners and members. He will work in the same capacity as Elder Paul once he has become accustomed to the many ways our Elders and Knowledge Keepers support our community. Right now, Richard will be on campus Thursdays and Fridays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Elder’s Office in F209.

Richard also joined the Knowledge Keepers Council, where Knowledge Keepers and Elders from the community are invited to consult on various decisions related to the College’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.

We look forward to hosting a meet and greet in early January in the Indigenous Support Centre F209, so check back for more details in the new year.

If you’d like to learn more about Richard and his role as a Knowledge Keeper, read his bio on our website. If you see Richard on campus, say hi!

The Resource Crew, or R-Crew, helps the Indigenous Student Support Team and Indigenous Support Centres with activities and events throughout the year.

R-Crew members brainstorm and implement plans with the Support Team, speak and perform at events, and help with logistical set-up and tear-down, among many other tasks and responsibilities. They also help Indigenous students, those new to the College and those that have been around the block, get settled in and navigate everything from events to classes.

If you see an R-Crew member, say hi!

NDC R-Crew

Hello! My name is Aleesha Wood, and I am from St. Theresa Point First Nation in Island Lake, MB.

I decided to join R-Crew to get the full college experience and to gain skills from the Support Centre. I’ll be happy to help in any way I can and to support in the Indigenous Support Centre!

If you see me, come say hi.

My name is Andrea, and I am an Ojibway Ikwe from Sagkeeng First Nation and Little Black River First Nation. Attending school definitely has overwhelming moments. Having a comfortable and safe space to decompress helps alleviate the stress — I found this relief at the Indigenous Support Centre.

As a newly selected R-Crew member, this opportunity allows me to contribute to the awesome services, activities, and events that the circle of staff coordinates.

EDC R-Crew

My name is Sharon-Rose Bear and my Spirit Name is Flying High Eagle Woman. I am a Cree woman from Muskoday First Nation Saskatchewan, but I was raised here in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I’m a second-year Community Development student here at RRC Polytech, and I also want to pursue a diploma in Indigenous Social Entrepreneurship. I hope to work in the inner city because I grew up there and that area resonates with me.

I am an Indigenous woman who wears many hats, and I have had to learn to manage these hats to become a successful student, mother, and now R-Crew member. If you see me around, don’t be afraid to say hi! I look forward to representing our Indigenous Support Centre.

Thank you!

Sharon-Rose Bear (Flying High Eagle Woman)

Boozhoo! My name is Teddy and I’m in Creative Communications (CreComm) as a part-time student.

I am from Lac Seul Ontario (Treaty 3) but I grew up in Winnipeg. I am active in RRC Polytech Students’ Association as a Student Rep. I am also a new R-Crew team member. I look forward to getting to know you and being an Indigenous student support.

I have a background in social work and I enjoy meeting people and helping where I can. If you need help on campus I am usually found in the Indigenous Student Lounge on EDC in P407 or wheeling my backpack around the halls. Miigwetch.

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 here for reminders of upcoming Sweats and any schedule changes!

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).