The events of Inclusion Week only go until November 4, but the work continues for the remaining 51 weeks. Library collections reflect this ongoing work with efforts to keep current and provide access for those wanting to learn more after the last speaker finishes. LibGuides curate resources to help facilitate discovery on specific topics. While some Indigenous guides cover the legacy of residential schools and encountering racism in various settings, two more guides provide resources about diversity and further exploration of racism in Canada’s past and present.
Intercultural Competence & Diversity
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One of the earliest guides in our collection, Intercultural Competence & Diversity, introduces viewers to experiences previously unknown but still a daily reality for groups such as the disabled or Black Canadians, to name a few.
In addition to videos and books, organizations feature mainly those in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community taking steps toward their true selves. A keyword section recommends search terms to put into OneSearch for further reading and viewing on specific topics.
The guide includes topics related to sexuality, disability issues, and the anti-black racism section.
Anti-Racism Learning Toolkit
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The Anti-Black Racism page from the last guide links up with the Anti-Racism Learning Toolkit, a guide devoted to educating about racism with a Canadian focus. The History of Racism section provides websites and other resources about incidents within Canada’s History, including Japanese Internment camps, the Komagata Maru, and many others. Some resources reflect Canada’s past, and plenty of resources help understand the country’s present. Again, a keyword section will supply words to research a topic within the larger subject.
A new addition to the guide is the Anti-Racism Training Section. It’s designed to do alone or as part of a group with videos, articles, and some documentaries requiring college credentials for viewing. Reflection questions can stimulate conversation or pause for thought on the issues.
The Academic Success Centre (ASC) is partnering with Career Services to provide a comprehensive, interactive workshop series on the development of employment documents and skills for students.
The series will be a combination of presentations by the Career Services team supported by ASC workshops on complementary topics including: Job Search Strategies and Networking, LinkedIn Profile Development, Resumes and Cover letters, and Interview Strategies. By attending all workshop, students will gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed with their job search. The series complements Math, Science, and Communication’s (COMM-2172) Communication for the Workplace course.
These workshops will be designed for students in business related programs. All students are welcome to attend and adapt the information to their field.
June is National Indigenous History Month, a time dedicated to honouring the vibrant history, culture, strength and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada. What better time to take advantage of the latest new arrivals in the Library’s Indigenous section?
These timely resources offer the opportunity to broaden your understanding of the experiences and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples. Many thanks to Sarah Lee for maintaining the Library’s Indigenous Collection.
Indigenous women across North America resound in this book. #Not Your Princess presents an eclectic collection of poems, essays, interviews, and art that combine to express the experience of being a Native woman.
Tasha Spillet’s graphic-novel debut, Surviving the City, is a story about womanhood, friendship, resilience, and the anguish of a missing loved one. Miikwan and Dez are best friends. Miikwan’s Anishinaabe; Dez is Inninew. Together, the teens navigate the challenges of growing up in an urban landscape – they’re so close, they even completed their Berry Fast together.
Returning to Ceremony is the follow-up to Chantal Fiola’s award-winning Rekindling the Sacred Fire and continues her ground-breaking examination of Métis spirituality, debunking stereotypes such as “all Métis people are Catholic,” and “Métis people do not go to ceremonies.”
First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists, activists, educators and writers, youth and elders come together to envision Indigenous futures in Canada and around the world. Discussing everything from language renewal to sci-fi, this collection is a powerful and important expression of imagination rooted in social critique, cultural experience, traditional knowledge, activism and the multifaceted experiences of Indigenous people on Turtle Island.
The hilarious story of an unlikely group of Indigenous dancers who find themselves thrown together on a performance tour of Europe in 1972. The Tour is all prepared. The Prairie Chicken dance troupe is all set for a fifteen-day trek through Europe, performing at festivals and cultural events. But then the performers all come down with the flu. And John Greyeyes, a retired cowboy who hasn’t danced in fifteen years, finds himself abruptly thrust into the position of leading a hastily-assembled group of replacement dancers.
Borders / story by Thomas King; illustration by Natasha Donovan.
A graphic-novel adaptation based on the work of one of Canada’s most revered and bestselling authors. “What side do you come from?” On a trip to visit his older sister, who moved away from the family home to Salt Lake City, a young boy and his mother are posed a simple question with a not so simple answer. And when border guards will not accept their citizenship, mother and son wind up trapped in an all-too-real limbo between nations that do not recognize who they are.
A work in progress since the 1970s, We Remember the Coming of the White Man chronicles the history of the Dene People in the extraordinary time of the early 20th century. Chapters are transcripts of oral histories of ten Elders.
In September 2015, Sheila North was declared the Grand Chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), the first woman elected to the position. Known as a “bridge builder”, North is a member of Bunibonibee Cree Nation. North’s work in advocacy journalism, communications, and economic development harnessed her passion for drawing focus to systemic racism faced by Indigenous women and girls.
Land Acknowledgements often begin academic conferences, cultural events, government press gatherings, and even hockey games. They are supposed to be an act of Reconciliation between Indigenous people in Canada and non-Indigenous Canadians, but they have become so routine and formulaic that they have sometimes lost meaning. Métis artist and educator Suzanne Keeptwo sees the Land Acknowledgement as an opportunity for Indigenous people in Canada to communicate their worldview to non-Indigenous Canadians–a message founded upon Age Old Wisdom about how to sustain the Land we all want to call home.
The Assiniboia school is unique within Canada’s Indian Residential School system. It was the first residential high school in Manitoba and one of the only residential schools in Canada to be located in a large urban setting. Stitching together memories of arrival at, day-to-day life within, and departure from the school with a socio-historical reconstruction of the school and its position in both Winnipeg and the larger residential school system, Did You See Us? offers a glimpse of Assiniboia that is not available in the archival records.
A neurotic party girl’s coming-of-age memoir about learning to live before getting ready to die. Tara has it pretty good: a nice job, a writing career, a forgiving boyfriend. She should be happy. Yet Tara can’t stay sober. She’s terrible at monogamy. Even her psychiatrist grows sick of her and stops returning her calls. She spends most of her time putting out social fires, barely pulling things off, and feeling sick and tired. Then, in the autumn following her twenty-seventh birthday, an abnormal lump discovered in her left breast serves as the catalyst for a journey of rigorous self-questioning.
Dadibaajim narratives are of and from the land, born from experience and observation. Invoking this critical Anishinaabe methodology for teaching and learning, Helen Agger documents and reclaims the history, identity, and inherent entitlement of the Namegosibii Anishinaabeg to the care, use, and occupation of their Trout Lake homelands.
A compelling political memoir of leadership and speaking truth to power by one of the most inspiring women of her generation. This is the story of why Wilson-Raybould got into federal politics, her experience as an Indigenous leader sitting around the Cabinet table, her proudest achievements, the very public SNC-Lavalin affair, and how she got out and moved forward.
Privileging Indigenous voices and experiences, Intimate Integration documents the rise and fall of North American transracial adoption projects, including the Adopt Indian and Métis Project and the Indian Adoption Project. Making profound contributions to the history of settler-colonialism in Canada, it sheds light on the complex reasons behind persistent social inequalities in child welfare.
An indigenized, de-colonized world view for Indigenous leaders and academics seeking a path to reconciliation. Authors makwa ogimaa (Jerry Fontaine) and ka-pi-ta-aht (Don McCaskill) tell their di-bah-ji-mo-wi-nan (personal stories) to understand the cultural, political, social, and academic events in the past fifty years of Ojibway-Anishinabe resistance in Canada.
A story of love, heartbreak, and tragedy, Home Waltz delves into suicide, alcohol abuse, body image, and systemic racism. A coming of age story like no other, Home Waltz speaks to one Indigenous teenager’s experience of growing up in a world that doesn’t want or trust him.
An electrifying memoir that braids together the urgent issues of Indigenous rights and environmental policy, from a nationally and internationally recognized activist and survivor. Tying together personal stories of survival that bring the realities of Canada’s First Nations into sharp focus, and lessons learned from a career as a frontline activist committed to addressing environmental injustice at a global scale, Thomas-Müller offers a narrative and vision of healing and responsibility.
Drawing on both lived experience and cultural memory, Norma Dunning brings together six powerful new short stories centred on modern-day Inuk characters in Tainna. Ranging from homeless to extravagantly wealthy, from spiritual to jaded, young to elderly, and even from alive to deceased, Dunning’s characters are united by shared feelings of alienation, displacement and loneliness resulting from their experiences in southern Canada.
In this haunting, groundbreaking, historical novel, Danielle Daniel imagines the lives of her ancestors in the Algonquin territories of the 1600s, a story inspired by her family link to a girl murdered near Trois-Rivières in the early days of French settlement.
From Governor-General’s Award-winning writer David A. Robertson comes this special edition of the timeless graphic novel that introduced the world to the awe-inspiring resilience of Betty Ross, and shared her story of strength, family, and culture.
This collection presents legends of Nenaboozhoo, the Ojibway creator spirit, along with other creation stories; sacred stories which were transcribed from the oral storytelling of Isaac Murdoch. The Trail of Nenaboozhoo and Other Creation Stories is a book of art and storytelling that preserve the legends of the Anishinaabe people.
Through the profound lessons of the seven Grandfather Teachings, architect Vivian Manasc came to understand that the process of planning and designing a building should be a circle, with the beginning and end of the story linked together. The stories Vivian tells in Old Stories, New Ways are also framed by these teachings of Courage, Love, Wisdom, Respect, Truth, Humility and Honesty, with each teaching illuminating an aspect of how working with Dene, Cree, Saulteaux, Métis, Inuit and Inuvialuit communities has influenced her design practice.
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Pride will officially kick off in Winnipeg on May 27th with the Human Rights Conference. Pride is a celebration of confidence, self-respect, and solidarity as expressed by 2SLGBTQIA+ people, associated with openness about one’s own sexual and/or gender identity, and the celebration of Queer culture and history. It is also a protest in support of human rights and equality for all those who express sexual and gender diversity. This protest demands political, industry, health care, and community leaders address the human rights concerns of the Queer community and move toward positive and informed change.
Encouraging allyship is important for everyone and helps to make the world a more inclusive and affirming place. We encourage you to activate your allyship by exploring queer resources, data, and history. Our Guides are subject and database specific curated collections of library and external resources, that provide instruction, and “jumping off points” for unlocking your full capacity to find well sourced and high quality resources and information.
Below we have highlighted our Guides that contain resources to support learning about gender and sexual diversity. Learning is an important part of allyship. The impact of 2SLGBTQIA+ -specific allyship also extends beyond benefiting Queer identities by decreasing the likelihood of implicit and explicit bias, and removing barriers to true inclusion.
Why Diversity Matters:
When talking about the complexities of cultural identities, we sometimes focus on ethnicity, language, or religion. However, gender and sexual diversity also play a key role in our identities and day-to-day lives. As part of our efforts to foster respect and inclusion, we need to recognize our cultural biases or assumptions, regarding expectations of gender roles/expressions. Rather than either/or, gender and sexual identities are unique, fluid and complex.
Use our Guides – Find Information on Gender and Sexual Diversity:
Sexual health can be a challenging issue to discuss in the clinical context. Studies have reported that some health care providers may face barriers to discussing sexual health with their 2SLGBTQIA+ patients, including lack of knowledge of same-sex sexual practices.
“Although 2SLGBTQIA+ people are as diverse as the general Canadian population in their experiences of mental health and well-being, they face higher risks for some mental health issues due to the effects of discrimination and the social determinants of health.”[i]
Use our Guides – Find Gender and Sexually Diverse Health and Well Being Information:
Chart 2 Gender diversity is highest among 20- to 24-year-olds, Statistics Canada, 2022-04-27
Statistics around gender and sexual diversity help us gain a better understanding of the Queer experience and help researches, advocates and the Queer community use data to illustrate the concerns of 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Statistics can also be used to track the impact of policy changes that effect 2SLGBTQIA+ people as a whole, or within more specific identity groups. This helps ensure data informed decisions are made when advocating for positive change or advocating against changes that will negatively impact the needs of gender and sexually diverse people. Statistics are a powerful lens through which we can view the Queer experience and community.
On behalf of the RRC Polytech Library we wish everyone a safe and happy Pride. We remain dedicated to providing a respectful atmosphere that is diverse, inclusive and equitable to our students, staff and external partners. Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths and our goal is to provide a barrier free environment for individuals to succeed in their academic, employment and research goals.
[ii] “Representation is an essential part of treating everyone with dignity and equality (SDG 10)”, Colleges and Institutes Canada, last modified May 16th 2022, Perspectives, May 16 (collegesinstitutes.ca)
Red River College Polytechnic is a diverse student and employee community, with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as one of three commitments in our new Strategic Plan. However, as human beings, we all have hardwired unconscious biases that can affect our learning and working relationships and our actions can then affect our efforts towards diversity, equity and inclusion.
What is Immersive Stories?
In the context of March 21, International Day against Discrimination, the new Immersive Stories Program will present a series of five one-hour lunchtime sessions.
The Immersive Stories Program is designed to give students, faculty, and staff a first-hand opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding about multi-layered socio-cultural identities and lived experiences. As outlined in our new Strategic Plan, this program is part of the College’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, and the pursuit of equity, diversity and inclusion in everything we do.
Participants will develop skills that will allow them to regularly check their personal, social, and cultural assumptions so that they can avoid making quick conclusions and judgments. This in turn will help to foster a diverse and inclusive College environment for students and faculty.
Featured Guests
Each session in the Immersive Stories Program will involve a discussion with a member of our RRC Polytech community, during which they will share their unique lived experiences, and invite participant questions and dialogue. These conversations will provide participants an opportunity to gain insights into the lived experiences of our diverse community and will assist in becoming aware of our own biases.
Join us for the following meaningful conversations which will be held on Webex. Participants are welcome to register for up to five sessions in March and April 2022.
Wednesday, March 2 | 12 noon
GUEST: Vassan Aruljothi HOST: Kaleigh Quinn
Conversation topics: Racism, Discrimination in Malaysia, Deodorant and international students, Racism among people of colour, Effects of colonialism.
Wednesday, March 9 | 12 noon
GUEST: Jocelyne Olson HOST: Rebecca Hiebert
Conversation topics: Barriers to participation, Neurodivergent change management, Teaching with ADHD, Navigating the workplace, Inaccessible accessibility.
Wednesday, March 23 | 12 noon
GUEST: Anahita Aminian HOST: Nora Sobel
Conversation topics: My Ethnicity, My Family, My Religious Journey, My Education and my Approach to Early Childhood Education, My Language and Communication Skills.
Wednesday, March 30 | 12 noon
GUEST: Ebony Novakowski HOST: Sarah Lee
Conversation topics: My Sexual Orientation, Morbid Obesity and experienced perceptions, Chronic Illness and Polycystic Kidney Disease, My gender and sexual orientation in relation to work experience, My Family and Religion.
Wednesday, April 6 | 12 noon
GUEST: Marshall Richard HOST: Rebecca Hiebert
Conversation topics: Intergenerational trauma, Effects of Colonization, Social Inequities, Racism, Reclaiming Indigenous identities.
Please note that in order to create a safe and brave space for presenters and participants, only the introductions of the presentations will be recorded.
In this wave of the COVID-19 pandemic you may find yourself with less time on campus and more time studying at home. The RRC Polytech Library is here to help. This post will cover some of our supports and some tips to keep you on track with your studies.
This Library is Open
The library is open at the Notre Dame Campus: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 AM – 3 PM
The Library is open at the Exchange District Campus: Tuesday and Thursday from 10 AM – 3 PM
RRC Polytech Libraries have an extensive collection of ebooks allowing students from all campuses (including regional ones) to access our collection via the internet.
When searching for a journal or article, from the results page, you can use the filters to limit by ejournals or online article by selecting (available online).
Need something that is only available in print from our collection? We are happy to make a partial copy for you. You can request any print article from our collection or a chapter from a book through the Digitization service. Our library team will make you a copy.
Did you know that the library has streaming video services? Our collection is designed to serve our students. Explore our video databases as well as curated collections for special topic areas.
Adjusting your Study Habits
image source: pixabay
Studying is hard at the best of times. Just like your instructors, your routines may have to adjust during this wave of the pandemic. Here are some suggestions for how to swap your old habits for new ones
Campus Well-Being is now offering fitness and lifestyle consultations to staff and students.
Looking for some expert fitness advice? Not sure where to start on your journey to better overall health? Book a free, virtual session with one of our certified fitness professionals.
Your consultation will will take 30 to 40 minutes and can be done over the phone or via MS Teams. Your coach will ask you some questions about your current health, fitness, and lifestyle before collaborating with you on a plan to take concrete, actionable steps to better your health.
Take Care
Your well being and mental health matter. January 29th is Bell “Let’s Talk”. The day focuses on destigmatizing, building awareness, acceptance, and action in mental health. Of course, events will look slightly different this year, but continuing conversations about our mental health is more important than ever. To engage with RRC events for Bell visit the Campus Well-Being website.
On Monday, January 17 at 12pm, we look forward to our conversation with Bomgiizhik (Isaac Murdoch), author of The Trail of Nenaboozhoo and Other Creation Stories.
Bomgiizhik (Isaac Murdoch) is from Serpent River First Nation and is of the Fish Clan. He currently resides at Nimkii Aazhibikoong, an Ojibwe language and cultural community located in northern Ontario. He loves how the people are rekindling the old ways of his people. His children are Waabigwan, Elaine, Nanook, and Preston.
The Trail of Nenaboozhoo and Other Creation Stories
“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)
This title is available to borrow from the RRC Polytech Library >> Trail of Nenaboozhoo.
About the series
Conversations with Authors, hosted by Indigenous Education and Library and Academic Services, is offering a series of live conversations with Indigenous authors to further the conversation and our understanding of truth and reconciliation.
Written by Linda Fox – Library Technician, Program Support and Promotion
The Academic Success Centre (Library and Academic Services) will be delivering a series of “Motivation Mondays” online workshops throughout the month of January. Starting January 10th – bright and early – we’ve scheduled four 30-minute workshops to support students during their first month of Winter term.
Our facilitators will provide students with active learning strategies and tools to enhance their academic success and pose discussion questions to encourage self-reflection and goal setting for the term.
If you would like to encourage your students to attend these sessions, please instruct them to pre-register using the links below:
You are invited to attend our upcoming new student orientation event: Red River Ready. This virtual event is hosted over 3 days (Dec 14-16th) offering a variety of optional sessions to help prepare you for success as you embark on your academic journey at RRC Polytech.
You can customize your own orientation experience based on your needs and interests. You’ll have the opportunity to socialize with other peers in your program and learn about parking, ordering textbooks, student support services, studying in Canada, finding balance at college and more!
We respectfully acknowledge that Red River College campuses are located on the original Lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.
In June 2021 the Federal Government of Canada passed legislation to make September 30th a federal statuary holiday as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day provides the opportunity to recognize the legacy of the Canadian Residential School Systems. Undoubtedly before this federal legislation, September 30th has been recognized and observed as Orange Shirt Day or as Every Child Matters throughout Canada to recognize the victims of the Canadian Residential School System, and in support of Truth and Reconciliation. Library and Academic Services staff are honoured and eager to show our continued support for Truth and Reconciliation.
This past year has ignited national attention towards Truth and Reconciliation after the unmarked graves of 215 children were found near a former Residential School in Kamloops, BC. This number soon increased to over 1300 across Canada as more former Residential School sites across Canada were investigated. With these discoveries, it seemed Residential Schools and Truth and Reconciliation became pertinent conversations in our households and global environment. However, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRCC) was formed in June 2008, releasing its final reports and the 94 Calls to Action in 2015, and has been a pertinent conversation for a long time.
The unsettling news from Summer 2021 was a reminder that the past cannot be forgotten and that education about the truth is the way forward.
Library Resources: Helpful Starting Points to Build Your Understanding of Truth and Reconciliation
Our library contains many resources about Truth and Reconciliation, Residential Schools, and Indigenous Experiences throughout its’ collections. These resources are helpful starting points towards building understanding of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. We invite you to look at some of these resources to acquaint yourself with Truth and Reconciliation.
Cover art of featured videos from the Library’s collection
Truth and Reconciliation at Red River College
Red River College is hosting its third annual Truth and Reconciliation Week virtually from September 27 to 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.
