MITAH-koo-ya OYA-shin OAK-ah-pee

Mitakuye Oyasin Okciyape is the name for the large open space you walk into in Manitou a bi Bii daziigae. In Dakota, the name means All My Relations Helping Each Other.

Kunshi (Dakota Grandmother) Ivy Chaske joined RRC Polytech in 2023 as a Grandmother in the Elders-in-Residence program and as a member of the Knowledge Keepers Council. She proposed changing the name from the Agora to Mitakuye Oyasin Okciyape, and in the spirit of reciprocity, was offered tobacco. The initial Ceremony to begin the process of transferring the name began on June 21, 2024.

Each person who took part in the Ceremony on Friday, June 20, 2025, honoured its spirit through their presence, accepted the responsibility of bearing witness, and helped ensure that Mitakuye Oyasin Okciyape will continue to live within the RRC Polytech community. This year’s Ceremony was an act to close the circle on last year’s Ceremony, and we have walked with Kunshi Ivy while she observed the space and ensured the Polytech could hold the name and the space with the proper respect.

Responsibility for Mitakuye Oyasin Okciyape was given to four selected leaders at the Polytech, and each was presented with a gift that represents the weight of the responsibility they now accept. With that, Mitakuye Oyasin Okciyape is a proud recognition of the inclusion, reflection, and innovation that happens within these walls and the commitment we have in celebrating the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.

This commitment is reflected not just in words, but in meaningful action. As an educational institution, RRC Polytech consistently creates space for inclusion, acceptance, and deep respect for traditional ways of knowing. Through work in the community, we have demonstrated that this is more than a statement – it is a lived practice that shows we are truly committed to reconciliation and respectful relationships.

All My Relations Helping Each Other is a prayer of connection. Mitakuye Oyasin Okciyape reminds us that we are not separate – we are part of a vast web that includes every person, every creature, the land, the water, and even the air we breathe. The word “all” means everyone and everything, without exception – not just those who are familiar or similar to us. It’s a call to recognize that our lives are deeply interwoven. It’s a recognition of the fact that we exist because everything else exists.

This teaching reminds us to live with awareness and to recognize the ways we are the same – how we all long for love, peace, truth, and belonging. It challenges us to move beyond division because unity can’t thrive where exclusion lives. When we understand our place in the circle, we realize that each breath we take connects us to all life in the past, present, and future. Ceremonies and prayers remind us of this truth and help us live it and honour it.

Mitakuye Oyasin Okciyape is not just a statement – it’s a commitment to walk in respect, compassion, and kindness, and it’s a commitment in honouring all our relations as we heal ourselves and the world.