Indigenous Awareness Weeks (IAWs) give the 苹果淫院 community an opportunity to learn more about Indigenous cultures, histories, and societies. IAWs seeks to encourage a greater understanding of Indigenous peoples among students, staff, and faculty at 苹果淫院, as well as fostering a dialogue about听First Nations, M茅tis and Inuit topics. The events create a space for diverse Indigenous voices and perspectives. Each year, invited guests include听academics, community members, Elders, and students.
苹果淫院 will celebrate the 10th annual Indigenous Awareness Weeks from September 13th-24th. The theme of this year's IAWs is "Celebrating Indigenous Resilience and Excellence: Past, Present and Future". This year's topics include sustainability, UNDRIP, reconciliation, and health and wellbeing.
The graphic design for this year's Indigenous Awareness Weeks is by听Anouk Cree from Cree Communications. The artwork is by听Eruoma听Awashish. For more information about IAWs, please reach out to听indigenousinitiatives [at] mcgill.ca.听
Download an IAWs Zoom background:听 iaws_2021_zoom_background.jpg
Read the news release .听
Events and Programming
The events are free and will be held virtually. No registration is necessary. Links will be posted on the day of each event.
- Sept. 13: Opening Ceremony
- Sept. 14: International Virtual Round Table: UNDRIP
- Sept. 15: Medicine Walk at the Morgan Arboretum
- Sept. 16: Health and Wellness Kitchen Table Conversation
- Sept. 17: The Words Before All Else: The meaning of the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen and Other Teachings
- Sept. 17: Environment & Sustainability
- Sept. 20: Medicine Walk on the Gault Nature Reserve (French)
- Sept. 21-23: National Building Reconciliation Forum Workshops
- Sept. 24: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of 苹果淫院鈥檚 Pow Wow: Reflections with Ellen Gabriel and others
- Sept. 24: Closing Ceremony
Opening Ceremony
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021
By听Otsi'tsaken:ra听(Charlie) Patton,听Kanien鈥檏eh谩:ka (Mohawk) Elder from听Kahnawa:ke.听
Read The Words Before All Else:听 ohenton_karihwatehkwen.pdf
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Welcome听remarks听by听Christopher听P.听Manfredi,听Provost听&听Vice-Principal (Academic)听听
Artistic Performances by Beatrice Deer (Inuk/Mohawk)
Artistic Performance听by Craig Commanda (Anishinaabe)
A fingerstyle acoustic composition, in dedication to the spirits of the children lost to residential schools.听
International Virtual Round Table on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
SEPTEMBER 14, 2021
6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.听EST
Open the video in YouTube .听
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)听was adopted by the General Assembly on Thursday, 13 September 2007, by a majority of 144 states in favour, 4 votes against (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) and 11 abstentions (Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Samoa and Ukraine).
Nine听years have passed since the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the General Assembly. Since then, the four countries voting against have reversed their position and now support the Declaration. Today the Declaration is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of indigenous peoples. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world and it elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples.
Read the UNDRIP:听 undrip_e_web.pdf
Learn more about the UNDRIP:听 24-nov-2009_16-07-34_declaration_summary_links.pdf
nzhr_booklet_12_web.pdf
OPENING by Elder Geraldine Standup
CO-MODERATORS:听Yann Allard-Tremblay, PhD. Assistant Professor, Political Science at 苹果淫院.听(Huron-Wendat)听& Carole Brazeau听(Anishinabe / Algonquin)听Indigenous Initiatives, OPVPA
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Dicki Chhoyang,听Interim Director, Indigenous Initiatives, OPVPA
PANELISTS:
Eddie Cubillo (Australia)
Mr. Eddie Cubillo is an Aboriginal man with strong family links in both the urban and rural areas throughout the Northern Territory. His is a descendant of the Larrakia, Wadjigan and Central Arrente peoples. Mr. Cubillo is Associate Dean (Indigenous Programs) University of Melbourne, Australia.
He obtained a Bachelor of Laws Degree and in was admitted to the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. He is currently completing a PhD with the University of Technology of Sydney and is working part-time at the University of Melbourne鈥檚 Law School as a Senior Fellow.
In 2002 he was elected to the ATSIC Yilli Rreung Regional Council, and subsequently became the Chair. Mr. Cubillo has also been a former Chair of both the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) and the Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee.
In 2010 Mr. Cubillo was appointed the Anti - Discrimination Commissioner of the Northern Territory. Mr. Cubillo then took on the role of Executive Officer with National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (NATSILS). As the Executive Officer he championed the rights of Indigenous Australians in a legal context. In 2015 he was named the National Indigenous Legal Professional of the year and in 2016 attended Geneva on a UN Indigenous fellowship. In 2017 he then took up an opportunity to work on the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory as the Director of Community Engagement.
In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family.
Sheryl Lightfoot (Canada)
Sheryl Lightfoot, PhD is Anishinaabe, a citizen of the Lake Superior Band of Ojibwe. She is the North American Representative to the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Canada Research Chair in Global Indigenous Rights and Politics and Associate Professor in Political Science, the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and Indigenous Studies. She is also Senior Advisor to the President on Indigenous Affairs and is leading the implementation of the 2020 Indigenous Strategic Plan across UBC.
As one of the world鈥檚 experts in global Indigenous politics, Sheryl鈥檚 research specializes in complex questions of Indigenous peoples鈥 rights and how those rights are being claimed and negotiated. Her work explores both practical and theoretical aspects of implementation of Indigenous rights globally as well as in domestic contexts. She is the author of Global Indigenous Politics: A Subtle Revolution as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters.
She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Minnesota as well as a master鈥檚 degree from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. Prior to her academic career, she had fifteen years鈥 volunteer and contract experience with a number of American Indian tribes and community-based organizations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, including nine years as Chair of the Board of the American Indian Policy Center, a research and advocacy group.
As a member of the UN Expert Mechanism Sheryl provides the Human Rights Council with expertise and advice on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Mechanism also assists Member States in achieving the goals of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She is the first Indigenous woman from Canada to be appointed to this prestigious position.
Dr. Claire Charters (New Zealand)
Claire is from Ngati Whakaue, Tuwharetoa, Nga Puhi and Tainui.
Claire鈥檚 primary area of research is in Indigenous peoples鈥 rights in international and constitutional law, often with a comparative focus. Claire is working on articles on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the relationship between tikanga M膩ori and the state legal system, tensions between human rights and Indigenous peoples' rights and on the legitimacy of Indigenous peoples' rights under international law, which will be published as a book by Cambridge University Press. Claire is also working on a number of collaborative research projects including on Indigenous peoples' self-determination and the philosophical foundations of Indigenous law. and is a member of the International Law Association's Committee on Indigenous peoples' rights. Claire was awarded a Royal Society Rutherford Discovery Fellowship in 2017:
Claire has typically combined her academic research and teaching with advocacy for the rights of Indigenous peoples at the domestic and international levels and is currently a trustee on the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples. In 2016 - 2017 Claire was appointed by the President of the United Nations General Assembly to advise him on enhancing Indigenous peoples' participation in the United Nations. From 2010-2013 Claire worked for the UN鈥檚 Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Section, focusing on the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Claire is currently the director of the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre for Indigenous Peoples and the Law.
June L. Lorenzo (U.S.A.)
June L. Lorenzo, PhD. Laguna Pueblo/Navajo (Din茅), is an attorney and consultant. Her law practice has included serving as attorney for Native nations, US Senate and US House of Representative committees; the US Department of Justice (voting rights litigation), in land claims litigation, and in human rights advocacy for Indigenous Peoples before the United Nations and the Organization of American States. Currently she serves as a Judge at Zia Pueblo, and practices law in tribal and state courts in New Mexico. She remains engaged in projects at Laguna Pueblo, including advocacy on uranium legacy issues, protection of sacred sites, and protection of cultural patrimony. She holds a JD from Cornell Law School and a PhD in Justice Studies from Arizona State University.
Romeo Saganash (Canada)
Romeo Saganash was the Member of Parliament for Abitibi-Baie James-Nunavik-Eeyou from 2011-2019.
Romeo's story is not a typical story: values from the Eeyou Cree, a childhood spent in the forests of Northern Quebec, a survivor of Residential School, hard work and education to become the first Indigenous Lawyer from the Universit茅 du Qu茅bec a Montr茅al law school, and a lifetime working to uphold human rights.
His father was a hunter from the Broadback forest of central Quebec and his mother is the inspiration and foundation for her children and her community. Romeo was born on the shores of a lake in his parents' tent because his parents lived a traditional lifestyle; the only language he heard and spoke for the first seven years of his life was Cree.
After he finished residential school, Romeo was asked by his Chief to attend a conference on the 10th anniversary of the signing of the first modern treaty in Canada: the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. It was there that his love for the law began.
His accomplishments are many: he was one of the principal authors of La Paix des Braves - a landmark agreement between the James Bay Cree and the Government of Quebec - and he has been a key negotiator for many national and international initiatives, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Romeo founded the Cree Nation Youth Council in 1985, served as Deputy Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Cree for a number of years. A passionate environmentalist, Romeo served as vice-chair of the Cree Regional Authority and Chair of the James Bay Advisory Committee on the Environment. His work in the economic sector with Creeco Inc. and the Eeyou Co. showed his understanding of how to balance our duty as stewards of the land with sustainable economic growth.
Romeo has a son and two daughters and two grandchildren.
Medicinal Plant听Walk at the Morgan Arboretum (Mac Campus)
SEPTEMBER 15, 2021
Video: Virtual Medicinal Plant Walk at the Morgan Arboretum (苹果淫院- Macdonald Campus) with Kanien鈥檏eh谩:ka (Mohawk) Knowledge Keeper, Elaine Delaronde and听Brooke Rice.
Student Health & Wellness Kitchen Table Conversation
SEPTEMBER 16, 2021
4:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m.听EST
Open the video in YouTube .
Co-Moderated by听Richard Budgell, Assistant Professor (Inuk 鈥 Labrador) and Alex M. McComber, Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine (Kanien鈥檏eh谩:ka).
Alex Allard-Gray, BSc, Listuguj Mi'gmaq; Outreach Administrator, Indigenous Health Professions Program听
Alex Allard-Gray听hails from the Listuguj Mi鈥檊maq First Nation and works as the Outreach Administrator with the Indigenous Health Professions Program at 苹果淫院. Alex completed his B.Sc. at 苹果淫院, where he was a founder and later acted as president of the 苹果淫院 Canadian Indigenous Science and Engineering Society.
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Tamara Hansen, Inuk, Inuvik, Northwest Territories; MSc candidate (applied) in Nursing
Tamara Hansen is a Master of Science (Applied) in Nursing student at 苹果淫院, currently in her third and final year.听听Originally from Inuvik, Northwest Territories, she is a beneficiary of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. She is passionate about being a role model for indigenous youth looking to pursue post-secondary education. 听
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Codey Martin, Mi鈥檏maq; BSW candidate, School of Social Work (Negm, he/him)
I am Mig鈥檓aq Gespe'gewa'gi Listuguj, QC, now currently living in Kahnawake Territory; 3rd year BSW candidate, School of Social Work.
I am also a life-long learner of Indigenous cultural practices and our oral knowledges. I am also a part of my department's new race caucus and 苹果淫院's VOICE Indigenous Youth Advisory Council.
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Wah茅hshon Shiann Whitebean,听Kanien鈥檏eha:ka, Kahnawake; Vanier Scholar, PhD candidate in Educational Studies听
Wah茅hshon 鈥渟he walks about鈥 is a traditional Wolf Clan member of the Kanien鈥檏eh谩:ka (Mohawk) Nation at Kahnaw脿:ke and mother of three. She works on language and culture revitalization at the Kahnaw脿:ke Education Center. Her research examines Indian Day School experiences, centralizing Kanien鈥檏eh谩:ka life stories about navigating historic, contemporary, and multigenerational colonial traumas while demonstrating identity reclamation and cultural land-based education as pathways to resilience and well-being.
The Words Before All Else: The meaning of the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen and Other Teachings
SEPTEMBER 17, 2021听
With听Kanien鈥檏eh谩:ka (Mohawk) Elders听Kahnawa:ke听Otsi'tsaken:ra听Patton听and听Niioie:ren Patton (苹果淫院 Alumna)听听
Open the video in YouTube .听
Note: The explanation of The Words Before All Else begins at 57:00.
Environment & Sustainability (Mother Earth & 7 Generations Principle)
SEPTEMBER 17, 2021听
With Kanien鈥檏eh谩:ka Elders from Kahnawa:ke: Otsi鈥檛saken:ra Patton and Niioie:ren Patton (苹果淫院 Alumna).
Open the video in YouTube .听
Introduction aux plantes m茅dicinales 脿 la 搁茅蝉erve naturelle Gault
SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
(This presentation will be in French)
Introduction aux plantes m茅dicinales 脿 la 搁茅蝉erve naturelle Gault. Promenade virtuelle avec le sp茅cialiste Ab茅naki Michel Durand Nolett.
National Building Reconciliation Forum Workshops
SEPTEMBER 21-23, 2021
SEPTEMBER 21, 2021
10:00听a.m.听- 4:00 p.m.听EST
National Building Reconciliation Forum: Falling into Step with First Peoples students
An听annual听national听Forum听supported by Universities Canada听with听participants from听postsecondary institutions and听Indigenous communities听working听to create听change听and听advance reconciliation听
The 2021 pre-forum is hosted by Kiuna College, in Odanak, QC.听
SEPTEMBER听22, 2021
9:00 a.m. 鈥 4:00 p.m.
Day 1: National Building Reconciliation Forum: Falling into Step with First Peoples students
Free registration on the event website.
1:30听p.m.听- 3:00 p.m.听EST
52 Calls to Action and Indigenous Awareness Weeks
Presentation by 苹果淫院
Workshop:
Raising Awareness among postsecondary institutions about the realities of First Peoples.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
9:00听a.m.听- 3:00 p.m.听EST
Day 2:听National Building Reconciliation Forum: Falling into Step with First Peoples students
Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of 苹果淫院鈥檚 Pow Wow: Reflections with Ellen Gabriel and others
SEPTEMBER听24, 2021
12:00 p.m.听
Open the video in YouTube .听
Closing Ceremony
SEPTEMBER 24, 2021听
By听Otsi'tsaken:ra听(Charlie) Patton, Kanien鈥檏eh谩:ka (Mohawk) Elder from听Kahnawa:ke.听