2nd Annual Aboriginal Awareness Week
McGill University’s Aboriginal Awareness Week is designed to increase awareness at McGill about Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The week honours the many Aboriginal cultures across the country including the Métis, the Inuit and First Nations. The week also offers an opportunity to collaborate with community partners and draws active participation from McGill students, faculty and staff.
McGill University’s Aboriginal Awareness Week is designed to increase awareness at McGill about Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The week honours the many Aboriginal cultures across the country including the Métis, the Inuit and First Nations. The week also offers an opportunity to collaborate with community partners and draws active participation from McGill students, faculty and staff.
The week is organized by the Aboriginal Sustainability Project.
The Aboriginal Sustainability Project seeks to develop a broad-based educational campaign by providing Aboriginal-specific programming and opportunities for bridge-building among diverse members of the McGill community.
For more information, please Contact Project Coordinator, Allan Vicaire, via email at allan.vicaire [at] mcgill.ca or by phone at (514) 398-3711.You can also find more information on our website.
The Aboriginal Sustainability Project is supported by the First Peoples' House, the Social Equity and Diversity Education Office (SEDE), and the Office of the Dean of Students (represented by the Aboriginal Outreach Coordinator).The project is funded by the Sustainability Project's Fund offered by the Office of Sustainability.
Monday September 24, 2012
OPENING CEREMONY
12:00PM – 3:00PM, First Peoples’ House, 3505 Peel Street
Discover and learn about Aboriginal groups and services on campus: First Peoples’ House, Aboriginal Sustainability Project, Indigenous Access McGill, KANATA, Aboriginal Law Students' Association, McGill’s Aboriginal Health Interest Group and the Indigenous Student Alliance.
There will be an opening prayer by an Prof. Elma Moses.
Traditional corn soup and bannock will be served.
TWO MOCCASINS, TWO WORLDS
4:00PM – 6:00OM, Room 302, SSMU Building
This is Ryan's most popular speech he delivers to young & old. The message shared is that young people need to ground themselves with a good cultural understanding, which instils pride and allows them to thrive in the mainstream.
Ryan McMahon is one of the most dynamic Aboriginal/Native American Comedians working in Canada and the United States today. He's also a graduate of the prestigious Second City Conservatory (Toronto). His show is a loose, fast paced, silly but always honest look at society from the perspective of a "Native dude." His breakout performances on "Welcome To Turtle Island Too – A Celebration of Aboriginal Comedy" (CBC TV/Radio, Corkscrew Media, 2010), and the "Hystereotypes" (CBC TV, Frantic Films, 2011) Gala television taping at the CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival in 2011 led to his own one hour standup comedy special "Ryan McMahon – UnReserved" (CBC TV/Radio, Corkscrew Media, taped in June 2012). McMahon tours independently, selling out venues large & small, and his live show combines standup, improv, sketch comedy and weaves stories and characters into an original style of comedy he calls – INDIAN VAUDEVILLE.
FIRST NATIONS IN QUEBEC TODAY
6:00PM – 8:00OM, Senate Room (Room 232), Leacock Building
Mr. Ghislain Picard is Innu from the community of Pessamit. Between 1976 and 1989, he dedicated most of his time in the area of communications. He was responsible for communications and media relations for the Conseil Atikamekw Montagnais (CAM). He published a periodical called « Tepatshimuwin » intended for Atikamekw and Innu communities.
At the beginning of the 80's, Mr. Picard was President of the Quebec Native Friendship Center. In 1983, he was very active to implement a community radio stations network for his nation. He is one of the founding members of the Société de communication atikamekw et montagnaise (SOCAM). SOCAM produces radio shows in Aboriginal language.
In the middle of the 80's, Mr. Picard participated to a UNESCO international study on the role of communications in rural communities.
After he was appointed Vice-President of the CAM in 1989, he was elected Regional Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL) in 1992. He has been the AFNQL Regional Chief since then. As Regional Chief, he sat on the Assembly of First Nations' Executive Committee at the national level, as a spokesperson for the Education, Aboriginal Languages, Health and International Issues portfolios.
Tuesday September 25, 2012
DREAMCATCHER MAKING WORKSHOP (STUDENTS ONLY)
10:00AM – 12:00PM, Arts Council Room (Room 160), Arts Building
Explore your creative side and discover a First Nations traditional craft: the Dreamcatcher. The workshop will be led by Marie-Celine Charron from the Naskapis First Nation of Kawawachikamach.
Spaces are limited. Register by e-mailing allan.vicaire [at] mcgill.ca ().
INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS RIGHTS ISSUES
2:00PM – 4:00PM, Lev Bukhman Room (2nd Floor), SSMU Building
Ellen Gabriel will explore the legacy of colonization and how the past continues to affect the present day to day lives of Indigenous peoples in Canada. In 2010 Canada endorsed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. How has this affected the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the Government of Canada? Gabriel will address this question, citing issues such as land rights, the Indian Residential school system and violence against Aboriginal women.
Ellen Gabriel was well-known to the public when she was chosen by the People of the Longhouse and her community of Kanehsatà:ke to be their spokesperson during the 1990 "Oka" Crisis; to protect the Pines from the expansion of a 9 hole golf course in "Oka".
For the past 22 years she has been a human rights advocate for the collective and individual rights of Indigenous peoples and has worked diligently to sensitize the public, academics, policing authorities and politicians on the history, culture and identity of Indigenous peoples.She has made numerous public presentations on Indigenous rights and history, including presentations to Parliamentary committees and the National Assembly on legislative amendments affecting the rights of Aboriginal peoples in Canada.
She has been active at the international level participating at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous issues, negotiations on the Nagoya Protocol of the Convention on Biodiversity and most recently, at the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Ms. Gabriel has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University where she graduated in May 1990. She worked as an Illustrator/Curriculum developer for Tsi Ronteriwanónha ne Kanien'kéka/ Kanehsatà:ke Resource Center in Kanehsatà:ke and also worked as an Art Teacher for the Mohawk Immersion School for grades 1-6. Ellen has also worked on videos illustrating legends of the Iroquois people and the local community stories. She is presently an active board member of Kontinón:sta'ts – Mohawk Language Custodians and First Peoples Human Rights Coalition.
MÉTIS NATION: THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW PEOPLE
6:00PM - 8:00PM, Ballroom, Thomson House, 3650 McTavish Street
President Clément Chartier of the Métis National Council will present an historical overview of the emergence of the Métis people/Nation of the Northwest. President Chartier will explore the contemporary struggles for the recognition of Métis Nation rights and continued existence as a people, and some of the challenges faced by the Métis. President Chartier will also highlight recent successes of the Métis Nation, such as the recognition of the Aboriginal rights of the Métis in the Constitution Act 1982.
Clément Chartier QC, is President of the Métis National Council. Chartier received his law degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1978, was called to the Saskatchewan Bar in 1980 and received the Queen’s Counsel designation in 2004. During his political career, Chartier has held a number of executive positions in Indigenous political bodies, including: Native Youth Association of Canada Executive Director, 1973; Association of Métis and Non-Status Indians of Saskatchewan (AMNSIS) Vice-President, 1982–85; Métis National Council (MNC) Chairperson, 1983 and 1984/85; MNC Ambassador on International Issues, 1993–96; MNC President, 2003 to present; World Council of Indigenous Peoples President, 1984–87, Vice-President, 1993–97; and Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MNS) President, 1998–2003.
Wednesday September 26, 2012
LIVING LIBRARY: ABORIGINAL STORIES
11:00AM – 3:00PM, Redpath Museum
McGill's 2nd Annual Aboriginal Awareness Week is just around the corner and the First Peoples' House and Living Library are teaming up to organize an All-Aboriginal Living Library. The concept of a living library is the coming together of individuals from all walks of life in an open and safe environment. Volunteer 'Books' are real people who are able to communicate their personal reality (eg."60 Minutes with a Red Man" or "Walking two paths: An urban Native experience" or "Being Two-Spirited") and are available to meet with interested 'Reader(s)" for a 30-45 minute private encounter.
More information can be found on this website: www.mcgill.ca/livinglibrary
First held at a youth festival in Denmark in 2000, a living library event is intended to break down stereotypes and challenge attitudes about difference by fostering understanding among diverse members of a community. The Aboriginal population is one that is very diverse and this will be a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the array of past and current realities Aboriginal people have.
Register by e-mailing paige.isaac [at] mcgill.ca.
List of book descriptions will be available soon.
REBINDING THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN
6:00PM – 8:00PM, Théatre J. Armand Bombardier, McCord Museum, 690 Sherbrooke Street West
Artist Jeff Thomas (Iroquois, Six Nations) will discuss his photographic series The Conversation, and Rebinding the North American Indian, and his curatorial project Where Are the Children: Healing the Legacy of Residential Schools in relation to the Edward Curtis's photographic project. Thomas' presentation will be followed by a discussion led by Guy Sioui Durand PhD in Sociology, and independent curator (Wendat from Wendake), which will focus on how Curtis’ images influence current Aboriginal art practices
Presentation in English followed by a bilingual discussion.
A talk offered in conjunction with the exhibition Edward Curtis – Beyond Measure.
For more information on the exhibition click here.
WHERE THE BLOOD MIXES
8:00PM – 10:00PM, Centre Culturel Calixa-Lavalléee, 3819 av Calixa-Lavallée (parc Lafontaine)
Teesri Duniya Theatre proudly presents the Québec premiere of Where the Blood Mixes by Kevin Loring, directed by Montréal director Lib Spry.
Where the Blood Mixes is about the legacy left behind after Aboriginal children were taken from their families, abused and assaulted in Residential Schools. The child of Residential School survivors, Christine is removed from her home at a young age. When she returns, she must rediscover the family and community she left behind. Where the Blood Mixes is a story of loss and redemption: Can a person survive a past marred with historical injustice; can a people survive their difficult history and march on?
Playwright Kevin Loring won the 2009 Governor General's Literary Award for Where the Blood Mixes. In addition, he also won the Jessie Richardson Award and the Sydney Risk Prize for Outstanding Original Script. The play was first produced at Toronto's 2008 Luminato Festival, and was featured in the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad.
Student Price: $12.00
For more information on the play click here.
Thursday September 27, 2012
DREAMCATCHER MAKING WORKSHOP (STAFF AND FACULTY ONLY)
10:00AM – 12:00PM, Arts Council Room (Room 160), Arts Building
Explore your creative side and discover a part of First Nations traditional craft: the Dreamcatcher. The workshop will be led by Marie-Celine Charron from the Naskapis First Nation of Kawawachikamach.
Spaces are limited. Register by e-mailing allan.vicaire [at] mcgill.ca ().
INDIGENOUS IDENTITIES IN CANADA
2:00PM – 4:00PM, Auditorium, Redpath Museum
What limits, if any, should be placed on the right to determine citizenship?
Pamela Palmater argues that the Indian Act's registration provisions will lead to the end of First Nations as legal and constitutional entities. Beginning with an historic overview of legislation defining Indian status and their impact on First Nations, Dr. Palmater examines court rulings dealing with Aboriginal rights and the Canadian Charter. She also examines various band membership codes, and how criteria set out in band membership codes perpetuates discrimination She argues that First Nations must determine their citizenship based on ties to the community.
Palmater is a Mi'kmaq lawyer and member of the Eel River Bar First Nation in northern New Brunswick. She has been a practising lawyer for 14 years. She holds the position of Associate Professor and Chair of Indigenous Governance in the Department of Politics and Public Administration and heads the Centre for Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University. She completed a doctorate in the science of law (JSD) in 2009, and holds Master of Laws (LLM), Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees. Palmater's expertise is in Indigenous law, politics and governance. Her research interests include Indigenous governance, Aboriginal and treaty rights, international human rights, Indigenous politics and constitutional law. Her book, Beyond Blood: Rethinking Indigenous Identity, considers the legal problems of status with regard to band membership and self-government citizenship and was released in early 2011.
FILM SCREENING: THE CREATORS GAME: THE QUEST FOR GOLD AND THE FIGHT FOR NATIONHOOD
7:00PM – 9:00PM, Bombardier Theater, McCord Museum, 690 Sherbrooke Street West
In 2010, the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team chose to forfeit the World Championship when they were denied entry into England because of their Haudenosaunee passports. Determined to be recognized as a sovereign nation, this timely documentary follows the Iroquois Nationals on their quest for the 2011 medal in Prague – both a fight for gold and recognition of their nationhood. The Creator’s Game was the Documentary Pitch Prize winner at imagineNATIVE 2010.
We will be joined by the director Candace Maracle for a Q & A following the film.
Candace Maracle (Mohawk) of the Bay of Quinte from Tyendinaga, is currently completing her Master’s in Journalism at Ryerson University’s School of Journalism. She has interned at CBC Radio’s The Current and produced a piece on Nisga’a private property ownership, and is currently working as a reporter/correspondent with APTN’s National News.
Rhythm Nights
8:00PM – 10:00PM, The Yellow Door , 3625 Aylmer Street
Discover the rhythmic tunes of local performers. Open Mic.
Friday September 28, 2012
KANIEN’KEHÁ:KA ONKWAWÉN:NA RAOTITIÓHKWA LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL CENTRE TOUR
9:00AM – 1:00PM, Kahnawake Cultural Centre
Join us on a tour of the Kahnawake Cultural Centre’s permanent exhibit which showcases the rich culture and history of Kanien’keha:ka to visitors from around the world. Beginning with the foundation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to the 1990 Oka Crisis, the permanent exhibit features key cultural and historical events that best explain who we are as Kanien’kehá:ka.
Spaces are limited. Register by e-mailing allan.vicaire [at] mcgill.ca ().
PUSHING OPEN THE GATES OF JUSTICE: MAKING THE GLADUE AND IPEELEE DECISIONS A REALITY FOR ABORIGINAL OFFENDERS
2:00PM – 4:00PM, C.P. Leblond Amphitheatre (Room M1), Strathcona Building, 3640 University Street
Jonathan Rudin received his LL.B. and LL.M. from Osgoode Hall Law School. In 1990 he was hired to establish Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto and has been with ALST ever since. Currently he is the Program Director. Mr. Rudin has appeared before all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada including representing ALST before the Supreme Court in R v. Ipeelee.
At ALST he helped establish the Community Council – the first urban Aboriginal justice program in Canada in 1992, and in 2001 he helped establish the Gladue (Aboriginal Persons) Court at the Old City Hall Courts in Toronto.
Mr. Rudin has written and spoken widely on issues of Aboriginal justice. He co-wrote the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples’ Report on Justice – Bridging the Cultural Divide- and was a member of the Research Advisory Committee of the Ipperwash Inquiry. Mr. Rudin also teaches on a part-time basis in the Law and Society Program at York University. Last but not least, he plays the mandolin and sings with Gordon’s Acoustic Living Room, a group that plays regularly in Toronto and has a number of videos on YouTube.
COMMUNITY SOCIAL & FEAST
5:00PM – 7:00PM, Native Friendship Centre of Montreal, 2001 Saint-Laurent Blvd
Come together and partake in the closing ceremonies of McGill’s 2nd Annual Aboriginal Awareness Week. Socialize, eat, sing, dance and share your experiences of the past week.
Dinner will be served. Dancers are welcome to bring their regalia.