TRI News

Indigenous graduates from the Ottawa-area post-secondary institutions, including Algonquin College, were celebrated on Friday April 26 during the 16th annual Indigenous Graduate Honouring Ceremony held at La Cité.

Students from Algonquin College, Carleton University, La Cité, the University of Ottawa and various other institutions gathered at Excentricite to celebrate their achievements in a ceremony which included Indigenous guest speakers, ceremonial drumming and musical performances.

Jay Odjick, a writer, artist, and television producer of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg delivered a keynote to inspire the students on their education journey. Odjick is known for his graphic novel and television series Kagagi: The Raven, children’s book Bear for Breakfast (with Robert Munsch). He was Department of English at the University of Ottawa’s first Indigenous writer in residence in Fall 2023. Continue reading →

Algonquin College prides itself on its commitment to Indigenous knowledge and Truth and Reconciliation as part of the institution’s culture. A key part of that is the Indigenous Education Council (IEC), a group of 12 volunteers who are committed to providing support, developing plans and initiatives and guiding the College towards meeting the needs of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities on campus.

The IEC is co-chaired by Algonquin College President and CEO Claude Brulé and Dan McFadden, an Indigenous education specialist with the Métis Nation of Ontario. McFadden became co-chair in September 2023. He has been a member of the IEC since 2022.

McFadden, who is from Calgary, sees a range of opportunities for Algonquin College to support Indigenous students: “Most of us who sit at the IEC table have an idea of the barriers students face. We have an opportunity to share our experiences and see how the College can offer support. We are currently working with the Mamidosewin Centre to develop more key dates to recognize, celebrate and reflect the different cultures of First Nations, Métis and Inuit learners.” Continue reading →

Greetings were given, dignitaries were welcomed, tobacco was offered and with that, four Indigenous street names were publicly celebrated at Algonquin College’s Ottawa Campus today.

The official ceremony included community elders, local, provincial and federal representatives, College leadership, members of the Board of Governors and Indigenous Education Council and guests from Pikwakanagan and Kitigan Zibi.

President and CEO of Algonquin College, Claude Brulé praised the new signage. “I hope that these street signs extend an additional sense of welcoming and inclusivity for our learners and employees. By embracing and recognizing the Anishinabe language, we look to reaffirm our commitment to fostering an environment where every member of our community feels acknowledged, appreciated, and respected. It’s a way of allowing learners to see themselves reflected in the very fabric of our institution.” Continue reading →

The Pembroke Campus celebrated the naming of its Grandfather drum when Elder Barry Sarazin shared its name is Chijaack (pronounced Chee-Jack), a name that comes from the crane spirit. The drum is named after a Blue Heron.

Elder Sarazin told the audience of students and employees who gathered for the name revealing ceremony that “I had dreamed about a beautiful blue heron that flew down by the corner of the school,” when the name was presented to him by the spirit. Continue reading →

“We are a people with roots as deep and as long as any other Indigenous people in North America,” said Tony Belcourt as he addressed a small crowd of about 30 participants as part of Monday’s Indigenous Speaker Series.

Belcourt was speaking about “What Makes Métis Identity.” He provided analysis and detail from Métis history dating back to the 1700s and including photos and information later from 1846, the first records of his family’s history. Continue reading →

The process of naming the campus drum at the Pembroke Campus has begun. Now, the campus awaits Elder Barry Sarazin’s return to reveal what the name will be.

Elder Sarazin told the campus community it could be as little as four days or longer, but he promised a “great social celebration when the name is revealed to him.”
The drum has been part of the campus community since 2018 when it was built by students under the direction of knowledge holder Pinock Smith and Elder Skip Ross of the Circle of Turtle Lodge, a project called three drums, three campuses. The drum is kept in the campus library, a place that is active with people throughout the day. Continue reading →

The overcast skies we no match for the sunny dispositions as a large crowd gathered at Mādahòkì Farm on Wednesday.

As the summer solstice approaches, Algonquin College brought together its partners PCL Construction, TD Bank Group, Nokia Canada and more than 95 volunteers for two days of volunteering. The “Build Days” included improving key farm features as well as providing new animal housing structures and upgrading the Legacy Trail.

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It has been planned for many years and now it is part of the campus grounds at the Pembroke Waterfront Campus. A new Indigenous Medicine Wheel Garden, located on the Western tip of the campus property, was dedicated recently in a special ceremony that celebrated what the space means to the college and broader community.
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Last fall, Shelia Grantham and Kerry Potts began working as Indigenous pedagogy and curriculum consultants at Algonquin College in the Learning and Teaching Services (LTS) department. The goal of LTS is to foster a culture of teaching innovation and excellence and build relationships with faculty, academic schools and applied research that support strategic collaboration, pedagogical and technological exploration and ideas sharing. As part of their mandate, Grantham and Potts, in their roles with LTS will further advance the TRC’s Calls to Action relating to Indigenous education. Continue reading →

For Indigenous students to thrive and succeed at Algonquin College, Indigenous voices need to be involved at every level of the College, bureaucracy and red tape need to be streamlined, student resources better promoted, and faculty should demonstrate flexibility and willingness to accommodate family emergencies.

These were some of the suggestions and recommendations shared with an audience of college employees and faculty, at the March 2 Indigenous Student Leadership Panel, hosted by Shelia Grantham and Kerry Potts, Algonquin College’s Indigenous Pedagogy and Curriculum Consultants in Learning and Teaching Services. Continue reading →