Posted on Tuesday, January 31st, 2023
On a snowy day in the Ottawa region, close to 100 learners, employees and
other members of the Algonquin College community tuned in to engage with legendary Canadian Murray Sinclair, the former Chair of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
His Honour, with a snow-covered backdrop of his own, joined participants from his home in Winnipeg for a virtual chat answering questions on a range of topics. The conversation was hosted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager, Community and Student Affairs at the Pembroke Campus.
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Posted on Thursday, October 27th, 2022
While most folks were able to enjoy a bit of a slower pace this summer, new employees Shelia Grantham
and Kerry Potts started their new roles at Algonquin College and hit the ground running, quickly becoming part of the College community, hosting events and being interviewed by local media.
Grantham and Potts are Indigenous Pedagogy and Curriculum Consultants, new roles created within Learning and Teaching Services (LTS). The goal of LTS aims to foster a culture of teaching innovation and excellence at Algonquin College and build relationships with faculty, academic schools and Applied Research that support strategic collaboration, pedagogical and technological exploration, and ideas sharing. With these new roles, LTS will further advance the TRC’s Calls to Action relating to Indigenous education.
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Posted on Tuesday, October 11th, 2022
Soup’s on and ready to eat!
Starting today (Tuesday, Oct. 11) Three Sisters Soup, a traditional soup made from corn, beans and squash, will be on the menu at two locations on campus and will include squash grown and harvested from the College’s own Three Sisters Garden.
The Garden, located outside, across from the Connections Bookstore and Savoir Fare, was planted by horticultural students (with the help of some young people from the Early Learning Centre) back in June. Corn, beans and squash seeds were planted in accordance with Haudenosaune traditions. The Sisters symbolize peace, friendship and respect.
The garden was tended to by horticultural students, staff from the Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenization office and volunteers, including Thaddeus Attagutaluk, a welding and fabrication technician student from Iqaluit, who watered the garden all summer.
In addition to the crops, the final phase of the landscaping project was completed in partnership with PCL Construction. Indigenous plants including sumac, birch, cedar and dogwood were added to a dry riverbed that includes ferns and perennials.
To watch a short video of the Three Sisters Garden from planting to harvest click this link.
Posted on Friday, September 30th, 2022
On the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, participants at Algonquin College in Pembroke took part in the KAIROS blanket exercise.
It’s an immersive, interactive experience that educates participants on the history and culture of Indigenous people in Canada, as well as the loss of their land and life.
“It takes you through the entire Indigenous history in a couple of hours,” says Aimee Bailey, a spokesperson at the Circle of Turtle Lodge in Pembroke, who helped lead the blanket exercise Friday.
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Posted on Tuesday, September 27th, 2022
Paula Naponse never thought she would own her own store, a lifelong dream she had since she was eight years old.
For a decade, Naponse’s business selling fashion, beadwork and artisanal goods like candles was an ad hoc affair. She had a name, Ondarez — a name inspired by a similar phrase she would see often on Facebook (it was 2008, peak Facebook) posts from her home community: “I’m on the rez.”
But a storefront seemed out of reach. Naponse sold her wares at cultural gatherings and by mail order. But thanks to a tourism training program and a push from her eldest daughter, Naponse’s business expanded to her childhood dream of a storefront and café.
“I have a sign now! I never ever thought that it could happen to me,” Naponse told Canada’s National Observer.
The Beandigen Café, a coffee-pun play on the Anishnaabemowin word biindigen, or welcome, opened in November 2021 and serves as a storefront for Indigenous artisans and a community space for beading circles, Indigenous open mic nights, and NDN taco pop-ups.
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Posted on Tuesday, July 19th, 2022
After a three-year hiatus, Northern Youth Abroad (NYA) has returned to Algonquin College. Inuit and
Dene students from Nunavut and the Northwest Territories (NWT) are learning carpentry skills and getting a taste of college life throughout the month of July. On hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first NYA program at the College since 2019.
NYA is an Ottawa-based charitable organization offering programming in education, career building and community leadership to northern youth. They offer three core programs: the NYA Canadian Program, NYA Next and the NYA International Program. After completing NYA’s Canadian Program, youth aged 1622 are eligible to participate in NYA Next, which takes place at the College’s Ottawa Campus.
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Posted on Monday, June 27th, 2022
Saturday’s ‘Community Unity’ Indigenous fashion, music and arts show was a huge success! The event
took place in Algonquin College’s Indigenous Learning Commons, Nawapon, and was presented by Anangosh Model and Talent Management — a non-profit Indigenous model management and talent agency developed by activist, educator and model, Kyrstin Dumont.
Celebrated Inuk actress Anna Lambe hosted the event, while the production team for Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) filmed the event for episode five of APTN’s new Warrior Up! series, set to air in early 2023. Read more >
Posted on Thursday, June 23rd, 2022
Walking down a runway wearing one-of-a-kind Indigenous designs was the first time that Kyrstin
Dumont felt she could fully embody her beauty as an Indigenous woman.
Now, she uses her modelling experience to uplift and amplify other Indigenous youth who are struggling to navigate the Western beauty standards set upon them. Read more >
Posted on Tuesday, June 21st, 2022
June 21 marks the beginning of summer and to mark the day, the Algonquin College community was
invited to attend a special event in partnership with PCL, part of the DARE6 initiative, which supports Indigenization efforts. June 21 also marked National Indigenous Peoples Day.
While the weather put a damper on sitting by the fire, guests had the privilege of listening to Chief Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir from Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc near Kamloops, B.C. Read more >
Posted on Thursday, June 9th, 2022
Those visiting the Four Corners, B, C, or D Buildings may soon discover Bear, Wolf, Blue Jay, Moose or
Deer.
The vibrantly coloured murals were installed this week as part of an Indigenous pathways wayfinding project. These are the work of Miskomin Twenish, a local self-taught Algonquin artist from the Kitigan Zibi community, and 2018 Algonquin College graduate.
The murals are part of a larger wayfinding project. Names were provided by the Indigenous Education Council in order of cultural significance and each pathway was assigned a colour for wayfinding and signage accents. Signage has been created by Algonquin’s Marketing team, using inspiration from the current wayfinding system, DARE district aesthetics and existing Indigenous themes on campus.
More information about is available at https://www.algonquincollege.com/tri/indigenous-pathways/