Culinary Skills (Indigenous) students launch annual pop-up diner

The Culinary Skills (Indigenous) students at RRC Polytech are bringing their talents to the table with the return of their much-anticipated pop-up diner! This hands-on learning experience allows students to showcase their newly acquired culinary skills while serving up delicious breakfast and lunch options for staff and students.

Located in the Prairie Lights Dining Room (Building C – Mall Level) at the Notre Dame Campus, the Wiisinin Diner will officially open its doors on Tuesday, March 10.

Hours of Operation

Tuesday – Friday, March 10 – April 24

• Breakfast: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
• Lunch: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM

Important Notes

• Single orders only – No modifications can be accommodated.
• Training environment – As students hone their skills, orders may take longer or have minor errors. Your patience and support are greatly appreciated!

To order, visit the Wiisinin Diner webpage. The menu will be available when the Wiisinin Diner is open!

RRC Polytech’s Interlake and Peguis – Fisher River Campus did not hold classes today at the Peguis or Fisher River sites to observe J.J. Harper Day, otherwise known as Indigenous Justice Day.

Indigenous Justice Day is to honour the lives lost to systemic racism and acknowledge the work still needed to achieve justice and accountability. The observance today was created in remembrance of J.J. Harper.

John Joseph (J.J.) Harper was a member of Wasagamack First Nation, respected leader, and advocate who was fatally shot by the Winnipeg Police Service in March 1988. He was unarmed and had committed no crime when he was murdered. His death became a powerful example of racial profiling and injustice faced by Indigenous Peoples, and his leadership and voice continue to be remembered as calls for change.

Indigenous people continue to be overrepresented in Canada’s criminal justice system as both victims and those accused of crime.

If you need a quiet space or community support, the Indigenous Support Centres are open at Notre Dame Campus (F209) and Exchange District Campus (P407) in Winnipeg.

If you need someone to talk to, connect with Student Counselling Services or Staff Forum resources.

Are you ready to take the next step in your career journey?

Join us at the Indigenous Career Fair, in partnership with RBC – where opportunity meets community. 

• Connect with employers and explore exciting opportunities with industries in-person. 

• Gain insights at the Resource Networking Tables on how to navigate College resources and get ideas for the next step in your career. 

• Get a professional-grade headshot for your LinkedIn profile with the RBC Headshot Lounge. 

This is your chance to network, gain valuable advice, and open doors to a future where your talents are celebrated. Check-in at the front of the gym for an Employer Passport – a card you can collect stamps on from employers to be entered for a chance to win exciting prizes! 

The Indigenous Career Fair was made possible by our partnership with RBC!

RBC is also generously providing the Pow Wow Pitch Box as part of the prizes available for students.

Want an extra chance to win? Pre-register online for the Indigenous Career Fair!  

The Resource Networking Tables at the Indigenous Career Fair will have booths students can stop at to learn more about the supports at the College, including Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) & Career Services, Resume Review, Networking 101/Transition Support to Employer Engagement, Circle of Friends Indigenous Mentorship Program, Mittohnee Pogo’ohtah, the Indigenous Support Centre, and RBC’s Careers, Pathways & Employer Connections. Gain practical career skills, build confidence in speaking with employers, expand your professional networks, and leave with clearer next steps for employment, mentorship, or further career development. 

• Date: Wednesday, March 25 
• Location: North Gym, Notre Dame Campus 
• Time: 11am – 1:30pm 

Need some help preparing? 

We’ve got some Career Fair Tips to help you out! 

Questions for Employers 

If you are stuck for some conversation starters, here are some questions that can get the ball rolling and make a strong impression with employers. These are just to get you started – make sure to check out the Resource Networking Tables at the Indigenous Career Fair for more ideas! 

Good luck at the Indigenous Career Fair! This is your chance to make an impression and find what kinds of jobs are out there when you take your next step after RRC Polytech.

Subscribe to the Indigenous Blog to get the latest updates on the Indigenous Career Fair and upcoming opportunities for networking and career development.

Our Métis Kitchen Parties in Mitakuye Oyasin Okciyape at the Exchange District Campus (EDC) on Feb. 11 and at the Indigenous Support Centre at Notre Dame Campus (NDC) on Feb. 12 brought people together to celebrate Métis history, culture, and community in a really joyful way.

Louis Riel Day honours Louis Riel and the strength and resilience of the Métis Nation, and music and dancing felt like the perfect way to do that. With fiddling from Morgan Grace and energetic jigging by Peyton Habinski-Anderson and Savanna Anderson at NDC and with Jason Lepine and friends at EDC, both celebrations were full of appreciation for Métis culture!

If you have previously applied but did not include the one-page essay, please know that your application is not complete. However, the deadline has been extended to February 27, 2026.  Please send your essay submission, your full name and student number to financialaid@rrc.ca and they will add it to your earlier submission.

Mínwastánikéwin is a Cree word that means ‘to set it right.’

The Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award was made possible through collaboration between Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement, College and Public Relations and the Campus Store. The award is funded by the generous support of RRC Polytech students, staff and faculty through campaigns at the RRC Polytech Campus Store that bring awareness to Truth and Reconciliation and Indigenous-led initiatives such as Orange Shirt Day and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit People Honouring and Awareness Day.

This award is for Indigenous full-time students. Recipients will be selected based on an essay response on what Truth and Reconciliation means to them. To be eligible, applicants are required to submit a General RRC Polytech Application, proof of Indigenous heritage, and a one-page essay submission. Completed application forms should be submitted by email to financialaid@rrc.ca.

Extended Deadline: February 27, 2026

If you have any questions, please attend one of two information sessions being held at both the Notre Dame Campus and the Exchange District Campus:

• NDC Indigenous Support Centre (F209) – February 23, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
• EDC Indigenous Support Centre (P407) – February 24, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Mushkode Pizhikeh (MUSH-koh-day BEH-zhi-keh) – Bison-Fire

Elder Angela Roulette is a familiar face at schools in Portage la Prairie and a regular at the RRC Polytech Portage Campus. She brings traditional Teachings and stories to students of all ages – to children in grade schools and adults in post-secondary like RRC Polytech. She began her work with the Polytech over a year ago when she had offered a traditional prayer at convocation for the Portage Campus.

Room 2-16 on the second floor of the Portage Campus is home to a variety of events. Cultural gatherings, consultation sessions, and group meetings make use of the circular tables, where everyone is invited to sit at the same level. The ventilation system is a welcome function to allow for smudging in the space.

So, when Portage Campus recognized that the room could be a fitting space to carry an Indigenous name, the Polytech immediately turned to Elder Roulette.

Guy Moffat, regional manager for Portage Campus, approached Elder Roulette and offered Tobacco with the request for a name for the space.

On Wednesday, December 10, Elder Roulette gathered with a group of RRC Polytech staff and members of the Portage community, including city councilors and the mayor to conduct the Ceremony to welcome the name into the space. Elder Roulette said a prayer in Anishinaabemowin before everyone was invited to smudge. Introductions went around the table and Elder Roulette shared the story of how the name Mushkode Pizhikeh came to be.

“The bison represents respect,” said Elder Roulette. “This space – what it should be about is respect. People care about this space, they keep it clean, keep it free from vandalism.”

Elder Roulette says that while in consideration for the name, she remembered something she had learned a long time ago: she needs to listen. Listen to Creator, listen to signs around her for guidance. She shared that when she was considering the name, she was inspired by a gift from her late sister: a keychain in the shape of a bison. It’s a gift from someone she loved dearly.

Elder Roulette, a fluent Anishinaabemowin speaker, decided that the room would be called Mushkode Pizhikeh – which means Bison-Fire in English.

After determining the name for the space, Elder Roulette knew she had to gather some advice on how the word should be written. She is a fluent speaker who learned the language the way that her ancestors spoke, so she wasn’t entirely sure how the word should be spelled using English letters.

She consulted with the Manitoba Indigenous Cultural Education Centre and the Chief of Sandy Bay First Nation to determine how the word should be spelled, and they came up with: Mushkode Pizhikeh.

During the Ceremony, Elder Roulette presented a jar of clear water. She explained that she had filled the jar of water four years ago when she had met Rachel Templeton, office manager for the Portage Campus, and by the time the jar made it to the Polytech for the Ceremony, about a sixth of it had evaporated from the sealed jar.

Elder Roulette shared that the jar represents the importance of water. It represents the teachings these walls will witness in the future.

“In this educational place, they might just see a jar of water. But it’s important to remember that water is life. I tell that to all the kids in this town,” said Elder Roulette.

When thinking about the bison and the respect it represents, Elder Roulette also noted that the sun, the energy of that fire within, the inspiration that drives us to learn, are all things that are present in this place of education.

The Ceremony concluded with a Feast and conversation in Mushkode Pizhikeh to honour the new name.

Staff are very excited and proud to welcome Mushkode Pizhikeh into a space where people connect.

“As a staff member, I believe building relationships with Elders like Elder Angela helps create familiarity and a sense of belonging. Many Indigenous students leave their home communities to attend college, so having a piece of home here, someone they can talk to who carries cultural knowledge and wisdom can make a big difference. It helps our college feel more welcoming and connected. It’s about turning spaces into communities,” said Rachel Templeton, office manager for Portage Campus.

Moffat says that they’re hoping to have an Indigenous Elder like Roulette or another Knowledge Sharer on-campus at least once a month going forward to enrich students’ experience at the Polytech.

“Portage La Prairie has a very high population of Métis people and four of our closest neighbours are First Nation Communities, which allows us at the Portage Campus to have many opportunities to build relationships with Indigenous groups. I am also a member of Suta Kachicha (Portage Urban Indigenous Peoples Coalition) and we work hard to build relationships so that Elders, Olders, and Knowledge Sharers can work time into their schedules to spend time with the students at the Portage Campus,” said Moffat.

Portage Campus is looking forward to creating a Culture Corner in the student lounge with the help of Elder Roulette and other community Knowledge Sharers, where Indigenous arts, books, and other resources will be displayed.

January 4 is Ribbon Skirt Day, a day to honour the beauty, strength, and resilience of Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people.

Ribbon skirts are more than clothing – they are Ceremonial and cultural garments that carry teachings, identity, and pride. For Indigenous Peoples, our Ceremonial clothing is our formal wear. It reflects who we are, where we come from, and the responsibilities we carry.

Ribbon Skirt Day was established after Isabella Kulak, a young girl from Cote First Nation, was shamed in 2022 for wearing her ribbon skirt to school in Saskatchewan. What had been a moment of harm became a powerful movement of love and solidarity, affirming that Indigenous Peoples have the right to wear their cultural regalia with pride and without discrimination.

Wearing ribbon skirts and other traditional regalia is an expression of culture, sovereignty, and belonging. These garments deserve to be respected in all spaces – schools, workplaces, and public life – just as any other form of formal attire is respected.

On Ribbon Skirt Day, we celebrate cultural pride and stand against discrimination, affirming that Indigenous identities and traditions are to be honoured every day.

RRC Polytech’s Emerging Media and Production team is collaborating with Ininew artist and Artist-in-Residence Heather Endall and the Truth and Reconciliation and Community Development department to create Reflections on Racism, an immersive 360º installation that blends Indigenous storytelling, traditional art, animation, and sound. Centered on Michael Hutchinson’s How the Dog Learned to Dance, the project invites viewers to reflect on racism, empathy, and allyship while embodying Universal Design for Learning through accessible in-person, VR, and online formats. Through Endall’s powerful artwork and lived experience, the installation becomes a space for community voices, introspection, and meaningful dialogue on anti-racism at RRC Polytech.

Read the full story to learn how this groundbreaking project is bringing art, technology, and Traditional Knowledge together to inspire change on the Diversity Blog.

Gain the technical expertise and industry experience to progress into advanced IT programs.

Take a confident first step toward a career in information technology with RRC Polytech’s Pathway to Information Technology Programs. This preparatory program helps you build the foundational knowledge, technical skills and learning strategies you need to succeed in IT and transition smoothly into a diploma program. You’ll explore essential concepts in IT, including software, hardware, networking, cloud services, cybersecurity, and full-stack development, while developing problem-solving, communication and professional skills that employers value. With hands-on projects, applied learning and wrap-around support, you’ll gain the confidence to progress in your studies and career.

Upon completing this pathway, you’ll be prepared to apply for reserved seats in the following progression programs:

• Application Development and Delivery
• Cybersecurity
• Full Stack Web Development
• IT Operations

These programs equip you with advanced, career-ready skills such as software development, network administration, information security, and cloud management, and include work-integrated learning experiences to build industry connections. Learn from the experiences of past students:

• Connecting Code and Culture
• Finding Footing in Information Technology
• Indigenous High School Students Ace IT at the ACE IT Camp

Take the first step toward your IT career — learn more about the Pathway to Information Technology Programs and register for Fall 2026.

Gwen Cook and Manitoba Moon Voices Inc.

The Gwen Cook Memorial Award was created to honour the memory of Gwen Cook (Bimosekwe) who was a founding Grandmother of the Manitoba Moon Voices Inc.’s (MMVI) Grandmother Advisory Circle.

The Gwen Cook Memorial Award will be presented to an Indigenous woman or gender diverse individual who is enrolled in post-secondary studies in Manitoba, is a member of MMVI, and exemplifies the qualities of the late Gwen Cook.

The $1,000 scholarship is intended for a person who is enrolled in post-secondary studies with a minimum 60% course load (9 credit hours per Fall and Winter term).

How to apply:

Eligible applicants must complete the application and submit it to MMVI

Applications must be received by 4:30pm Friday, January 2, 2026.

Completed applications must include:

• Filled out application
• Essay explaining what traditional leadership means to you and how you put these into practice (500 – 1000 words)
• A copy of most recent transcript
• Proof of Indigenous ancestry
• A letter of recommendation
• A resume

About Gwen Cook

Gwen was a proud Maskgeko Anishibaabe Ikwe who was born in The Pas, MB and grew up in Flin Flon and Cranberry Portage, MB. She was a loving mother, sister, grandmother and friend who had a strong and gentle spirit.

Gwen was a leader in the community who adhered to traditional practices, values and leadership. Education was important to Gwen. She attained her Bachelor and Master of Social Work and was pursuing a Doctoral degree before her passing.

Gwen worked in Winnipeg for forty years at various organizations where she loved working with people. She contributed to the community by volunteering on various boards like Ka Ni Kanichihk and the Grandmothers Working for Good Life Council. Gwen was also a committee member of the Master of Social Work Indigenous Knowledge Program (U of M). She provided expertise in social services and shared her traditional knowledge.

Gwen was an active member of the Three Fires Midewin Lodge for over twenty years and was a fourth degree Midewin woman.

Reclamation of the Anishinaabe traditional way of life was essential to Gwen and she encouraged others in their own healing.