Inspiring stories from RRC’s Indigenous Alumni

How do successful people get to where they are? What did that journey look like? What did they learn and how did they stay the course? What does it mean to be an Indigenous student in post-secondary?

The Stay the Course speaker series is a hand from one generation to the next, hosted by Carla Kematch, Manager, Truth and Reconciliation and Community & Engagement. Every month, incredible RRC Indigenous Alumni share their experiences on their journey to success. Advancing Indigenous achievement at RRC means listening to Indigenous stories. This is just one of the many ways we can embed the efforts of Truth and Reconciliation in our daily lives.

Arlene Flatfoot

Our first featured speaker is Arlene Flatfoot, an Anishinabe from the Ebb and Flow Ojibway Nation in Treaty Two Territory. After graduating from Ebb and Flow School in 1986, Arlene enrolled in the Secretary Machine Transcription course at Red River Community College. Her 2-year-old daughter was enrolled in the day care centre while she attended classes. It was extremely difficult for Arlene to leave her home reserve for a city that she did not know well. Being a young mother, Arlene was persistent to complete her course at RRC so that she could provide a good upbringing for her daughter. She always tries to live a life of pino-pimatiswin for children and her grandchildren. She will be graduating in October 2020 with a Master’s Degree in the area of Language and Literacy from The University of Manitoba.