Red River College’s School of Indigenous Education is pleased to announce the Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award in partnership with the Red River College Campus Store to support Indigenous learners. This new award came together from RRC students, staff and faculty purchasing specially designed t-shirts at the Campus Store that bring awareness to Indigenous issues.

“This is really a grassroots initiative. Students, staff and faculty have created this new award from the ground up. We didn’t know what to expect, so this has been a really amazing surprise,” says Carla Kematch, Manager, Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement. “Because these funds were raised from products that raise awareness of Indigenous issues, we really want to gift the award to an Indigenous student who embraces the efforts of Truth and Reconciliation and has been effected by the intergenerational impacts of colonialism. We want to extend a hand and lift up those who need it most.”

During the College’s first Truth and Reconciliation Week, where various events were offered to engage staff and students in Truth and Reconciliation topics and Indigenous culture, the Campus Store sold two t-shirt designs: Orange Shirt Day: Every Child Matters, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The funds raised were sufficient to create a new award with plans to continue for years to come.

Valued at $1,000, the Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award aims to support full-time Indigenous students who have a stake in Truth and Reconciliation. Mínwastánikéwin is a Cree word that means ‘to set it right.’

Recipients will be selected based on an essay response: What Does Truth and Reconciliation Mean to You?

To be eligible, applicants are required to submit a General RRC Application, proof of Indigenous heritage, and a one-page essay submission. Deadline for application is January 15, 2019.

To learn more about the Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award, visit rrc.ca/awards