Learning a new language can be a daunting task, but RRC’s Indigenous Language (Ojibwe) students have found a way to not only make their own learning fun but to share what they’ve learned with others.

During their studies, students Dave Bird, Joy Phillips, Sherri Shorting and Gil Keeper came together to form their own musical group called Nagamoodaa!, which means “Let’s All Sing.” With support and guidance from their instructor Ida Bear, they created their own original children’s songs in Ojibwe – including lyrics, melodies, and accompanying guitar music. Although it was not required as part of their studies, these students felt they needed to record their songs and create a CD entitled Maajii’am (Start Singing).

“We found that it was important to record these songs as they are a fun and entertaining tool in language acquisition,” says Phillips. “Since we are on the journey to relearn the language of our grandparents, which was taken from us, we all felt it was important to do what we can to help in the language revitalization efforts. These songs have helped us learn Ojibwe as we have gone through the process of writing, recording and singing the songs.”

Phillips is an elementary school teacher and she hopes that the CD will be a helpful instructor tool for other language teachers.

“The songs are geared towards kids, because of the content and repetition, but we have found that these work great for any age and beginning level of fluency. Teachers can use the song structures to introduce phrases and conversation patterns, as a lot of the songs have proper grammatical tenses that can be used in everyday conversation.”

Phillips uses the Weather Song as an example.

“This songs talks about the weather for yesterday, today and tomorrow and includes the question and answer in the correct tense.”

Aaniin gaa ezhiwebag bijiinago? / What was the weather yesterday?
Da Gisina na? / Was it cold?

Aaniin wii ezhiwebag waabang? / What will the weather be tomorrow ?
Wii gimiwan na? / Will it rain tomorrow?

CDs can be purchased for $20 by contacting the group via their Facebook page Nagamoodaa – Learning Ojibwe through Song.

Maajii’am (Start Singing) songs include: Asabikeshin (Spider Song), Agindaaso/Awesin (Counting/Animals), Gaagweskaayaq (Seasons Song), Waawaatesi (Firefly Song), Colours Song, Aaniin Ezhiwebag? (What it the weather? / Weather Song), Aande Onjii’an? (Where do you live? / Directions Song), and Nibaa Ni-Abinoonjii (Sleep My Child – Lullaby).

The students would like to give special thanks and appreciation to their language instructor and mentor Ida Bear and Red River College.

For more information on RRC’s Indigenous Language programs, visit rrc.ca/indigenous

At the 19th annual Graduation Pow Wow, Red River College unveiled a new Indigenous graduation stole to recognize the achievements of the College’s Indigenous students. The students were presented with their stoles by RRC’s elders and members of the College’s leadership.

The Graduation Pow Wow has grown by more than 25 per cent from last year and is one of RRC’s largest cultural celebrations.

“Advancing indigenous achievement is a key priority at Red River College, and the College recognizes the important role it plays in supporting reconciliation efforts across the Province,” said Rebecca Chartrand, Executive Director, Indigenous Strategy. “Presenting our students with these beautiful Indigenous stoles will give them a great sense of pride at the Pow Wow and as they walk across the stage at convocation. The Pow Wow is about celebrating our students’ success and this stole an important way of honouring who they are, their culture, and their achievements at the College.”

The stole was designed with symbols to represent The Seven Sacred Teachings, Métis culture, and Inuit culture. In the middle of the stole is the Red River College logo, which rests on the back of the neck. The Assiniboine and Red rivers are also represented throughout the design, which lays on red silk to proudly display the College’s brand colour.

“The Red and Assiniboine rivers are historically and culturally significant to Indigenous peoples; they are the reason so many groups came to reside on the land that Red River College campuses are located on. This geography has informed Indigenous history and is our College’s namesake, so it was really important to incorporate the rivers symbolically into the design,” said Chartrand.

Students who received a stole at the Pow Wow are encouraged to wear their stole at the College-wide Spring 2019 Convocation ceremonies on June 4 and 5, 2019 at the Centennial Concert Hall. The stoles will also be available at convocation for Indigenous students.

Click here for more photos from the 19th annual Graduation Pow Wow. 

As we gain a deeper understanding of the ininīmowin, we find the history, the teachings, and the world view of the inino embedded in the words. As an oral language, this ensures the continuation of the culture from one generation to the next. The Elders are telling us that we can’t just translate our language into English; we have to look more closely in order to better understand our ininīwin. In this session, we will examine concepts of child raising and education based on words in ininīmowin and explain the history and teachings that are contained within each word.

The Culture is in the Language with visiting Cree Elder Ron Cook
April 15, 2019 | 12pm to 1:30pm
Indigenous Support Centre
(F205, Notre Dame Campus)
Lunch will be provided.

About Ron Cook
Ron Cook was a fisherman on Lake Winnipeg for 15 years and lived a traditional lifestyle with his wife and five daughters. In 1992, his interest in his first language (nehinawewin) inspired him to enter BUNTEP when they offered a program for training Native Language teachers, graduating in 1997 with great distinction. He taught Cree at Grand Rapids School for five years before he moved to Thompson to teach at Wapanohk Community School in the Cree bilingual program. He was the Cree Language/Indigenous Perspectives Coordinator for the School District of Mystery Lake from September 2006 until he retired in June 2018. He is currently the consultant for the Centre for Aboriginal Langauge and Culture at the University College of the North.

Red River College’s inaugural Indigenous Culinary Skills program is cooking up opportunities for students and re-opening the doors to the College’s Prairie Lights restaurant at the Notre Dame Campus.

The College’s first-ever pop-up short order restaurant will see this inaugural group of students cooking made-from-scratch breakfast and lunch starting March 12th to April 17th, with a menu featuring a new take on some delicious Indigenous dishes.

“A key priority for the College is to advance Indigenous achievement and elevate student success. Our role as a college is to ensure we create the programs, supports and opportunities that allow Indigenous peoples to demonstrate their leadership and innovation in all facets of our society,” said Rebecca Chartrand, Executive Director, Indigenous Strategy.

The students will operate the restaurant as a real short order kitchen, which won’t only give students practical experience that they can use when they enter the workforce but it will also touch on power skills like team work, communication, time management and problem solving. This initiative demonstrates the College’s commitment to support Indigenous learners on their journey towards education and successful employment as well as growing Indigenous peoples successfully into all industries.

“By offering traditional Indigenous dishes such as bannock tacos and 3-sisters soup, these students will be sharing their culture with the rest of the College and members of the public who come to dine at Prairie Lights. That really fits into the work we are doing with Truth and Reconciliation through celebrating Indigenous culture and advancing Indigenous achievement in our communities. You can really see the sense of pride students have by sharing the food they make that is part of their history.”

The restaurant will also give employment experience to students enrolled in College Transition, a one-year exploratory certificate program. The College has hired these students to run the “front-of-house” operation and as part of their new role also received First-Aid Training and their Food Handler’s certification.

“Red River College is dedicated to finding innovative opportunities to build a better future for students,” says Chartrand. “There is a compelling need for financial assistance for Indigenous students who want to pursue post-secondary education, so we will find solutions and remove barriers to education and employment wherever we can.”

The Prairie Lights restaurant will be open to the public from March 12th to April 17th and offers made-from-scratch breakfast, lunch and daily specials. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday; 9 am to 10:30 am for breakfast, and 11 am to 12:30 for lunch. Seating is limited and is first-come, first-served.

Please join us for Red River College’s Aspiring Indigenous Student Enrolment Fair to learn about exciting new programs, as well as a new award opportunity that could cover the cost of your tuition and books.

Tuesday, March 5 | 1 pm – 7 pm
Notre Dame Campus
Indigenous Support Centre, Building F, 2^nd Floor, Room F209

Red River College, Indigenous Education is pleased to announce the creation of the one million dollar Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships, and Awards in partnership with Indspire. This is our demonstrated commitment to Indigenous Achievement at Red River College and to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action.

The first deadline to apply is March 15, 2019 for programs that start in September of 2019. We encourage aspiring students to apply early as funds will be distributed on a first-come first-serve basis.

Indigenous Education staff will be on site at the Aspiring Indigenous Student Enrolment Fair to answer questions and assist students with the bursary application process. To qualify, students will need to do the following:

1. Complete the on-line bursary application
2. Provide proof of Indigenous ancestry (Status Card, MMF Card)
3. Demonstrate financial need
4. Provide valid social insurance number
5. Provide official high school transcript(s)
6. Must meet admission requirements for their chosen program.

Finally, we are guaranteeing a certain number of seats in the following Indigenous Education Programs. These programs are exploratory, preparatory, transitional or specialized. They are designed to help students who are still uncertain about a career path but have a general understanding of where they might want to end up:

1. ACCESS Pathway to Health Programs (10-month exploratory and preparatory program)
2. ACCESS Pathway to Engineering Technology Programs (10-month)
3. Indigenous Culinary Skills Certificate (10 months)
4. Indigenous Social Enterprise Diploma Program (2 years)
5. Indigenous Language Certificate Program –Ojibwe and Cree (10 months)
6. Introduction to Trades (5-month)
7. College Transition Certificate Program (10 month program)
8. Community Development/Community Economic Development Diploma (2 years)

For more information please contact Wade Parke, Indigenous Education Aspiring Student Manager, at 204-632-2175 or email: wparke@rrc.ca.

For a full list of program options, visit rrc.ca/indigenous

On behalf of the School of Indigenous Education, we are pleased to host the 19th Annual Pow Wow honouring Indigenous graduates on Friday, May 3, 2019 at the Notre Dame Campus (2055 Notre Dame Ave.) in the North Gym.

Pow Wow Schedule – Friday, May 3, 2019

10:00am Pipe Ceremony in the North Gym

12:00pm Grand Entry

2:00pm Honour Indigenous Graduates – gift giving

5:00pm Feast, North Gym

Dancers, drum groups and community members are welcome to attend. Crafters please contact the Pow Wow Coordinator to book a table. Free parking is available in the parking lot labelled West 4 (see map). We hope you will join us in honouring our students as we send them off on a continued journey to success.

Should you have any questions, please contact Morgan Paul at 204-632-3773 or email mpaul50@rrc.ca.

Graduate Registration

Indigenous students who are graduating from a Red River College program in 2019 can register to be honoured at the 19th Annual Pow Wow Honouring Indigenous Graduates on Friday, May 3, 2019.

Please select a valid form

Industry representatives are coming together for a one-day Careers and Education in Cannabis job fair at Red River College’s Notre Dame Campus in the Indigenous Support Centre on Monday, January 14 from 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Following the sold-out inaugural Cannabis 101 Course this fall – the first of its kind to be offered by a post-secondary institution in the province, and one of few available across the prairies – Careers and Education in Cannabis invites alumni, prospective students and those with an interest in the industry to explore career options, submit resumes for retail positions, and apply for bursaries as well as the Winter 2019 Cannabis 101 Course.

“A key priority for the College is to strengthen our partnerships and continue to advance Indigenous achievement in our communities; and within that, one of the main areas of focus in Indigenous Education at Red River is the transition to employment once a student graduates from one of our programs. It’s vital that we provide supports and opportunities that allow our grads to take the next step in their life journey. This day of career exploration is just one example of how we are addressing employment, entrepreneurship and Indigenous growth and participation in the cannabis and hemp industry,” said Rebecca Chartrand, Executive Director, Indigenous Strategy.

Local companies Garden Variety, Tokyo Smoke, and Delta 9 Cannabis will be on site to network, answer questions, and take applications.

RRC continues its relationship with Indspire Brighter Futures, which provided 56 students with bursaries for tuition fees and books in fall 2018. Indspire is a national Indigenous-led registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people and are providing 29 bursaries for Indigenous learners for RRC’s Winter 2019 term. The one-stop-shop Careers and Education in Cannabis event will provide access to the computer lab so attendees can apply for bursaries on site and speak with RRC staff.

The courses available for Indspire Bursaries and application deadlines are:
• Intro to Trades – January 20, 2019
• College Transition – January 20, 2019
• Cannabis 101 Course – February 4, 2019
• Indigenous Language Course – March 2019

Careers and Education in Cannabis
Monday, January 14 | 2 pm – 7 pm
Red River College, Notre Dame Campus
Indigenous Support Centre, F205

Refreshments will be served. Please contact Frank Parkes at fparkes@rrc.ca or 204-632-2534 for more information and to reserve parking.

Please note, this event is 19+ due to LGCA regulations.

Paul Vogt, President and CEO, Red River College Polytechnic, greeting students, staff and industry guests.

On Friday, December 14, the inaugural class of Red River College’s Indigenous Social Enterprise hosted industry partners, including leaders from Manitoba’s successful and emerging social enterprises, to introduce them to RRC’s newest two-year diploma program.

The centrepiece of the event was unveiling the Social Enterprise Map students created over the first term to identify the social enterprise ecosystem in Manitoba. Each student had the opportunity to present a specific social enterprise in each of the main categories.

Student Courtney Clemons, whose spirit name is White Thunder Cloud Woman, presented on Fisher River Economic Development Corporation (FRED).

Courtney Clemons, RRC student.

“They have about ten different subsidiary companies and all of them kind of help each other out financially. They kind of keep that money within the community which I find is really amazing,” says Clemons. “I’m really proud to able to say that’s my reserve, and it just makes my heart tingle a little bit by saying that’s where I’m from, that’s my home town, those are my people.”

Social Enterprise is one of the five new programs launched this fall for Indigenous learners that aim to grow Indigenous representation and assist RRC in continuing its strategic priority to advance Indigenous achievement at the College.

“I went to an Open House at the Notre Dame Campus,” continued Clemons. “They described the program to me, and I was like that is exactly where I want to be and just described how I want my career to progress.”

Indigenous Social Enterprise students, instructors and Paul Vogt.

This two-year diploma introduces students to a multitude of for-profit, non-profit, and co-operatively structured social enterprises addressing today’s most pressing issues. Students work alongside social-enterprises here in Manitoba to gain the right hands-on experience to understand what it takes to work on these environmental, social, cultural, and spiritual needs. Students will also experience first-hand how their work can have an impact on addressing a variety of societal challenges that exist in many urban and rural communities.

At the end of the program each student will have an opportunity to incubate their own social enterprise idea and then launch it upon graduation.

“I hope to start a bunch of companies and manage some programs,” laughs Clemons. “It would be an honour to be able to work with Fisher River, just to be able to say ‘I work with my community, I’m from this community’ and that would make a lot of sense for me.”

Learn more about the Indigenous Social Enterprise program.

Photography by Darcy Finley.

We sat down with Elder-in-Residence Paul Guimond, who will lead the Winter Solstice ceremony at the Notre Dame Campus, to learn more about this key seasonal event.

Both Red River College Indigenous Support Centres (Exchange District Campus and Notre Dame Campus) will host Winter Solstice celebrations to mark the start of the season, December 13^th and 14^th, and you’re invited!

Gatherings for the Winter Solstice bring comfort, warmth, and people together to share stories, laughter and of course, food. In Indigenous culture, winter represents an ancestral spirit, so reflecting on the past by sharing stories and thanking our ancestors is an important part of honouring where we’re from, especially as we plan for the cold months ahead.

We’ll begin with a traditional pipe ceremony and sacred songs, one of which will be a thank you song to our ancestors. Don’t worry if you don’t know the words, lyrics will be shared so everyone can join in. At the Notre Dame location, we will bring a grandfather drum to life. Both events will conclude with a feast that Paul says represents feasting the spirits and showing thanks.

If you’re wondering what the Pipe Ceremony is all about, Paul says, “it was always the pipe that brought people together. The pipe’s stone represents strength, and that stone has been here for a long time, so it has a lot of stories. The wood that’s attached to that pipe represents the connection to the spirit that connects to the creator. So if you put those two together and put our first medicine in the pipe, which is tobacco, then that smoke takes the message to the creator.”

The Winter Solstice celebrations offer RRC students and staff an opportunity to learn more about and participate in the Indigenous ceremonies that take place at the college, visit the Support Centres, and meet staff.

All pipe carriers are invited to take part in the Pipe Ceremony.

Winter Solstice: Pipe Ceremony & Feast
Thursday, December 13 – 11:00 am
Indigenous Support Centre
Exchange District Campus – P407

Winter Solstice: Open House
Pipe Ceremony, Feast & Making of the Grandfather Drum
Friday, December 14 – 10:00 am
Indigenous Support Centre
Notre Dame Campus – F205

Indigenous Education does not start in the classroom. It starts in connecting students to the real world, whether that be the traditional world or the academic world. It allows students to be successful in whatever path they choose to take in life, whether that means employment in an urban centre or returning back to their community to work on community driven projects.

Although traditional Indigenous people did not carry around beakers and journals, they were scientists. They understood and followed Natural Law. They understood and had biologists, chemists, archeologists, and botanists. They also understood and used astrology, and practiced conservation and land management. Often people hear the word traditional and they think that the information is outdated or not scientifically sound, however, the reality is that Indigenous knowledge and ways of being provide us with many of our modern medicines and knowledge of our physical environment. The form of tanning that the students learned does not use chemicals but rather parts of the animal. It’s important to understand that there may be quicker methods to tanning but they are harmful to the earth and to the humans working in that field. These students now have the knowledge to tan a hide, take care of the earth and themselves for future generations.

During the hide tanning exercise, students learned about Indigenous history, culture, chemistry, biology, and conservation. They honoured the animal that gave up its life for their learning. Although these animals may not be ones in our back yards, we  have to remember that we are in their back yards so it’s important for us to learn to live with wildlife because we cannot live without one another.<