Dawn Harris

Dawn Harris’s journey into fashion started when she envisioned her children and grandchildren (her babies, as she calls them!) lighting up the stage with their jigging, dressed to the nines in custom-fit, splendid outfits that matched their personalities and performances.

Dawn is a self-taught seamstress. She picked up the discipline from her mother Hilda, who’d sewn custom clothes for her and her twin sister growing up. Once she had her own children, Dawn decided that she wanted to contribute to her mother’s legacy—the legacy from which she drew inspiration, developed her own skill, and found artistic strength.

Designs by Dawn began in 2004 after Dawn started making square dancing outfits for her babies to wear onstage while they performed the Red River Metis Jig and square danced. The outfits in stores just didn’t have the striking personalities to match her babies’ performances, so she took the initiative to create the perfect outfits to complement their brilliant dancing.

Shortly after starting her brand, Dawn received orders to make custom traditional clothing: Ceremonial clothing like ribbon skirts and skirts and Pow Wow outfits like grass dancers, jingle dresses and fancy shawls. Designs by Dawn also started doing custom orders for weddings and square dance outfits for different communities around the world.

Designs by Dawn creates a variety of clothing and the brand’s main mission is to ensure the clothing is comfortable and custom-fitted to every body that wears them. Each order is created from Dawn’s own vision and her greatest accomplishment is knowing that her passion and gift for sewing brings happiness to people around the world.

Join Dawn at Manitou a bi Bii daziigae on April 19, 2023 for Indigenous Food, Fashion, and Music: an RBC Reaction by Collision Community Event and enjoy her brilliant jig and square dance fashion on the runway. For more information, check out the program post for the 2023 RBC Reaction by Collision.

Gayle Gruben

Gayle Gruben’s work reflects her dedication to causes that are deeply ingrained in community. In 2022, she created an amauti (a woman’s parka with a pouch in which to carry a baby) to memorialize the loved ones identified with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit People and to honour their families. Gayle worked closely with families to properly commemorate their loved ones, and the amauti was featured in an exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery in November 2022.

Gayle has been an artisan for 33 years, creating traditional Inuit garments with furs and hides. She is Inuvialuk and from Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, in the Invialuit Settlement Region of the western arctic. Gayle credits her discipline to her grandmother and her mother-in-law, who taught her the way to make traditional Inuit clothing, and to the College of the North Atlantic’s Textile and Fabrication program in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where she learned technical skills for pattern-making.

A mother to three adult children and grandmother to six grandchildren, Gayle is proud to share her Inuvialuit culture and traditions with anyone willing to learn. She had lived in many different provinces throughout her life before making Steinbach, Manitoba her home.

Join Gayle at Manitou a bi Bii daziigae on April 19, 2023 for Indigenous Food, Fashion, and Music: an RBC Reaction by Collision Community Event and encounter Inuit fashion right here in the heart of Canada. For more information, check out the program post for the 2023 RBC Reaction by Collision.

Olivia Nasikapow

Olivia Nasikapow taught herself to bead growing up, and that hobby turned into a fully-fledged career when she graduated from MC College in November 2022.

Olivia is a fashion designer from Missipawstik Cree Nation in Treaty 5 Territory. From a young age, Olivia’s parents encouraged her creative endeavours through arts and crafts and by showing her how to use the furs and leathers her father collected from out on the trap line. She learned the differences between the various leathers and furs, how each of them were used, and how the materials were able to keep them warm and safe through the seasons.

Olivia comes from a long line of artisans. On her father’s side, her great-grandmother Grace (Tobacco) Sanderson designed jingle dresses and traditional clothing, and her grandmother Priscilla (Sanderson) Nasikapow handmade clothing for her children. On her mother’s side, her great-grandmother Harriette (Greenleaf) Ballantyne and her grandmother Gladys (Ballantyne) Scott made tanned leather and moccasins.

Seeing the tanning process and the work that went into making clothes inspired Olivia to pursue fashion.

“I was determined to figure out how to elaborate on their designs and crafts with the collection I have recently made.”

Olivia Nasikapow

Olivia’s vision for her brand is to express the resilience and strength of Indigenous Iskwew (women), a testament to the work that she and the women that came before her have done to revolutionize and Indigenize fashion. The Winter Collection 2023 Traditional and Contemporary Indigenous Fashion includes nine jackets, women’s snow suits, casual and formal wear, mukluks, fur hats, and beaded accessories.

Join Olivia at Manitou a bi Bii daziigae on April 19, 2023 for Indigenous Food, Fashion, and Music: an RBC Reaction by Collision Community Event and experience her latest collection on the runway. For more information, check out the program post for the 2023 RBC Reaction by Collision.

Brownees Urban Bistro

Established in October 2018, Brownees Urban Bistro, a cultural catering company infusing Indigenous ingredients with Caribbean flavours and spice, was brought to Winnipeg, Treat 1 Territory by owner and head Chef, Melissa Brown; also known as Brownee!

With her passion for cooking, love for her Jamaican & Anishinaabe identity, and appreciation for the Indigenous foods sovereignty movement, Chef Brown thought it only made sense to offer Winnipeg a unique and elevated dining and tastebud experience.

Food and the opportunity to cook were surefire ways to engage the youth in Melissa’s neighbourhood growing up. Whenever places like Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre offered either, Melissa and her friends were always there; that experience launched Melissa’s journey to establish an urban Indigenous youth culinary program and Brownees Urban Bistro.

Brownees Urban Bistro fills a unique and thriving niche in the cuisine industry and has recently created an extension of her catering company to include luxury bannock donuts: Brownees Bannock Delights.

Brownees Urban Bistro & Brownees Bannock Delights can be found on Facebook & Instagram, and bookings can be made through her website.

Join Chef Brown at Manitou a bi Bii daziigae on April 19, 2023 for Indigenous Food, Fashion, and Music: an RBC Reaction by Collision Community Event and indulge in a fusion of Anishinaabe and Jamaican cuisine. For more information, check out the program post for the 2023 RBC Reaction by Collision.

Feast Café Bistro

Feast Café Bistro is a 100% Indigenous owned and operated restaurant serving dishes inspired by the traditional flavours of this great land. From day one, Feast has run as a hybrid restaurant and social enterprise. Some crowd favourites include butternut squash bannock pizza, traditional tipi tacos, pan-seared Manitoba pickerel and wild rice, slow-roasted sweetgrass bison ribs with wild blueberry BBQ sauce, and, of course, fresh-made bannocks!

Feast harvests, cooks, and eats with good intention. The folks at Feast pay respect to the plants and animals that give themselves to nourish our bodies. Feast proudly uses foods native to the land, such as wild rice, squash, beans and bison. Feast is committed to working with the community by participating in initiatives surrounding Indigenous foods, education and work experience with local non-profits and providing opportunities to those who face barriers to employment.

“As we eat together, we honour our connections, preserve our history and share our stories. This is where our name comes from, what inspires us and our menu.”

Born and raised in Winnipeg and a proud member of Peguis First Nation, owner Christa Bruneau-Guenther is a homecook turned restaurateur. She has made it her mission to help Feast become a pillar in the community, a place for the community to reconnect and learn about Indigenous food and culture. 

Since opening in late 2015, Christa and Feast have been featured on national and international stages like Food Network Canada, Canadian Living and Chatelaine Magazine. Feast has been honored to host guests from all walks of life—from community members, elders, and families to community leaders, senators, and supreme court justices.

Savour Feast’s delectable selection at Manitou a bi Bii daziigae on April 19, 2023 for Indigenous Food, Fashion, and Music: an RBC Reaction by Collision Community Event and experience her latest collection on the runway. For more information, check out the program post for the 2023 Reaction by Collision.

Express your school spirit during Spirit Week! Next week, bring your comfiest pajamas, your baggiest jersey, your wackiest hairstyle, and your creative-iest not-a-backpack! Each day you participate, get an entry into the draw at the end of the week to win!

Show up at either Indigenous Support Centre (F209 at NDC and P407 at EDC) decked out each day:

Tuesday, April 11 – Pajama Day

Wednesday, April 12 – Jersey Day

Thursday, April 13 – Crazy Hair Day  

Friday, April 14 – Anything-but-a-Backpack Day

Make sure you check in with a Navigator to get entered each day. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

If you have any questions, contact Terri-Lynn at tlanderson@rr.ca.

The Exchange District Campus comprises three core buildings: Manitou a bi Bii daziigae, the Roblin Centre and Paterson GlobalFoods Institute. Your Indigenous Food, Fashion and Music experience starts at the Manitou a bi Bii daziigae building – so let us help you plan how to get there.

How do you want to get to RRC Polytech?

Car

Drive to the Exchange District and find parking around our campus – we’ll help you figure out the best parking spots.

Bus

Using Winnipeg Transit is an affordable and efficient way to get to the Exchange District.

Bike

Learn more about your options if you’re intending to bike to the Exchange District Campus.

Explore Your Transportation Options

Car

Parking in the Exchange District

The Exchange District area has both street parking and public parking lot options – both paid. Make sure you purchase your parking pass before going into the Open Doors event.

Bus

Winnipeg Transit

Several bus routes can take you to the Exchange District. Use the Winnipeg Transit tool to plan your bus ride.

Plan your trip to EDC ›

Bike

Storing your Bike

There are options to make cycling a safe and convenient method of commuting to RRC Polytech. Bike racks are available to the public at the Roblin Centre (160 Princess St.), one of our Exchange District Campus’ buildings.

Find out more about biking resources ›

This event is graciously supported by RBC Future Launch.

RRC Polytech is proud to host its 23^rd annual Pow Wow to honour Indigenous graduates and Indigenous student academic achievement! Please join us to celebrate our students as we send them off on their continued journeys to success. The annual Pow Wow gives our community the opportunity to dance, drum, sing, eat, connect, and participate in Ceremony.

Friday, May 5, 2023

Notre Dame Campus, North Gym

• 10:00am – Pipe Ceremony
• 12:00pm – Grand Entry
• 2:00pm – Honouring Indigenous Graduates
• 4:30pm – Feast

Graduating students can register for attendance here. Students don’t need to register for stoles ahead of time and can pick them up at the Registration Table at the event.

Dancers and drum groups can register at the Registration Table on the morning of the event.

Crafters and artists can email Frank Parkes at fparkes@rrc.ca to register.

Attendees don’t need to register ahead of time.

Wiisinin Diner will be closed tomorrow due to unforeseen circumstances. Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we apologize for any inconvenience. Normal operations are expected to resume later this week. Check back here for confirmation on when Wiisinin Diner will be taking breakfast and lunch orders again.

Join us in the Indigenous Support Centre F209 at Notre Dame Campus for a karaoke session on Thursday, April 20! Light snacks and refreshments will be available in the lounge at 4, and karaoke will start at 4:30 until 7. Shy songbirds can belt one out behind a curtain, and show-stopping stars can shine on stage, front and centre—your choice! Bring your friends and your best vocals. No registration needed.

When: 4pm–7pm, Thursday, April 20

Where: Indigenous Support Centre F209, Notre Dame Campus

If you have any questions, contact Terri-Lynn at tlanderson@rrc.ca.