Winnipeg, MB – Red River College is proud to announce that Carla Kematch has been hired as the new Manager, Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement. Kematch will lead the College in their commitment to Manitoba’s Indigenous Education Blueprint, an unprecedented commitment to advance Indigenous education in the province and to make Manitoba a global centre of excellence for Indigenous education, research, languages and culture.

As one of nine post-secondary signatories to the Manitoba Indigenous Education Blueprint, which takes action on recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, the College recognizes it has an important, proactive role to play in supporting reconciliation efforts in the province.

“A key priority for the College is to strengthen our partnerships and continue to advance Indigenous achievement in our communities, and education is the key to improving the lives of Indigenous peoples and to improving Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations across Canada,” said Rebecca Chartrand, Executive Director, Indigenous Strategy. “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. We are excited about the skills, experience and perspective that Carla brings to the College as we look at addressing the important role we play in supporting the calls to action towards Truth and Reconciliation.”

Kematch comes to the college with 30 years’ experience working within the Indigenous community in a variety of capacities, including the development of training programs for staffs, community clients, board members and other partners which has also included: policy development, needs assessment, implementation plans, evaluation and delivery of group training. As part of her work in program development, she developed, launched and stabilized Art City. Her policy work at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs for five years focused on promoting Indigenous hiring, recruitment and retention plans. From there, she worked at the Mental Health Commission of Canada as a Project Winnipeg Site Consultant and United Way as their Capacity Building Director.

In addition to these projects, Carla has extensive knowledge developing recruitment and retention plans for government department and projects, private sector and nonprofit organizations: such as the Red River Expansion Project and Valard Construction. In both these projects, Indigenous communities were engaged and processes were developed for the hiring and training of Indigenous community members.

“This position came up and it just seemed like a natural fit for me to move in and indigenize the different areas within Red River College. I know it’s a big project but I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said Kematch. “The 94 Calls to Action covers all aspects of everyone’s lives; health and wellness, government policy, and education institutes, so it’s all encompassing. It also recognizes the history of Indigenous people, their challenges as well as celebrating the culture. Ideally, we will embed, instill and recognize the Calls to Action within every area. I think everybody is doing it already, they just haven’t been able to identify what it is they are doing and how it correlates to the specific calls, so if staff and students recognize that they are already doing it then it will be easier to embed it and instill it in how they work every day.”