Guest speaker at Trent University

My first guest speaking invitation this year and one of my all time favorites! I was invited to speak to an Indigenous Research class taught by Jackson Pind (INDG 3813Y). I joined virtually early this morning with no slides and no plan (yikes) to do Q & A. It was the first time I did a talk like this and I loved it! I just showed up and got to be myself. I’m very impressed with the questions the students asked and the course content.

I am still answering some questions by email – but happy to connect. It made me realize what a difference it makes when you do a guest lecture or presentation and the students truly engage with the material and what you have to share. Food for thought in the future should I decide to teacher full time 😉

Niá:wen for the invite Jackson 🙂

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Virtual Indigenous Research Ethics Panel

McGill University is collaborating with several other academic institutions and Indigenous community organizations to have discussions about research ethics and data sovereignty. I represented the Kahnawà:ke Education Center (KEC) on a virtual research ethics panel titled: “Understanding Indigenous research data management and research protocols”. The panel was well attended, with several questions and comments at the end. There will be additional events on this topic coming in 2023.

My presentation focused on the new policy and process that I helped to implement at the KEC, see below.

Presentation Title: Education research, ethics, and community protocols in Kahnawà:ke

Summary

Introducing a new Research Policy and Code of ethics in the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) territory of Kahnawà:ke. Through this policy, the Kahnawà:ke Education Center is using research activities to pursue our strategic goals as leaders in Indigenous education, fostering research relationships in a respectful and meaningful way for the benefit of our community.  Examples of Indigenous and community-centered research collaborations will be provided. The Kahnawà:ke Education Center’s Research Policy & Code of Ethics provides a model for Indigenous community-based education research, grounded in Haudenosaunee worldview.

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Diggstown – Season 4 episode 3 aired on CBC Gems!

In February, I was invited to the writer’s room for a TV series called Diggstown on CBC Gem. The show is a Canadian legal drama series. The writing team was putting together an episode about Indian Day Schools and invited me as an “Indigenous expert” to consult on the script. It was a great experience!

The episode aired on October 26, 2022: Donald Kitpu Christmas (season 4, episode 3). Apparently, I was also an inspiration for the character “Cheyenne Claire”, an “Indigenous expert” called to the stand during the trial. The actors, writers, cast and crew did an excellent job on this episode! I really enjoyed it.

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KCI Kindled Podcast on Indian Residential Schools

I was invited to record my first podcast with Iorì:wase: KCI Kindled Podcast episode 1: Residential Schools and how it’s affected multigenerational families.

It’s not easy to open up about these difficult topics, despite the years that I have worked in this field. It’s also a personal challenge for me to engage with the public on this level in such a vulnerable way but I hope that ultimately these stories will impact others that way they have impacted me. I’m thankful for the invitation and to the co-hosts for engaging with me in such a deeply personal way about this important piece of our community’s history.

Skennenhkó:wa

Wahéhshon

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