Education, Work

EGSS Conference 2022: Indigenous community-centered research

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Indigenous community research ethics

Conference Presentation- Indigenous Community-Centered Research: Navigating ethics, cultural protocols, & relationships

Very appreciative of the opportunity to present the Kahnawà:ke Education Center’s (KEC) Research Policy & Code of Ethics with the McGill community! This panel explored the process of co-writing the new policy for the KEC. My co-panelists (& policy co-writers) were Kahtehrón:ni Stacey & Daniella Birlain D’Amico. The three of us are graduate (PhD) students at McGill in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education. We not only came together to co-write this policy and help launch it but we also supported each other throughout the pandemic with our individual research.

This annual conference is organized by the Education Graduate Students Society (EGSS) at McGill University as an opportunity for students to share and learn from each other. This year’s conference theme was: Challenge, Change & Resilience.

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Education, Walking About, Work

Joining a tv-series writer’s room

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I have done many presentations, guest lectures, and conferences over the years as a scholar and activist. Yesterday was the first time that I was invited to join a writer’s room (virtually) for a Canadian television series. I appreciate the efforts of these creators and writers to be inclusive of Indigenous voices & realities. This particular episode coincides with my area of expertise, Indigenous education & Indian Day Schools.

I can’t wait for this episode to air!

Wahéhshon Whitebean, guest talk in the writer’s room
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Education, Work

NETOLNEW Project

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I am a full-time PhD student and a mother of three so I usually work part-time. I know a few wonder women who work full-time while doing full-time studies but that is too much for me with my health and workout regimen. This month I started a new part-time job for the Kahnawà:ke Education Center (KEC) as an Educational Research Assistant on the NETOLNEW Indigenous language revitalization project.

Kahnawà:ke has a long history of language revitalization going back about fifty years. Our community is often looked at as a model of Indigenous language revitalization efforts. From 2017 to 2018, I worked on Skátne Enionkwaió’ten with Kahtehrón:ni Iris Stacey and a team of community members to create a five-year strategic plan for language revitalization in Kahnawà:ke. It was wonderful and rewarding work (and challenging) but when my contract ended, I had to focus on completing my Master’s at Concordia University (which I did in June 2019).

This time around, the KEC is partnering with NETOLNEW to focus on adult second language learners (the “missing generation”). Our work will focus on supporting Karonhianónhnha Immersion School staff & teachers. I was excited at this new opportunity for the KEC to further some of the goals that were set in the language plan with Skátne Enionkwaió’ten. Walking the talk!! We also have two new project facilitators for Skátne Enionkwaió’ten but I remain connected to the project as a member of the advisory committee and the web developer/webmaster for the project website that I created. I hoped that by creating a website for the Skátne Eionkwaió’ten language plan that we would help inform other communities attempting to take a similar approach to language revitalization.

One way or another, I end up working in language & culture revitalization. I am so thankful to have this chance to continue doing very meaningful work in my home community. It has helped me to grow and sparked some new ideas for my future work. That’s all for now, looking forward to this new role 🙂

Skennenhkó:wa,

Wahéhshon – “She Walks About”

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Kanien'kéha, Skátne Enionkwaió'ten, Work

My last official day with Skátne Enionkwaió’ten

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Today was my last official day at the Kahnawà:ke Education Center office as the Skátne Enionkwaió’ten Community Language Plan Coordinator. As a member of Tewaharátat Tsi Niionkwarihò:ten (community language & culture network) I will continue to work on Skátne Enionkwaió’ten on a volunteer basis, particularly to manage the Facebook page and website. I am looking forward to reconnecting with Mother Earth this summer and spending time on the land with my family but I am sad to be moving on from the KEC. My co-workers are incredibly professional yet our work atmosphere is positive and friendly. I will miss their smiling faces and encouraging words! They have all helped out with this project so much (Especially Darlene, Janice, Kim, & Alana).

This was the first time I worked with Cheryl Delaronde. I was blown away by how beautiful her graphic design work was for our language plan. Cheryl went far beyond what she was hired for and made her own personal contribution to this project.

I would like to thank our steering committee (Kawennanó:ron, Konwaronhiénhawe, Warisó:se, Tsohahí:io, Iakohsontí:io, & Ieronhienhawi) for their time and dedication to this project. They always had words of encouragement and appreciation for my work which helped to keep me going. Each of them has put their entire heart into language and culture work and working so closely with them has been inspiring!

It has been a pleasure to get to know Kaia’titáhkhe, one who has spent a lifetime teaching and promoting Kanien’kéha. Kaia’titáhkhe and Akwiratékha did a beautiful job with the translation! I learned so much from them and I really feel that this translation is one of the most advanced documents in Onwehonwehnéha/Kanien’kéha that we have. As a second language speaker, I am really going to cherish it!!

Our initiative Skátne Enionkwaió’ten was a dream of Kahtehrón:ni. She made sacrifices to launch this project while working full-time as the Kanien’kehá:ka Curriculum Developer and full-time PhD student. I

 

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