GWIIJGAABWITAADMI
...we stand together
Inside
2 Encourage: Messages of
strength
3 Educate: Native statistics
tell the story
4 Academic: Culturally safe
nursing, re-educating the
educator
6 Celebrate: Spirit of the
drum and Manitoulin
Island
8 Happenings: Powwow
and scholarships
GWIIJGAABWITAADMI credits
Contributors: Suzanne Charron-Violette,
Sheila Cote-Meek, Dana Hickey, Mary Laur,
Angela Recollet, Mary-Catherine Taylor,
Joey-Lynn Wabie, and Laura E. Young
Design and layout: JoAnn Wohlberg,
Communications and Marketing
Editors: Jennifer Nault and Laura E. Young
935 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury Ontario Canada P3E 2C6
705 675 1151 1 800 263 4188
www.laurentian.ca
Renowned architect Douglas
Cardinal visited Sudbury in October.
Photos: www.djcarchitect.com
Designing from the inside out
By Suzanne Charron-Violette
The buildings you live and work in can
affect you, according to Douglas Cardinal, one of
Canada’s most renowned architects. This is why it’s
so important for Cardinal to design buildings that
inspire people.
He says a building’s design should reflect the
owner’s vision of the world. Cardinal explains:
“As architects, we can help design for people. But
ultimately, people have to believe in themselves,
and in the power they have as visionaries.” He
insists that everyone has the capability to envision
a better life, and to make a contribution to society.
It is up to us to harness our imagination and to get
excited about imagining a better future. Then, we
have to keep our word and focus on our goals.
He came to Sudbury on October 21 to give a lecture
on the language of architecture, which was co-
sponsored by the Humanities MA program and the
School of Architecture Steering Committee.
Cardinal is known for his curvilinear design – a
design trademark that embodies his belief in the
traditional Aboriginal circle. Of Native ancestry, he
prefers the more protective circles and curves to the
prevalent patriarchal and aggressive forms often
Winter 2010
found in contemporary buildings. For him, design
links to family. “We have to start reinforcing the
extended family and designing our communities
to connect people, not disconnect them, and
start making a stand for bringing back special
relationships with families – including the extended
families – in raising their children and looking after
the elderly,” says Cardinal.
...ultimately, people have to
believe in themselves, and in the
power they have as visionaries.
He seeks his design concepts by searching within
himself, to his own spiritual core, trusting the
creativity provided by his own intuition and feelings.
This approach has worked well, as he has won
numerous awards, and was even featured on a
2007 Canadian commemorative stamp. He recently
won the Golden Medal of the Union of Architects of
Russia Crystal Award for his design of the Canadian
Museum of Civilization, now in its twentieth year.
This is the highest award of the International
Academy of Architecture.
GWIIJGAABWITAADMI winter 2010 1
Encourage

Kwe Kwe
everyone!
I am delighted to welcome you to Laurentian
University and our growing community of First
Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. The latest
figures show that there are over 900 Aboriginal
students at Laurentian. We are extremely pleased
to have you here and wish you all success in your
academic, social, and other pursuits.
In this issue of the newsletter, you will find a variety
of stories focusing on the key education holds to
our future as Aboriginal people.
For example, Laurentian’s School of Nursing is
one of six Canadian nursing schools selected to
develop a safe curriculum that will educate future
nurses in best cultural practices. This work is part
of an overall vision for nursing education where
our students are successful in their studies and
fully prepared to enter the workforce. Once you
complete your undergraduate degree, the future
is yours – you may wish to return to university
to pursue graduate studies, travel across Canada
or abroad to gain further experience in other
Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities,
or work in your home community. I believe
that education really does open a world of
opportunities for us to participate in making our
communities better places.
As a member of the senior leadership team, I
am also responsible for ensuring that Aboriginal
issues and needs as they relate to post-secondary
education success are brought forward within the
organization. I also oversee the office of Native
student affairs (NSA) and work collaboratively
with various academic units to increase access and
retention of Aboriginal learners across all academic
programs.
I encourage you to visit the NSA office located
on the 2nd floor of the R. D. Parker Building.
This office has many connections on campus and
throughout the Greater Sudbury community. Please
drop by, stay awhile, and find out what more
Laurentian has to offer.
Miigwetch! Enjoy your academic year!
Sheila Cote-Meek,
acting associate vice-president,
indigenous programs

Joey-Lynn Wabie,
Native student counsellor
Kwe Kwe,
My name is Joey-Lynn Wabie and I am Algonquin First Nation from Quebec. I live on the outskirts of
Sudbury with my husband and three children. I joined the Native student affairs team as the Native
student counsellor in June 2009. I offer personal, career, and academic counselling to Aboriginal
students. My goal is to keep students in university by providing support through counselling or
referrals. I believe in being accessible to Native students, so please drop by for a visit. Our team has
an exciting new Ancestral Paths Mentoring Program, which launches in January 2010. If you are
interested, please do not hesitate to contact me. I wish everyone well, in their studies and in life.
Remember life is a journey, not a destination!

2 GWIIJGAABWITAADMI winter 2010


Analyzing the statistics has given Laurentian
a more up-to-date snapshot of its Aboriginal
student population.
Last June, an online, voluntary survey showed that
936 students self-identified as First Nations, Métis,
or Inuit. That represents about 10.9 per cent of the
Laurentian student population.
In the past, the figure was always an estimate, lying
somewhere between 300 and 500 students. But
last year, Laurentian implemented a voluntary self-
identification process designed to better determine
the numbers of specific groups, including students
with special needs, and Aboriginal students.
Self-identification can make people suspicious,
but there are benefits to the process, says Sheila
Cote-Meek, associate vice-president, indigenous
programs. “It really assists us with better pro-
gramming, providing better services to meet
Aboriginal student needs, and tracking students for
retention purposes so we don’t lose them.”
The numbers also revealed that 14.3 per cent of
Aboriginal students are enrolled in French-language
programs: The majority of those students self-
identified as Métis. On the English side, the majority
identified as First Nations.
Based on those numbers, the university is looking
at ways to better serve the needs of the Métis
Educate
Encouraging Native youth
Fields of study – More financial aid available
students who self-
identified as Aboriginal
population. There is a now Métis member on
Laurentian’s native education council, LUNEC. Cote-
Meek met with the education representative at the
Métis Nation of Ontario at the end of October to
find ways to make Laurentian more accessible to
Métis students. “So we have got some things we’re
rolling out now. That’s positive,” Cote-Meek says.
More than
900 Native
students
at Laurentian
By Laura E. Young
In honour of Laurentian’s 50th anniversary, Native
student affairs is promoting two incentive bursaries:
the Native studies or Native language access award
and the access award for Northeastern Ontario
and Simcoe County. The 50th anniversary access
incentive is valued at $5,000 over four years.
Angela Recollet, manager of Native student
affairs, says they are working to recruit and retain
Aboriginal students. Yet, the way their success is
measured is different than traditional Western ways,
she says.
The western world may look at retention in a linear
way with a set timeframe to retain students, says
Recollet. “In our worldview, you’ll get there when
you get there. There may be breaks in your study
that take you back home to support your family. If
you come back in four years and continue, that, too,
is success.”
For more information, contact the
Native student affairs office, L-222 in
the R. D. Parker Building, or phone
705-675-1151, ext. 1051
GWIIJGAABWITAADMI winter 2010 3
Academic
Laurentian receives
funding to develop
culturally safe
nursing practices
By Laura E. Young
It can be bad enough if you are sick and far
away from home. Now, imagine being treated in
the hospital without any respect for your culture or
gender. But with work being done at Laurentian,
experiences like that for Aboriginal people should
improve.
“Cultural safety” is the term. In September,
Laurentian received $10,000 funding from the
Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada (ANAC)
and its partner, the Canadian Association of
Schools of Nursing (CASN) to implement a
nursing curriculum based on the cultural safety
competencies. Laurentian was one of six Canadian
nursing schools to share in the $405,000 funding
available via Health Canada’s Aboriginal Health
Human Resources Initiative.
In today’s complex world of nursing, a culturally
competent nurse is sensitive to the culture of the
person she is caring for, says Denise Newton-
Mathur, a professor in Laurentian’s School of
Nursing who is working on the new curriculum.
“A nurse tries to be appropriate.”
But only the patient, or client, can truly assess
cultural safety in the healthcare environment,
Newton-Mathur explains. On a personal level,
they know how they were treated and whether
they encountered racism or bias in the healthcare
setting. The concept of power also factors into
cultural safety. “When you think of colonialism and
4 GWIIJGAABWITAADMI winter 2010
Aboriginal peoples, medical institutions are power
structures. Physicians, doctors, health workers are
all in a position of power,” she says.
In a culturally safe healthcare environment, the
patient’s input into his or her care is considered
first. The matter may be as simple as allowing
patients to choose when they take their meals.
Or, it could involve an Aboriginal mother keeping
the placenta of her newborn baby for honour
ceremonies of her traditional beliefs, says
Newton-Mathur.
“It’s just being respectful to
everyone. That’s our message
that we’re trying to get across.”
The Laurentian Aboriginal Nursing Education
Committee (LANEC) is developing the culturally
safe curriculum. LANEC members include Vince
Salyers, director of nursing, Denise Newton-Mathur,
Sharolyn Mossey, Florence Luhanga, Lorie Reitze,
and Neghesti Gebru of the School of Nursing,
Sheila Cote-Meek, associate vice-president,
indigenous programs, and Susan Manitowabi,
director of the School of Native Human Services.
They are producing a manual with the working
title, Nursing Practice: A nursing student’s guide
to cultural competencies and cultural safety. This
manual will be required reading for first-year
nursing students in fall 2010 and recommended
reading in following years. Newton-Mathur hopes
to launch printed and online versions of the
manual even sooner, by spring 2010.
As well, the curriculum will be taught within
Laurentian’s collaborations at different nursing
colleges across Ontario. Eventually, the cultural
safety curriculum, and the process to implement
it, will be integrated into all Canadian nursing
programs.
Laurentian is working toward answering the
pressing need for Aboriginal nurses to work in their
home communities. In the first phase in 2009, the
School of Nursing developed a recruiting brochure
and DVD. The second phase is ongoing – focused
on keeping Aboriginal students at Laurentian. In
2009, LANEC developed a manual called Teaching
and Learning with Aboriginal Students. The manual
contains five broad teaching themes that reflect
the unique needs of Aboriginal learners and helps
faculty teach in a culturally sensitive manner.
The final phase of the vision is the manual on
cultural safety, which is currently being developed.
For Newton-Mathur, practising cultural safety is all
about good manners, for all people. “It’s just being
respectful to everyone. That’s our message that
we’re trying to get across.”
 Academic
Photo: York University

By Laura E. Young

Teepees, feathers, and bannock – what do

non-Aboriginals really know about Aboriginal people? “It’s about unlearning and
Critically assessing this question is the starting
questioning what you’ve
point for some tough but rewarding work, learned. What are the
according to York University education professor implications of the lessons
Susan Dion. Dion spoke during Laurentian
University’s Women’s History Week, October that you were taught?”
19–23. The departments of women’s studies and
Native studies and the School of Education co-
sponsored Dion’s visit.
“Teachers are responsible for nurturing pride
Self-reflective analysis exploring common
in Canada. They’re responsible for developing
stereotypes about First Nations people is not easy
citizenship. Asking them to teach stories that
for anybody, she admits. “It’s about unlearning and
disrupt that dominant discourse is very unsettling
questioning what you’ve learned. What are the
for them.”
implications of the lessons that you were taught?”
Her research shows that students are more willing
Dion deals in-depth with these questions in her
to engage with the tough stories than the teachers,
recently published braiding histories: Learning from
Dion says. In her workshops and her book, she
Aboriginal Peoples’ Experiences & Perspectives.
asks teachers and teacher candidates – Aboriginal
The book shows teachers new ways to learn about
and non-Aboriginal – to investigate their own
Aboriginal people.
relationship to Aboriginal people.
Dion’s research shows how change can be made
It’s a starting point for First Nations people, too,
in the classroom, to challenge racism and negative
because they watched the same movies, learned
depictions of Aboriginal peoples, says Jennifer
from the same curriculum as other Canadians, she
Johnson, chair of women’s studies at Laurentian
As Susan Dion looked at her own history as an says. “They have to understand what they know,
University.
Aboriginal-Irish Canadian, an elementary school and what informs their knowing.”
Women’s History Week celebrates the day women teacher, and a mother of three, she wondered why She suggests people reflect, write, watch movies by
became “legal persons” in Canada on October 18, it was so difficult for teachers to teach the harder Aboriginal filmmakers, and read from the growing
1929. But for Johnson, this status wasn’t shared aspects of post-contact Canadian history. Initially, body of work by Aboriginal writers.
equally by all Canadian women. “In fact, many teachers seemed willing to change and teach the
Aboriginal women in Canada, women with Indian harder parts of that history. But the subject matter “We are telling our own stories. We have always
Status in particular, could not vote until 1960, a stirred feelings of helplessness, fear, and guilt. As told our own stories. You can turn on Aboriginal
right that most other women had enjoyed for over well, teachers have an investment in what Dion Peoples’ Television Network (APTN). There are
40 years.” calls the story of “Canada the Good.” incredible books published by Aboriginal writers.”

GWIIJGAABWITAADMI winter 2010 5

Celebrate
drum
In the spirit of the
Wassanodeh has a strong presence among
the School of Native Human Services (NHS). The
rare grandmother drum forms part of the school’s
sacred items. Assistant professor Taima Moeke-
Pickering, who is is responsible for caring for the
drum, says: “At times, I feel the drum resonates
its power in my office and through my work. I
have been affected by the grandmother drum’s
presence.”
The drum was handcrafted by former student Jim
Greer, who presented it to the school at the NHS
program’s 20th anniversary celebration in 2008.
Professor Herb Nabigon accepted the drum, set
it up, and made a tobacco medicine offering. He
had a vision: “Female spirits started to gather
around the drum,” he says. “That’s how I knew it
was a female drum.” As the women in his vision
were older, this indicated to him that the sacred
Julie Ozawagosh and
Ron McGregor
6 GWIIJGAABWITAADMI winter 2010
“At times, I
feel the drum
resonates its
power in my
office and
through my
work. I have
been affected by
the grandmother
drum’s
presence.”
-Taima Moeke-Pickering
item was a grandmother drum, representing the
heartbeat of the Earth.
It is rare for the spirit world to anoint a drum with
a senior woman’s energy. Elder Julie Ozawagosh
further explains that the grandmother drum is
loving – as a human grandmother would be. Both
men and women are welcome to sit at the drum,
whereas traditionally, only men would do so.
Nabigon asked Ozawagosh to name the drum.
The name was revealed to her during a tobacco
offering. “It’s very spiritual,” she says. She explains
the literal translation of Wassanodeh is: “Heart of
the far light of the North.”
Wassanodeh now resides permanently at the
school. The drum “symbolizes growth in the NHS
program,” said Sheila Cote-Meek, acting associate
vice-president, indigenous programs.
The spirit lives on
in art and word
By Suzanne Charron-Violette
The creative spirit of Manitoulin
Island is captured in Margo Little’s
Portraits of Spirit Island: The Manitoulin
School of Art Comes of Age. The self-
published book, released in May 2009,
showcases the evolution of the island’s
school of art through the work and
profiles of 18 First Nations artists.
Several artists featured in Portraits have
a connection to Laurentian University,
including Little herself (BA 1969, MA
in humanities 1997); Leland Bell (BA
1980, honorary doctorate 2008), Shirley
Cheechoo (honorary doctorate 1995),
Blake Debassige (honorary doctorate
1995), Daphne Odjig (honorary
doctorate 1982), and Mary Pheasant (BA
2002). The collection is not meant to be
comprehensive, so Little is considering
writing a second volume next year.
Anishnaabe World – A Survival
Guide for Canadians in the Twenty-
First Century by Native studies
professor Roger Speilmann sold out its
first printing with Your Scrivener Press
this fall. Speilmann’s updated book is
a lighthearted way to inform non-
Aboriginal Canadians about Aboriginal
people and issues.

Two women, two distinguished
paths dedicated to
Native education
By Laura E. Young
Laurentian’s native education persons of
the year work in different ways but both serve as role
models for youth and adults in preserving culture in a
contemporary setting.
Katherine Dokis-Ranney (BA 1993, psychology)
and Evelyn Roy each received the Mnaaj’in Gechi-
wiidookang Nishnaabe-Gchi-Kinoomaagzwin, or
Native Education Person of Distinction Award,
during National Aboriginal Day celebrations at
Laurentian in June 2009.
“Katherine and Evelyn’s commitment to education
comes first in whatever they do,” said Leona
Nahwegahbow (BA 1981, Native studies, religious
studies), chair of Laurentian University’s Native
Education Council (LUNEC).
“They are true role models for Native youth and
adults, setting the example, preserving traditions
in a contemporary setting, planning for the future,
and giving them the resources they need to live a
culturally rich and prosperous life.”
Katherine Dokis-Ranney, a member of
Dokis First Nation, is the principal of First Nations,
Métis, and Inuit education with the Rainbow
District School Board in Sudbury. She is responsible
for 1,000 Aboriginal students in 48 elementary and
secondary schools.
She also educates staff about culturally responsive
teaching, including how to infuse Aboriginal
education into their teaching. In this way,
Aboriginal people are more than just a teaching
unit in the school curriculum, she says.
She is especially pleased with the work of the
Aboriginal youth group, which includes students
from all nine high schools in the Rainbow board.
The youth are taught leadership skills and are
preparing to take on an Aboriginal leadership
project, she added.
Celebrate
Dokis-Ranney began her career in education as a
teacher. Although she didn’t consciously pursue the
path she was on, she always knew she wanted to
make a difference in education, she says. “I found
my strengths gravitated toward kids who weren’t
being honoured.”
In Aboriginal education, it’s not about closing the
gaps. It’s about tapping into the strengths of the
students and focusing on what they can contribute,
she added.
Dokis-Ranney, whose husband is Ian Ranney, is
mother to Brendan and Kyra.
Evelyn Roy
Evelyn Roy is one of the few remaining
traditional elders fluent in the Ojibwe language;
Katherine Dokis-Ranney
she plays a key role in preserving and promoting
Anishinaabe language and culture. She works with
the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation and the Kenjgewin
Teg Educational Institute to develop cultural
programs and tools. She is also a translator.
“I don’t know how to explain it, but it hits you
here,” she says, pointing to her heart, as she talks
about the Ojibwe language.
A devout Catholic, she is moved to tears when
she hears familiar Catholic teachings spoken in
Ojibwe. “That’s what it does to me. The language is
very important to me. I don’t want to lose it and I
wouldn’t want my kids to lose it.”
People often visit Roy to practise speaking
Ojibwe. She also says another way to preserve
the language would see parents learning Ojibwe
alongside their children, who may be learning it in
school, especially on Manitoulin Island, where she
lives. Then, when the students come home from
school they can converse with their parents, she says.
Roy has five sons and one stepdaughter. She plans
to begin writing and reflecting on events in
her life.
GWIIJGAABWITAADMI winter 2010 7
Happenings
News and upcoming events
the third annual ‘
Northern Aboriginal Festival
october 2nd and 3rd, 2010
Once again Laurentian University, Cambrian College, and
the City of Greater Sudbury will come together to host
a festival of excellence, celebrating Aboriginal culture.
Due to some scheduling challenges the festival will take
place in the fall season. Please share the word that the
3rd Annual Northern Aboriginal Festival has been set for
October 2nd and 3rd, 2010, Sudbury, Ontario.
Northern aboriginal festival
A Coming Together of Cambrian College,
Laurentian University, and the City of Greater Sudbury
The department of
Native studies presents:
January 22 - Traditional Teachings with Elders,
1-3 p.m. - Canisius Hall, University of Sudbury
January 27 - Brown-Bag Lunch Series,
noon-1 p.m., Round Room, School of Education
February 12 - Traditional Teachings with Elders,
1-3 p.m., Canisius Hall, University of Sudbury
February 24 - Brown-Bag Lunch Series,
12:30 - 1:15 p.m., Room L239, R.D. Parker Bldg.
March 5 - Traditional Teachings with Elders,
all day, University of Sudbury
March 31 - Brown-Bag Lunch Series,
noon-1 p.m., SE 107, NOSM
8 GWIIJGAABWITAADMI winter 2010
Indigenous Students Circle –
Getting the message out
Aanii, members and friends of the Indigenous Students Circle (ISC) of
Laurentian University, and hello to all students, staff, and faculty!!!
As you may know, the student association that represents Indigenous
students was formerly called the Native Students’ Association. We are
proud to announce the official name change of our association.
The Indigenous Students Circle of Laurentian University works to support
the academic endeavours of its members by promoting Indigenous culture
and by supporting and developing opportunities for social and cultural
interaction in the Laurentian community. We also organize an array
of events that are always open to all students and staff, as well as to
members of our home communities and the City of Greater Sudbury.
This year, the ISC launched a radio show on CKLU 96.7 FM, hosted by
ISC members every Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. The show celebrates
the talent of Indigenous artists, discusses the events and activities of the
association, and engages in dialogue about issues that affect Indigenous
people at the local, regional, and national levels. We air music of variety
genres, and host live talent in the studio as well. The ISC show can also be
heard over the Internet at www.cklu.ca/streaming.htm
This fall, the ISC hosted a Halloween party and a Christmas Gala dinner
and dance. The ISC also holds regular drum socials for all who wish to eat,
socialize, sing, and drum with us. Everyone is welcome - from beginners to
the most experienced singers.
If you are interested in any of our activities and events, or would like to
get involved, we can be contacted at nsa@laurentian.ca or at 675-1151,
ext. 3004. We also encourage Native musicians, artists, storytellers, Elders,
healers, politicians, and the like to contact us in regard to getting involved
with the radio show.
– Dana Hickey
scholarships and bursaries
Achieving your educational goals and aspirations can often create
financial stress. Native student affairs encourages all students to visit
Laurentian’s student awards office for further information on scholarships
and bursaries. The NSA is always available to liaise in the application
process. Feel free to drop in our office for assistance.