PANEL DISCUSSION
POSTPONED UNTIL FALL 2021
Add a heading (16).pdfINFORMATION
Elder Clayton Shirt
Elder Clayton Shirt is a, Traditional Teacher and Mentor from the First Nations People. He is from the Wolf Clan of Saddle lake Alberta, Treaty 6. Clayton has been working as a Traditional Teacher and Healer for more than 20 years in the Indigenous community in Canada. Presently he works full time for the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and University of Toronto.
Diane Montreuil
Diane has been a Metis Knowledge Keeper and artist for over 30 years. She studied and apprenticed with a number of Indigenous elders, in particular one from the Eastern Cherokee Nation, whom she calls Grandmother. Over the last 20 years, Diane has traveled with her and other Elders and Knowledge Keepers, helping others and sharing her wisdom through participating in and facilitating workshops.
Dr. Tanya Senk
Dr. Senk is Superintendent of Indigenous Education for the TDSB. Dr. Senk is a Metis/Cree/Saulteaux educator/writer/speaker/community leader. She has worked in the field of education and community for over twenty five years.
George Elliott Clarke
The 4th Poet Laureate of Toronto (2012-15) and 7th Parliamentary Poet Laureate (2016-17), George Elliott Clarke is a respected and revered poet. Now teaching African-Canadian Literature at the University of Toronto, George has taught at Duke, McGill, the University of British Columbia and Harvard. He holds eight honorary doctorates, plus appointments to the Order of Nova Scotia and the Order of Canada. His recognitions include the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Fellows Prize, the Governor-General’s Award for Poetry, the Premiul Poesis (Romania), the Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction, the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Poetry (US) and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award.
Dr. Margaret Brigham
Dr. Margaret Brigham (Ojibwe) is from Walpole Island First Nation in southern Ontario. The oldest in a family of six children, she has a son of her own. Margaret's work includes experience as a certified classroom teacher, First Nation school principal, private sector consultant on diversity and equity issues, sociology professor and college administrator. Served on the City of Toronto Aboriginal Affairs Advisory Committee, and the Provincial Aboriginal Postsecondary Education Policy Working Group.
Rob Lackie
Rob Lackie is Inuit and has been working within the Greater Toronto Area Aboriginal Community since 1989, Rob was the 2011 Recipient of the Aboriginal Affairs Award recognized for his dedication and work that he has done in the City of Toronto. He has experience on several boards and committees such as the North American Indigenous Games 2017, Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, the Aboriginal Sport & Wellness Council of Ontario and Na-Me-Res (Native Men’s Residence). His strategic ideas are broad-based and cut across political divides; his work with Aboriginal agencies in Toronto has provided positive change for the community.
How the word ‘Indian’ has become weaponized against Indigenous People in Canada and around the world. Panel Discussion with Indigenous panelists: Elder Clayton Shirt, Knowledge Keeper Diane Montreuil, Tanya Senk TDSB Superintendent Indigenous Education, George Elliott Clarke, Canadian poet, playwright and literary critic, Dr. Margaret Brigham and Rob Lackie has worked as a political and community activists for the Inuit community.
Of all the adages that get bandied about, perhaps the most wrong-headed is “Sticks and stones can break my bones/ But words can never harm me.” We all know from experience that it is not true.
Native American Name Controversy
The Native American name controversy is an ongoing discussion about the changing terminology used by the indigenous peoples of the Americas to describe themselves, as well as how they prefer to be referred to by others.