"Orange Shirt day is an annual event held each September 30th in remembrance of the Canadian Residential School system and the impact of this government policy on First Nations. Phyllis Webstad presents her memories of Residential schools and the meaning of Orange Shirt Day."
"The Assembly of First Nations' digital education resource It's Our Time First Nations Education Toolkit is now on iTunes U. The free, downloadable package for iPad is a resource for teachers, providing culturally relevant, accessible, hands-on educational tools on First Nation culture and history." There are 21 modules available through the Toolkit's iTunes U Course. AFN has currently worked with education technology company Ebou Learning to enhance each module with six interactive textbooks:
"The ancient home of our Sq'éwlets community is where the Harrison River rounds the bend and flows into the Fraser River. Sq'éwlets, in earlier times and documents, was spelled 'Scowlitz'. At the heart of this website is our Sq'éwlets history. We tell both our sxwōxwiyám and our sqwélqwel. These are our origin stories and the true stories that tell our history."These stories were once passed from grandparents to grandchildren in our language, Halq'eméylem. They were shared beside the fire in the longhouse. They were shared at our fishing rocks as we stood side by side with our lines and nets. Now they are passed in these ways and by other modern means. They are shared through books, video, audio, and the internet. (This site is also available in French.)====================
"The Toronto 2017 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) are expected to be the largest sporting and cultural gathering of Indigenous Peoples in North America. It will host more than 5,000 participants, 2,000 volunteers and countless spectators for 14 sport categories being held within world-class venues located across the Greater Toronto Area, including the Region of Hamilton and Six Nations of the Grand River. The Games provides Indigenous youth, aged 13-19, an opportunity to showcase their athletic abilities through 14 sports and to celebrate their heritage through numerous cultural events. Participating teams include all 13 provinces and territories of Canada, as well as 13 regions from the United States."
"Watch our animated short films starring the Capsule Families produced especially for Indigenous families, and schools. The films are also available on DVD in our Circle of Caring toolkit."They can be viewed in seven Indigenous languages or in English or French. Each film includes an introductory segment with teachings from Elders and discussion guides to help jumpstart dialogue and change for safe, strong and free families and communities.
"Aboriginal wisdom suggests that there are certain things without which young people cannot survive and flourish. Mentoring is one of them (Weinberger, 1999). Although the term mentor is uncommon in Aboriginal communities, the concept of mentoring is not. Mentoring preserves a way of life based on spirituality, sacredness, reciprocity, education and social responsibility by helping to integrate cultural factors that preserve and protect the health and well-being of the young (Weinberger, 1999). Mentoring is a primary intervention to prevent or address many of the problems that youth face today. By supporting and redirecting young people, mentoring focuses attention on successful behaviours and encourages the attainment of potential, provides direct assistance to young people, promotes school achievement and helps youth to avoid violence and abstain from drugs and alcohol."
"Prime Minister Justin Trudeau marked National Aboriginal Day by promising to strip the name of a residential schools proponent from a federal building and to rename the annual occasion as National Indigenous Peoples Day."Trudeau also formally announced that 100 Wellington St. in Ottawa, a heritage building and former U.S. embassy, will become a space dedicated to Inuit, Métis and First Nations communities."During an event outside the building located across from Parliament Hill, Trudeau said there has never been a space dedicated to Indigenous peoples.
Topics are wide ranging:
- Supporting Métis content
- Cree language revitalization
- Aboriginal literature
- Lifeskills
- Medicine Wheel teachings
- Canoe as a teaching tool
etc.