Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance
Room 102, New Chancellor Day Hall 3644 Peel Street
9:00AM – 11:30AM
On a July day in 1990, a confrontation propelled Native issues in Kanehsatake and the village of Oka, Quebec, into the international spotlight. Director Alanis Obomsawin spent 78 nerve-wracking days and nights filming the armed stand-off between the Mohawks, the Quebec police and the Canadian army. This powerful documentary takes you right into the action of an age-old Aboriginal struggle. The result is a portrait of the people behind the barricades. Following the film, we will be joined by Elder John Onawario Cree who will discuss the aftermath and effects of the Oka Crisis on the Kanehsatake Mohawk community, then and now.
About the Speaker:
John Onawario Cree, Bear Clan Faithkeeper, Haudenosaunee, was born at his grandmother Marjorie's home in Kanehsatake, Mohawk Territory and raised by his grandparents. He has worked in the United States as a Tree Surgeon, as an aircraft refueller and Aircraft Refueller Supervisor at Mirabel Airport and Trudeau Airport. He then became a bus driver for the Kanehsatake Education Centre for many years. In 2005, Onawario was hired as a Grandfather (Elder) to work with Indigenous inmates through Corrections Services Canada, from the minimum to the Super Maximum Special HandlingUnit in Ste. Anne des Plaines, Quebec. He is now retired but is often called upon to do retreats, openings, Sweat Lodge Ceremonies and Healing and Talking Circles and enjoys actively participating in conferences. Onawario has been happily married to his wife Linda for 43 years. They are very proud parents of a daughter and three sons, and grandparents to four grandsons and five granddaughters. Onawario still manages to do what he loves best – growing the "Three Sisters" - Indian white corn, beans and squash, traditional Grandfather tobacco and in the Spring, making maple syrup on his land in Kanehsatake.
Indigenous Health For First Nations, Inuit and Metis
Room 14, Leacock Building
2:00PM – 4:00PM
When we think of the health and well-being of Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis populations, many questions inevitably arise. How does Indigenous health compare to non-Indigenous health? Where is Indigenous health headed? How can we incorporate healing through nature and culture into the practice of healthcare? How can we implement strength-based approaches to healthcare programs and policy in Canada? Simon Brascoupé, Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton University, will be giving a presentation on the status of healthcare for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada.
About the Speaker:
Simon Brascoupé, Anishinabeg/Haudenausanee – Bear Clan is a member of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, Maniwaki, Quebec. Simon Brascoupé is an Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton University, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. He was recently awarded a Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator (CAPA) from the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada (AFOA). He has a B.A. and M.A. from State University of New York at Buffalo, where he is also completing his Ph.D. He has a research interest in land-based healing, traditional medicine, and traditional knowledge. He conducts research and writes on cultural competency and safety. He published an article, Cultural Safety – Exploring the Applicability of the Concept of Cultural Safety to Aboriginal Health and Community Wellness, in the Journal of Aboriginal Health. He teaches Indigenous Studies at Carleton University. Previously Simon Brascoupé was Chief Executive Officer, National Aboriginal Health Organization; Director, Primary Health Care Division, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada; and Director, Aboriginal Affairs Branch, Environment Canada. He has written and worked in the field of traditional knowledge and intellectual Property Rights and is on Trent University's Ph.D. Indigenous Knowledge Council.
Community Social & Feast
Native Friendship Centre of Montreal 2001 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
5:00PM – 7:00PM
Come together and partake in the closing ceremony of the 3rd Annual Indigenous Awareness Week. Socialize, eat, sing, dance, and share your experiences of the past week.
Indian tacos will be served. Dancers are encouraged to bring traditional regalia.
