Kairos Blanket Exercise
Room 200, Coach House
3715 Peel Street
10:00AM – 12:00PM
An interactive exercise on the relationships between the Crown and Canada’s Indigenous populations, from the settlers’ arrival to modern times. Participants are guided through centuries of denial of Indigenous nationhood and the gradual appropriation, relocation, and removal of Indigenous peoples and territories.
The exercise begins with blankets spread across the floor, which represent land occupied by Canada's Indigenous populations. As participants are guided through centuries of negotiations, treaties, decrees, and other interactions with European settlers, the blankets on which they stand are slowly removed, until only a few participants remain on a small area representing what little remains of Indigenous territory today. The exercise will then be followed by a talking circle.
This event is hosted by Allan Vicaire, Indigenous Education Advisor, and Paige Isaac, Coordinator of the First Peoples' House.
Spaces are limited. Click here to reserve your spot!
Dreamcatcher Making Workshop (Students Only)
Arts Council Room (Room 160), Arts Building
12:00PM – 2:00PM
Explore your creative side and discover a First Nations traditional craft: the Dreamcatcher. The workshop will be led by Marie-Celine Charron from the Naskapis First Nation of Kawawachikamach.
Spaces are limited. Click here to reserve your spot!
"Who Makes the Call?" A Panel on Indigenous Identity
Lev Bukhman Room (2nd Floor), SSMU Building, 3480 McTavish Street
1:15PM – 3:15PM
Centuries of colonization through government policies have blurred the line between Canada’s Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations. Today, Indigenous identity is a complex and multifaceted topic with different points of view to distinguish between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
Who has the right to define what it means to be an Indigenous person? Also, how important are language, ancestral territory, and culture in identifying oneself as being Indigenous? Is blood percentage a valid metric in determining this? Is Indian/Inuit status necessary to consider oneself Indigenous? Our panelists will address these questions and explore the complexity of this controversial and engaging subject.
Moderating this discussion will be Paige Isaac, Coordinator of the First Peoples' House at McGill University. Panelists will include:
- Mohawk activist Cecile Charlie
- Aboriginal artist Skawennati Fragnito
- and McGill’s Michael Loft from the School of Social Work.
Wapikoni Mobile: Premiere of Short Films
Théatre J. Armand Bombardier, McCord Museum 690 Sherbrooke Street West
7:00PM – 8:30PM
Join us for an exclusive screening of short films directed by First Nations youth. The Wapikoni mobile is a travelling audiovisual and music training studio that reaches more than 300 First Nations youth annually from across the province and provides them with valuable experiences in film and music creation.
Raymond Caplin, filmmaker of the short film animation In Your Heart from the Mi’gmaq First Nation community of Listuguj, will present his new short film and hold a Q&A session.
