b'INDSPIRE YOUTH LAUREATEstudents and everyone living inmay be one of the only educatorsWhat changes would you like to Canada to learn more about us andwho are Mtis, First Nations or Inuitsee in K12 education regarding be connected to us, educationally.at a school, district, or in a faculty ofIndigenous content?education. I am the only Mtis part- We need to be at the table in Can you tell us about your time attime professor in my faculty, and itcurriculum development, not just the First Nations Child & Familycan be lonely. consulted. We must co-create expec-Caring Society? tations, outcomes and resources. I served as education and publicI stay connected to my communityCurricula about First Nations, Inuit engagement coordinator for twoby creating one for myself. Iand Mtis peoples should honour years. I supported the aims of thereach out to Mtis colleaguesour living experiences in contempo-Caring Society by teaching theacross Canada and check in onrary ways, not just historically.public, including school boards,them, as they do for me. Locally, I businesses and other organizations,support school boards and MtisWhat Ive witnessed most is how everyone living in Canada caneducational aims. Through this, Ivenon-Indigenous teachers not take action toward reconciliation.met brilliant Indigenous and non- knowing how to teach our stories Indigenous individuals who supportand experiences. They often dont My favourite part was introducingme and vice versa. realize we ask them to teach our kids to Spirit Bear, co-creatinghistories through our perspectives, educational resources and meetingCulturally, I attend public events likenot just our cultures. If they want to students and teachers across theround dances and pow wows. I wasteach our cultures, protocol must country. Kids have such boundlessthe flag bearer for the Mtis Nationbe followed to invite us in, and they empathy, kindness and fairness.at the Ottawa Summer Solsticecan consult Indigenous Education Even kindergarteners were takingIndigenous Festival this past June,Teams at their school board. These meaningful action. Their wisdomwhich was a lovely experience.teams also support teachers with continues to guide me. I smudge often and spend timelesson planning using authentic It is deeply brilliant to bear witnesson the landlong walks with myresources from Indigenous peoples, to how small a team it is and thepartner and our mini-dachshundplanning field trips, and community impact the Caring Society makes.Eddie, or long runs. I love paintingconnections.I miss everyone, but on the brightand sewing, which help me stayI hope more teachers, as mentioned, side, they are all still cheeringin touch with myself and practisetake time to know themselves, come me on! self-care. humbly to this work, and collaborate Overall, if we feel lonely, the beston Truth Before Reconciliation What support do you think ispractices in ethical, caring and most essential for Indigenousstep is to reach out for help. Itscompassionate ways.educators? courageous but necessary to A lot of the time, especially in urbanhonour ourselves, always in aIf you do this work alone, youre spaces, we might feel lonely. Wegood way. doing it wrong!SUPPORTED DISTANCE LEARNINGFlexible educational opportunities allow our students to balance work and family and to access their classes from anywhere.*Whats stopping you?w w w. n o r t h e r n l a k e s c o l l e g e . c a*Requires internet access. Some Supported Distance Learning programs have onsite components.20indspiration2025'