b'INDIGENOUS EDUCATORSschool to reopen safely during theAt any age, we carry pieces of ouryou do; its something you wear, COVID-19 pandemic. primary school selves: the samelive, breathe, and pass on. Its in Still, Loring-Kuhanga believescuriosity, the same hunger to learn,your veins.change must go deeper. Wethe same desire to be believed in.In that sense, the classroom never need to continue addressing lowWhen we live our dreams out loud, those dreams become infectious;really leaves you.graduation rates, she says. Wethey ripple outward, lighting the need more people who look likeway for others to follow. Andrew St. Germain is a Toronto-us throughout the system, frombasedcommunicationsleadersuperintendents and counsellorsFor Edith Loring-Kuhanga, educa- from the Chippewas of Rama to teachers and maintenance staff.tion begins, and continues, withFirstNation,withacareerspan-Our kids need to see themselvesbelief. If you believe in yourself,ninggovernment,media,andreflected at every level. she says, it shows in everythingpublicrelations.STAYING STRONGAfter more than four decades of advocacy, administration, and mentorship, Loring-Kuhanga wouldJFKbe forgiven for slowing down. But she doesnt see it that way. Even though Im 68, Im still in school, she laughs, noting that her daysLAW LLP Victoria . Vancouver . Toronto . Kahnawake . Montrealare still filled with lesson plans, curriculum frameworks, and calls from communities seeking advice.Does your career goal includeBut her motivation remains the same: love for learning, belief in thecontributing to meaningful change?next generation, and a deep grati-tude for the mentors who helped her find her way. JFK Law represents IndigenousBack in that little two-roomcommunities throughout Canada.schoolhouse, Ms. Lynn taught her students through love. Ms. Walker,We work with our clients to advance theirthe strict intermediate teacher, demanded excellence. BetweenNations, protect their rights and buildthem, Loring-Kuhanga learned thetheir economies.balance of heart and high expecta-tions that would define her lifes work. She still carries both lessonsDriven by a passion forwith herthe gentleness and grit, the discipline and beliefpassingjustice, we offer creativethem on to a new generation of learners. legal solutions and workShe thinks often of the siblingstowards meaningfulfrom Oneida, a brother and sister still teaching in their 80s, eachchange.determined to keep going until they Image - Frog by Evan Asterreach one hundred. For Loring- Sara MainvilleKuhanga, their storyand her ownManaging Partner is proof that its never too late to start again, to pick up where you left off, or to return to somethingJFKlaw.cayou always loved.2025indspiration31'