Stoney Nakoda

“Truth is telling our stories – the ugly stories – for our community to hear and believe. And from there, we must heal both sides before we can get into reconciliation, but the work is starting to happen.”

The session, called Understanding the Impact of Colonization, was an opportunity for Îethka people and those working for them or in their communities, to understand the position they occupy in First Nations spaces. Most of those in attendance were non-Indigenous.

“It is a job-seekers market for sure. We had a record-breaking 600 people last time. I am interested to see what we get this year.”

“A lot of the early directors were sympathetic to what was going on with the Indigenous populations and the Nakoda were very proactive and they knew what they were doing, and they formed relationships with the directors. They aligned themselves with powerful people who could help them. That is probably one of the biggest things that preserved their culture for them. They were very proactive.”

“If this were July, we’d be talking about a heat dome right now."

“It’s much more than just outdoor learning; it’s [students] understanding who they are and where they come from. It integrates language, culture, history, and anything that pertains to Indigenous or First Nations communities and ties into land-based learning.”

EDITORIAL: As Jason Kenney prepares to leave the political sphere with a planned exit in early October, few Canadian leaders will leave office as such a polarizing figure.

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