Through personal stories of heartbreak, reconciliation and inspiration, social Justice activist, hip-hop artist and host of CBC’s Canada Reads, Wab Kinew, transfixed an audience of Trent students, faculty, staff and members of the community in his first public appearance as the 2015 Jack Matthews Fellow.

In the talk, titled “I am the Reason You Walk,” Mr. Kinew shared personal stories of his childhood and his relationship with his father. He also read from drafts of his new book, Vision of the Journey Ahead, which is expected to be released in fall 2015.

“Wab’s talk moved, inspired, and motivated so many people across the spectrum of the Trent community,” said Dr. Michael Allcott, director of the Trent International Program. “His vision of the potential for Canadians to move beyond intractable oppositions like native vs. settler, immigrant vs. local, is truly a vision of hope. His belief that our greatest potentials are tapped when people from a diversity of cultures and backgrounds find friendship and ways to work together is an utterly apt expression of the values of the Jack Matthews Fellowship.  His pragmatic approach to Indigenous empowerment through strategic economic development is as refreshing as it is challenging. I think Trent is uniquely positioned to provide not only a community of support for such a leadership vision, but also the interdisciplinary academic expertise in our Indigenous Studies and Business programs to move it forward.”

Trent International Program scholar Hien Nguyen added: “Wab Kinew’s sharing of the journey of his father through some of the darkest moments in Canadian history, the power of cultural sharing and reconciliation, as well as his own journey of rediscovering the past and confronting the biases and implicit racism of modern Canada is both awe-inspiring and empowering. He reminded us all that no matter how difficult it has been and still is, there are always hopes. Hopes for a brighter future, hopes for empathy and understanding, hopes for a brotherhood of children from all over the world. In his own words: ‘The path may not always make sense but as long as we walk the path as so many have done before us, somehow we all find what we need.’”

As Jack Matthews Fellow, Mr. Kinew, who is a correspondent with Al Jazeera America, and has had many roles with CBC Radio and TV, spent a morning with Lakefield College School students and delivered a public talk “Indigenous Innovation and the Journey Toward Reconciliation" at the Canadian Canoe Museum. He is also the keynote speaker at the Elders and Traditional Peoples Gathering taking place at Trent February 27 to March 1.

About the Jack Matthews Fellowship

The Jack Matthews Fellowship, a collaboration of Trent University, Lakefield College School, and the Canadian Canoe Museum, honours the memory of the legendary Canadian who was a head of Lakefield College School, a founder of the Canadian Canoe Museum, and founder of the Trent University International Program. Previous fellows have included Shelagh Rogers, Joseph Boyden, Nicolas Dickner and Mike Robinson. 

Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2015.