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Traditional Leadership in Action: 38th Annual Elders and Traditional Peoples Gathering

CBC radio host Wab Kinew delivers keynote address

Photo credit: Cherylanne James
Photo credit: Cherylanne James

The First Peoples House of Learning at Trent’s Peter Gzowski College reverberated to thunderous applause as renowned broadcaster, writer and musician, Wab Kinew, rapped “Crazy Horse never cashed a government cheque.” Mr. Kinew, who is the 2015 Jack Matthews Fellow, performed the impromptu song in response to a spirited introduction prior to his keynote address at the 38th annual Elders and Traditional Peoples Gathering, held February 27 to March 1, 2015.

The gathering featured a variety of presentations and workshops reflecting the theme Traditional Leadership in Action. Trent professor emeritus Shirley Williams and Professor David Newhouse were among the respected elders and traditional leaders who spoke on topics ranging from the leadership role of Aboriginal women to the evolution of modern Aboriginal society.

In his address, Mr. Kinew encouraged young Indigenous people to get educated, become successful, and then return to their communities to contribute. He described how Aboriginal people can use traditional knowledge in modern settings, keeping “one foot in each canoe” and participating in broader society without changing who they are.

The three-day event attracted a large contingent of Indigenous people, Trent students, faculty and staff and community members and guests.

Trent alumnus Brent Niganobe, who is a member of the Mississauga First Nation, attended to gather traditional knowledge from local Mississauga people that he can take back to his own community. He said that the gathering plays an important role in bringing western and Indigenous views together. “We’re putting an Indigenous perspective into a western academic environment on an equal level and showing that a lot can be learned from that perspective,” Mr. Niganobe said.

Tina Staplin, a local community member, said she has been a regular attendee of the event for 20 years. “This gathering is important because it brings the Indigenous community together from across Canada to share with each other and it’s important that Canadians come to learn and to respect their culture,” Ms. Staplin said.

“As a leading academic institution in Indigenous Studies, it’s important that Trent put on this event to show they have a high regard for Elders, just as we do for professors,” Mr. Niganobe added.

Posted on Monday, March 2, 2015.

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