First Nation Education Conference goes this week
Whitehorse – This week, hundreds of people are gathering – in online and virtual venues – for the second annual Yukon First Nation Education Conference.
Whitehorse – This week, hundreds of people are gathering – in online and virtual venues – for the second annual Yukon First Nation Education Conference.
It’s being hosted by Yukon First Nation Education Directorate to share ideas and inspiration on First Nations control of First Nations education.
Over Wednesday and Thursday, 50 participants will gather over two rooms at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre, plus over 250 joining via Zoom.
The conference boasts headliners independent MP Jody Wilson-Raybould and Olympian-activist Waneek Horn-Miller.
Wilson-Raybould is a former Justice minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first government.
She and Horn-Miller will be addressing how Yukon First Nations can move forward on their mandate and legal right to lead Indigenous education in the territory.
“This event provides us all a moment to celebrate the many accomplishments we’ve made in establishing First Nations education in the territory over the last year,” Melanie Bennett, the directorate’s executive director, said Monday.
“But it also brings people together to set our sights on the huge shifts that we are going to make happen in the near future.”
The conference also features the launching of the directorate’s groundbreaking new Mobile Therapeutic Unit, the public unveiling of the Moccasin Trailblazers, a new youth council on First Nations Education, plus an address from Assembly of First Nations Grand Chief Pelly Bellegarde.
The directorate is partnering with the Yukon Native Language Centre to deliver a range of breakout sessions, including:
• new assessment tools with First Nations educational consultant Myron Dueck;
• First Nations language workshops and discussions;
• traditional beading, tool-making and cooking classes; and
• success stories from other jurisdictions.
Comments (2)
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Groucho d'North on Jan 20, 2021 at 2:51 pm
@Bingo,
I have often wondered what impacts these new all-inclusive cultural adjustments are having on the students as the curriculm of old was intended to prep students to get jobs following graduation. Things are different today. Career counselling is not as popular in high schools as it once was and colleges and NGO groups provide career planning for many these days.
I also believe First Nations are racing the clock to keep their cultural features intact and pure, and schooling is a good way to do this. Personally I am gratefuil for the publications that describe First Nations history, from the Blue Fish Caves community to the occupation and uses of local areas like Bonneville Lakes, and the information about the hunting artifacts that are melting out of the ancient ice. I am especially impressed with the on-line materials on Kwädąy Dän Ts’ìnchį and his close connections to CAFN and Tagish & Taltan FN members. It's fascinating and I can see the value in teaching aboriginal history to the next generation before they all become smartphone gazing robots working for minimum wage and bitching about how hard it is to get ahead.
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Bingo on Jan 19, 2021 at 3:49 pm
Riddle me this, if this so called native education idea goes through what will it accomplish? The question is, will any of this nice to know stuff allow a man or woman or whatever in between the ability to hold a job and support a family?