Indigenous Initiatives
Student diversity and services continues to be one of Luther College at the University of Regina’s (LCUR) strategic priorities. Below is a brief overview of two Indigenous programming and reconciliation initiatives currently being supported by LCUR as they fit within LCUR’s larger commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation process.
Project of Heart
Project of Heart (POH) teaches about the history of the residential school system in Canada using an artistic approach to commemorate the people and families who were, and still are, affected by this system. POH was originally created by University of Regina (U of R) graduate student, Sylvia Smith, as part of her Master of Education program as a way to address the lack of teaching tools on Indigenous history in the school system.
Project of Heart:
- examines the history and legacy of the residential school system forced upon Indigenous people in Canada in order to seek the truth about that history and acknowledge the extent of loss to former students, their families and communities;
- commemorates, with the use of artistry and Indigenous ceremony, the lives of the thousands of Indigenous children who died as a result of the residential school experience;
- builds on our understanding of how residential schools contributes to the intergenerational trauma experienced across the Indigenous population of Canada;
- calls all Canadians to action, through social justice endeavors, to recognize our current as well as historic colonialist practices;
- builds right relationships, based upon truth and reconciliation, amongst all peoples with the intention to transform Canada from a colonized land to one built upon mutual respect and full autonomy for all.
Luther College finances the Project of Heart eight-week evening workshops and encourages participation from faculty, staff, students, and community members as one of our institution’s responses to the Truth and Reconciliation’s 94 Calls to Action. To date, over 200 people have participated in Project of Heart at Luther College at the University of Regina.
“I was given the opportunity to participate in an engaged learning component and I jumped at the chance because I knew that getting out and doing something would be more interesting and rewarding to me than hours of research on the computer. Although there were many options, I chose to participate in Project of Heart because Aboriginal (sic) history is a very significant yet often ignored part of Canada….This was a way for me to participate in acts of reconciliation and acknowledge past wrongdoings. Project of Heart allowed me to be part of a group with a shared goal and to have practical experiences be a foundation of my learning.”
Mirella Matenda, POH participant
For more information check out:
To learn more about Project of Heart, please visit their website at projectofheart.ca.
7 Grandfather Teachings
The Seven Grandfather Teachings represent a series of principles guiding human behavior towards others. These teachings: Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth have been essential since traditional times and remain crucial for the survival of communities today.
Each teaching begins with a smudge, followed by soup and bannock. We encouraged people to attend all 7 sessions as these were presented as a whole teaching. Certificates were provided to those who attended all 7.
The 7 Grandfather Teachings have concluded, below are links to all of the recordings:
Teaching One: Love
Teaching Two: Humility
Teaching Three: Respect
Teaching Four: Truth
Teaching Five: Courage
Teaching Six: Honesty
Teaching Seven: Wisdom
Canadian Roots Exchange
Canadian Roots Exchange (CRE) is a national organization that trains Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to form Reconciliation Teams with a two-fold purpose: to teach about the effects of colonialism on Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Canada, and to encourage visioning and participation in creating a different kind of Canada. There are six tenets to CRE’s philosophy:
• creating networks of solidarity
• practicing what they preach
• creating safe spaces for dialogue
• centering Indigenous worldviews
• discovering positive realities
• having fun
These align with Luther College’s commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation’s 94 Calls to Action. Since 2014, Luther’s commitment to CRE is to provide financial and mentoring support to the Regina team. Numerous events are held throughout the year by the team, focusing on what the youth determine are issues closest to their hearts.
Youth between the ages of 18-29 are selected by the national CRE office, receive training with all the teams across Canada, have opportunities to attend the annual national CRE conference as well as a provincial gathering and, most importantly, form relationships and alliances with other youth seeking to redress colonialism in its past and present forms. The learnings and relationships can be a transformative moment in a person’s life:
“Canadian Roots Exchange has given me the unique opportunity to join forces with Indigenous and Non-Indigenous youth from all over Canada who strive to bring about positive change in their respective communities…. Working with students from Elsie Mironuck School and seeing how their teacher is teaching Indigenous history in the classroom gives us hope for the future. We want to hear the thoughts and ideas of youth, give them a voice…. By working with teachers, students, Elders, and professors, we are building a larger community within our own community. I am extremely grateful for Canadian Roots Exchange. Having taken a minor in Indigenous Studies in University and having a strong understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing, I feel I can share my knowledge with others and strengthen minds and worldviews for the better…. I strongly encourage youth to join Canadian Roots Exchange and become involved with one of the best volunteer organizations in Canada.”
Austin Josephson, alumnus of Luther College’s High School and University campuses
To learn more about Canadian Roots Exchange, please visit their website at http://canadianroots.ca/. Applications to become part of this team are due at the end of May of each year.