Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Special to ICT
Around the world: Innu grandmothers teach after completing teacher assistant program in Canada, council calls for greater Indigenous representation in the Arctic Council, and Kaupapa Māori study confirms oral health inequities for Māori in New Zealand.
CANADA: Program educates Indigenous grandmothers
Elders in Sheshatshiu and Natuashish are among 11 Innu women set to enter the classroom this fall, having recently graduated from Nipissing University Indigenous Teacher Assistant Diploma Program, CBC News reported on July 20.
Julianna Rich started the program in North Bay, Ontario, as a great-grandmother at age 60. She always wanted to continue her education but faced challenges growing up in foster care, losing her language, and leaving school in Grade 10. “I lost a lot of my own language,” Rich said. “But I’m still willing to go for it because I’m here for the Innu here in school.”
In 2023, Rich lost her 26-year-old daughter to an overdose. Although tempted to give up, she found inspiration in her fellow program participants and her daughter’s memory. “Here I am. I can’t believe I’m done. I’m doing this for my daughter,” Rich said.
Rich encourages other mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers to pursue their dreams despite losses. She admitted feeling nervous about starting a course at her age but felt it was necessary to support the children in her community. During the course, she taught in various classrooms, finding strength and growth through her interactions with the children. “I feel good, it makes me grow because they’re still young. [It] gives me strength,” she said, according to CBC News.
Although Rich dreams of continuing her education at a university, financial constraints make it challenging. She hopes her journey inspires both young and older people to seek higher education. “It’s important to have more Innu in the classroom for the young students,” said Kanani Davis, the regional education agreement coordinator with Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education.
“Many of us would like to see ourselves, little children seeing themselves in a bigger role, an important role in school. This is your environment, you’re working with your children, your family’s children. It’s a really important role in the school.”
The program, a partnership with Nipissing University, graduated its final cohort this spring. Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education is now partnering with McGill University in Montreal for a new program.
Bernadette Piwas, one of the four graduates from Natuashish, hopes to inspire Innu children by sharing her experiences of growing up in a tent and the Innu legends her father told her. “I want to let them know that you can survive in the hardest, coldest weather,” Piwas said. She learned as a child to read the weather by the birds, the sun, and snowflakes.
Today, she laments that children no longer know how to harvest from the land, respect animals, or fluently speak their language. “All the students are speaking English and I’m so, so sad that they’re going to lose our language. And some of the words right now aren’t used, and they’re completely forgotten now,” Piwas said, according to CBC News.
Despite losing a close friend to suicide and her brother during the program, Piwas persisted. “But I kept on going,” she said. “I got 12 grandkids and I want to show them, even if you don’t believe in yourself, you got to. It comes from your heart. You got to do it.”
ARCTIC: Seeking improved representation
Indigenous groups on the Arctic Council require greater influence and meaningful participation in the forum, according to a position paper released by the Inuit Circumpolar Council recently, Eye on the Arctic reported on July 15.
The Inuit Circumpolar Council is one of six Arctic Indigenous groups, known as permanent participants, that form the international forum along with the eight circumpolar countries. Among their six recommendations are the greater recognition of Indigenous knowledge within the council, as well as increased capacity and funding for Inuit research initiatives.
“For ICC, it is important that the Arctic Council continues to evolve in a direction that further enhances the role of Inuit and other Indigenous Peoples and supports our inherent right to self-determination,” Council Chair Sara Olsvig said, according to Eye on the Arctic.
The Arctic Council’s work was suspended by the seven western states on the forum following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, as Norway assumed the rotating two-year chairmanship from Russia in 2023, efforts have been made to gradually resume activities.
Earlier this year, the forum announced that the council’s working groups would be resuming virtual meetings. Olsvig expressed that the resumption of work after the pause presents an opportunity for the Arctic Council to evolve and take the lead in supporting Indigenous self-determination.
“ICC has over the past two years worked collaboratively and pragmatically with Arctic States and other Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations to support the resumption of work,” she said, according to Eye on the Arctic. “Now it is time to strengthen the way the Arctic Council works, to ensure Indigenous Peoples’ full and effective participation and meaningful engagement throughout the Council’s work.”
NEW ZEALAND: Oral health inequities for Māori
A kaupapa Māori study on dental care equity in Ōtautahi/Christchurch found that Māori are over three times more likely than non-Māori to require emergency dental care and be admitted to the hospital, highlighting significant oral health disparities, Te Ao Maori News reported on July 18.
Published in today’s issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal, “Outcome measures for Māori with non-traumatic dental presentations” is the first study to examine acute care outcomes related to the condition (e.g., toothache, dental pain, facial swelling, or dental abscess) for Māori patients using a kaupapa Māori approach.
“This approach recognizes that being Māori is not a risk factor for health disparities but rather an indicator of increased exposure to the impacts of colonization and racism,” the study states, according to Te Ao Maori News.
The study acknowledges that “across all age groups, Māori adults have been shown to experience a poorer quality of life due to their oral health.”
The research team included medical student and kaupapa Māori researcher Sam Cameron-Dunn (Ngāi Tahu) and senior Māori academic Tania Huria (Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri), both from the University of Otago, Christchurch.
The study reviewed presentations to Christchurch ED between 2018 and 2020. Over the two-year study period, there were a total of 2,034 non-traumatic dental presentations cases, which included 550 Māori (27 percent), 1,211 New Zealand Europeans (59.5 percent), 141 Pacific peoples (6.9 percent), and 132 other ethnicities (6.5 percent).
“While ED outcome measures were largely positive, differences in demographic variables indicate persisting upstream failures, specifically barriers to accessing primary oral healthcare and a paucity of kaupapa Māori-focused initiatives,” the authors of the study concluded. “Further action and accountability are required to reorient our oral health services to provide high-quality, equitable care for Māori.”
My final thoughts
My final thoughts are in Canada where elders in Sheshatshiu and Natuashish are among 11 Innu women set to enter the classroom this fall, having recently graduated from Nipissing University’s Indigenous Teacher Assistant Diploma Program. This remarkable achievement by these elderly women deserves the highest commendation.
Their dedication and perseverance exemplify the profound significance of lifelong learning and the vital role of elders in preserving and revitalizing Indigenous culture and knowledge.
Their commitment to education not only empowers them but also serves as an inspiring example for younger generations. By stepping into the classroom, they bridge the gap between traditional wisdom and modern education, ensuring that the rich heritage and languages of the Innu people are passed down and cherished. This act of returning to school and graduating is a testament to their resilience and the deep love they hold for their community and culture.
The impact of their actions extends far beyond the classroom. These women are role models who demonstrate that it is never too late to pursue one’s dreams and contribute meaningfully to society. Their presence in educational settings will undoubtedly inspire other students to value their cultural identity and strive for academic excellence.
I call upon other Indigenous nations to follow the lead of these incredible women. By encouraging elders to engage in educational programs, we can strengthen our communities, preserve our languages, and foster intergenerational learning. Elders possess a wealth of knowledge and experience that is invaluable in educating the younger generation and promoting cultural pride.
Moreover, involving elders in education can address the cultural disconnect that many Indigenous youth experience in mainstream education systems. It provides a culturally relevant and supportive learning environment that respects and integrates Indigenous perspectives. This approach can lead to higher educational attainment and greater self-esteem among Indigenous students.
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