CMAS is pleased to present an opportunity for CNC staff to learn about Canada’s Indigenous peoples’ history, knowledge and pedagogies while engaging in reconciliation.
Reconciliation is the responsibility of all Canadians. But how much do you know about the Truth and Reconciliation Council of Canada Calls to Action?
Collaborating and creating space for Indigenous leadership in the early childhood sector is an important part of walking together in reconciliation. In this three-part webinar series, Elder Brenda Mason and Lori Huston, RECE, will share Indigenous knowledge and stories from their perspectives, teachings and lived experiences.
Check your email for the schedule and registration information or contact info@cmascanada.ca
NOTE: These sessions are only open to CNC-funded programs that are working with CMAS. The following three webinar recordings will be added to the website’s Learning Centre by the end of the month.
Webinar 1: Walking Together in Reconciliation
We will discuss the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action, including two recommendations that are specifically related to the early learning sector: new Indigenous Education legislation and culturally appropriate Indigenous programs. This session will support a deepening of our understanding of what it means to honour the knowledge and skills Indigenous children and families. The future holds many opportunities for all educators to connect with Indigenous children and families in Canada that uplift and support.
Webinar 2: Awakening and Coming to Know Indigenous Pedagogies in Early Learning
Indigenous knowledge is a knowledge system that is different from Eurocentric knowledge – it is closely tied to space. In part two of this webinar series, Elder Brenda Mason and Lori Huston, RECE we will share teaching and learning processes that are holistic and narrative-based. Stories are a primary medium for conveying Indigenous knowledge, so in this webinar, participants will hear stories about the Indigenous child, family, and community’s traditional roles that support Indigenous children in early learning programs.
Webinar 3: Exploring Indigenous Pedagogies Connected to Experiential Learning in Relations to Mother Earth
There are many values, traditions and experiences that Indigenous children gain from being on the land and grounded in experiential learning that is connected to Mother Earth. In this third and final webinar, Elder Brenda Mason and Lori Huston, RECE will share the Indigenous relational teachings with connections to being, spirit and land.
Presenter’s Bio’s
Elder Brenda Mason
Boozhoo, My name is Brenda Mason, and my Anishinabe name is ‘Imprint Hanging Standing Woman,’ I’m Oji/Cree, and I speak my language. I belong to a fish clan-Red Sucker, and I was raised in Sandy Lake First Nations, a remote community located in Northwestern Ontario. My aunty mom and uncle dad raised me, along with other children. I have a son who has blessed me with grandchildren. So, yes, I am a grandmother and loving it. Today, I reside in Thunder Bay, and it is my home for 38 years. I graduated from Confederation College in 1990 with a Social Services Worker Diploma. I am registered with the College of Social Workers and Social Services Workers. Today, I work within St. Joseph’s Care Group, Mental Health Outpatient Program. I provide Cultural and Spiritual Services, including Traditional therapy and Traditional Healing, for 28 years. I’ve walked with the Elders for several years before sending me out to do my Traditional Indigenous work in our community. It’s the community members that started coming to me and referring to me as an Elder. I also provide Elder support to the students and staff at Oshki-Wenjack, Education Institute, for about 11 years. I also teach one of the classes in the Aboriginal Wellness and Addictions Prevention Program every year. Email: bearraven@live.com
Lori Huston
Hello, I am Lori Huston. I am the daughter of a Metis father and a first-generation Canadian English mother. I currently live in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and was raised in Red Lake, a small northwestern Ontario town. Red Lake was formerly the site of a Hudson’s Bay Co fur-trading post in the late 1800s, and its modern way of life originates from gold mining. A significant Indigenous population and a hub to surrounding remote fly-in First Nations. I am an Early Child Educator for over 20 years, with all of my teaching roles directly supporting Indigenous children, families and educators across Canada. I am currently engaged in research projects and writing publications connected to my teaching/mentoring experience. I am the founder of Rising Indigenous Voices in Early Learning (RIVEL), a group of over 100 Indigenous ECEs living in First Nation communities. Email: le.huston@outlook.com
