We can plant the seeds

By Sarah DeLaronde, 2nd year MDP student

Tansi niwahkomakanak, Sarah DeLaronde nisinikason. Hello, my relatives, my name is Sarah DeLaronde. For my second blog post, I was trying to wrap up my field placement in a good way. 

 

Working with seeds and learning more about food sovereignty has been a really valuable experience. Ininiwikistayikewin is about putting seeds back into the hands of the people, to me that means less dependency on colonial systems and more reliability on our capacity as Indigenous people. We live with a blood memory of sovereignty and intimate connection with the land, even if we've been removed from our families and our cultures. But it’'s about more than seeds, it's about revitalizing relationships we have to not only the land but to the people and the true meaning of what it means to be a good relative. 

 

I had the opportunity to visit with Audrey Logan, a local land steward here in Treaty 1 territory. They live with some very inhibiting injuries, however the need to provide their community with accessible, good food and with the key knowledge to grow their own - supersedes everything. The seed library and other Indigenous food sovereignty projects can disrupt food insecurity even when there is only room for small garden plots in spaces like downtown Winnipeg. Audrey says, “Land back, but what're you going to do with it?” I say, we can plant the seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

Acimowin

By Christy Bird, 2nd year MDP student  

Boozhoo! I am excited as I wrap up my final field placement as a part of my MDP studies. I appreciate the opportunities I have had assisting Dr. Shailesh Shukla in community-led research of a traditional food guide with and for Fisher River Cree Nation. 

Last year I had a remote field placement due to the ongoing pandemic, but this year I was excited to be in the community and, most importantly, listen to stories from community members about their community and the traditional foods harvested in their community. As a part of building relationships is sharing stories; a highlight for me was speaking to community members who shared stories of my Murdock grandparents, as my Papa was a fisherman for many years in Fisher River. In addition, it was exciting to visit with youth that encompasses knowledge of the land and sustainable harvesting and take pride in their story of the history of Fisher River and their vision for a healthy community.  

The education I obtained through the past two years and last year's field placement enhanced my awareness of the importance of ethics and Indigenous research methods that ensured that I adhered to the ethical practice of community-led research and to ensure that value, respect, reciprocity, and honour were at the forefront of the research. Fisher River is a strong Cree community, and the work Fisher River is completing reinforces that Indigenous-led wellness has to be community-led and specific to their community. 

Again, I am thankful for all that was shared with me; it has greatly influenced the work I will embark upon as I exit my studies. Ekosi. Miigwech. 

Changing for the Better

By Rick Harper, 1st year MDP student

Hello to whom it may concern. Just being facetious. My name is Rick Harper and I am at the tail end of
my first year in the MDP program.

Anyway, this is my first blog entry. My placement is with the Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). Formerly known as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). ISC is one of two departments in the Government of Canada responsible for policies relating to Indigenous peoples in Canada. The other department is Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC). ISC was created in 2019 after INAC was dissolved.

I work in the Evaluation Directorate within ISC. Due to privacy and confidentiality agreements I cannot get into aspects of what I do. However, I will say that I work within a team to evaluate programs and other things pertaining to Indigenous programming. Most of ISC’s evaluation projects can go from 2 to 5 years. I do believe they are in the early stages of this current evaluations project so there is still a lot to do. It is their goal that their evaluations will lead to a more stream lined approach in getting the programs to those who will benefit from it the most.

 Because of the longevity of the evaluations, progress will not be seen as leaps and bounds so outcomes will likely be less noticeable. I also want to emphasize that empowerment of Indigenous people will come sooner rather than later. Yes, that is an ambiguous statement but trust me, it is all good.

Although I work virtually from home due to COVID policies, this has not diminished my experience and time with ISC. Even still, the first few weeks working at ISC was a change from my comfort zone but regardless, it has been a good experience. It is good working with open minded people who have great insight and an innovative vision for the future going forward.

To conclude. it has been an honor and a privilege to work with this team at ISC and I hope that I was a good ambassador for our MDP program as well as for my people.