Professor Wanda Gabriel presentation on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
During a presentation held on the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Prof. Wanda Gabriel discussed the process of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and explores how sharing the stories of trauma and resiliency breaks the code of silence. Particular focus was given to the calls to action and what this means for Canadians.
BSW program to be delivered in Nunavik - CBC News interview with Professor Wanda Gabriel
Professor Wanda Gabriel was recently interviewed by CBC News about the partnership between the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services and McGill's School of Social Work to deliver the Bachelor of Social Work program in Nunavik. This will be the first university program to be fully delivered in Nunavik. Please click on the link below to listen to the interview.
Soup & Bannock Podcast
Indigenous Health Professions Program, in collaboration with the Branches Program @ McGill University present the Soup & Bannock Podcast. Professor Wanda Gabriel, Alex Grey, Sage Goodleaf and U2 student Codey Martin speak on Episode 2.
Episode 2 Description: Looking at mental health fields which include both psychology and social work. Guests discuss the present, and future of mental health fields for Indigenous individuals.
The CHRT released 2020 ruling on the groups of children eligible to receive services through Jordan's Principle
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered Canada to provide Jordan's Principle to First Nations children off reserve who do not have status and are recognized by their Nations for the purposes of Jordan's Principle. Important to note: 1) Recognition is for Jordan's Principle ONLY, 2) Jordan's Principle is not a fixed funding pot so all children who qualify get the help they need, 3) there are $ for First Nations to set up recognition processes.
Orange Shirt Day - September 30th
Orange shirt day is a movement that officially began in 2013 but in reality it began in 1973 when six year old Phyllis Webstad entered the St. Joseph Mission Residential School, outside of Williams Lake, BC. Young Phyllis was wearing a brand new orange shirt for her first day of school – new clothes being a rare and wonderful thing for a First Nation girl growing up in her grandmother’s care - but the Mission Oblates quickly stripped her of her new shirt and replaced it with the school’s institutional uniform.
While she only attended for one year the impact affected Ms. Webstad’s life for many years. “I finally get it, that feeling of worthlessness and insignificance, ingrained in me from my first day at the mission, affected the way I lived my life for many years. Even now, when I know nothing could be further than the truth, I still sometimes feel that I don’t matter.” [Indigenous Corporate Training inc. blog]
Ms. Webstad’s story is the nucleus for what has become a national movement to recognize the experience of survivors of Indian residential schools, honour them, and show a collective commitment to ensure that every child matters. The initiative calls for every Canadian to wear an orange shirt on September 30 in the spirit of healing and reconciliation.
The date, September 30, was chosen because that was the time of the year the trucks and buses would enter the communities to “collect” the children and deliver them to their harsh new reality of cultural assimilation, mental, sexual and physical abuse, shame and deprivation.
Fighting a Hand to Hold: Confronting Medical Colonialism against Indigenous Children in Canada - By Dr. Shaheen-Hussain
Dr. Shaheen-Hussain, assistant professor in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill, has written a book on medical colonialism titled Fighting for A Hand to Hold: Confronting Medical Colonialism against Indigenous Children in Canada (foreword by Cindy Blackstock and afterword by Ellen Gabriel). Dr. Shaheen-Hussain also published an opinion piece on this topic in the Montreal Gazette.
Oka Crisis Land Dispute - City News Interview Featuring Professor Wanda Gabriel
Professor Wanda Gabriel and other community members speak out about the unresolved land dispute at the centre of the Oka Crisis thirty years on.
National Indigenous Peoples Day 2020
June 21st was National Indigenous Peoples Day. We take this moment to acknowledge the ongoing harm and violence of colonization against First Nations, Indigenous, and Métis communities. We take this moment to honor First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples across Canada with special focus on our students and colleagues in the School of Social Work and at McGill.