Braiding Together 2022
Friday, October 14, 2022
Registration 4:30-6:30pm
6:30-10:00pm
Saturday, October 15, 2022
8:00am-5:00pm
Braiding Together
is an in-person event hosted by the Religious and Moral Education Council (RMEC), for educators and all those seeking to deepen their response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission by engaging in authentic and intentional dialogue on the path to healing and wholeness. We seek to support teachers and leaders in embracing their essential role as facilitators of critical and restorative conversations, supporting engagement to deepen awareness of the rich history and current realities of Indigenous Peoples across the nation, exploring pathways of possibility & empowerment.
Brought to you by:
The Alberta Teachers' Association
Keynotes
Phyllis Webstad is Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band). She comes from mixed Secwepemc and Irish/French heritage, was born in Dog Creek, and lives in Williams Lake, BC. She is the Founder and Ambassador of the Orange Shirt Society, and tours the country telling her story and raising awareness about the impacts of the residential school system.
Chief Cadmus Delorme, a Cree and Saulteaux, is a citizen and currently Chief of the Cowessess First Nation. Mr. Delorme is finalizing his Institute of Corporate Director designation, received a Master of Public Administration from the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Business Administration along with a Certificate in Hospitality, Tourism and Gaming Entertainment Management from the First Nations University of Canada
Chief Wilton Littlechild is a Canadian lawyer and Cree Chief who served as Grand Chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations and as a member of Parliament. A residential school survivor, he is known for his work nationally and internationally on Indigenous rights. He was a commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a member of the 1977 Indigenous delegation to the United Nations, and worked on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He is a recipient of the Order of Canada, Alberta Order of Excellence, and Queen's Counsel.
Chief Littlechild and Archbishop Smith's Statement on Kamloops and Reconciliation
Chief J. Wilton "Willie" Littlechild and Archbishop Richard Smith, meeting in Maskwacis, offered this joint statement on the Kamloops Residential School discovery, and on reconciliation. Catholic Bishops, including Archbishop Smith of Edmonton, Archbishop Bolen of Regina, and Bishop McGrattan of Calgary accompanied the delegates to Rome.
Elder Wanda First Rider is an Indigenous Elder in the Calgary Catholic School District. From the Blood Reserve / Kainai in traditional Blackfoot Territory, she has lived in Calgary for over 40 years on the land, Mohkinstsis. Wanda shares her wisdom and Insights as an Elder and Knowledge Keeper, supporting students and educators alike as we walk together, gaining a deepening awareness of the historical and cultural richness and experience of Indigenous Peoples.
“Indigenous Peoples and the Church:
Walking Together Toward Healing and Reconciliation”
From March 28 - April 1, 2022, a delegation from the Assembly of First Nations, Métis National Council, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami & the Canadian Catholic Bishops was in Rome, meeting with Pope Francis.
The Holy Father participated in private meetings with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis delegates respectively to hear their personal stories of the lasting legacy of residential schools. Delegates had the opportunity to speak with him about their hopes and expectations for his anticipated pilgrimage to Canada, now scheduled for July 24-29, 2022. In addition to this group of delegates, several other Indigenous people were invited to participate as well, including a final audience with the Holy Father. Centred around the principles of mutual trust, respect, and a shared desire to move forward for a more hopeful future, the Canadian Bishops and Indigenous Partners agreed upon the theme, “Indigenous Peoples and the Church: Walking Together Toward Healing and Reconciliation.” Collectively, the delegation included participants from across the country, representing multiple faith and linguistic backgrounds, with every delegate bringing to the conversation their own perspective on the history of colonialism and residential schools. Indigenous youth, leaders of tomorrow, were among those represented in the delegation. Archbishop Smith, Archbishop Bolen and Bishop McGrattan accompanied the Delegation.
MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN CANADA
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
Clementine Hall
Friday, 1st April 2022
Pope Francis visit to Canada in July
July 24 – 30, 2022 in Edmonton, Québec City and Iqaluit
Archbishop Richard Smith
Edmonton Catholic Archdiocese
Archbishop Donald Bolen
Regina Catholic Archdiocese
Bishop William McGrattan
Calgary Catholic Diocese
Break out Sessions
Angela Houle has served as a teacher and an Indigenous education consultant for teaching and learning for the Calgary Catholic School District. She has lived in Calgary for 18 years; she is a wife and mother of three. She has a BA in English from the University of Saskatchewan and a BEd from the University of Calgary, and is currently working on her MEd in educational administration from the University of Saskatchewan. Her father’s family members are from Métis communities in southern Saskatchewan.
Jonathan Kaiswatum, nehiyaw (Cree) from the Piapot First Nation, is rooted in his Indigenous culture and language. He has served as a teacher, principal, and director of education in three different First Nations communities in Alberta and Saskatchewan. His ideology as an educator and administrator have been guided by the nehiyawewin worldview of leadership. He received both his Bachelor of Education (2012) and Master of Education (2019) from the University of Saskatchewan. Much of his work focuses on integrating his ideology into data driven approaches such as Response to Intervention, Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports, Professional Learning Communities, and The Assessment Cycle, to create educational sustainability.
