Rick Garrick

Lakehead University's student juried exhibition opens in Thunder Bay

Create: 03/16/2018 - 00:34
Author: 
Rick Garrick

Three First Nation artists were highlighted with 11 awards at this year’s Lakehead University Annual Student Juried Exhibition at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

Couchiching’s Mary McPherson received seven awards during the March 9 Opening Reception and Awards presentation, including multiple awards for her Scene of My Elders Emerging from an Inauthentic Past art piece.

KKETS Aboriginal Skills graduates dreaming big

Create: 03/10/2018 - 02:46
Author: 
Rick Garrick

Eabametoong’s Margaret Boyce and Joseph Meeseetawageesic were the valedictorians at the Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services (KKETS) Aboriginal Skills Advancement Program (ASAP) graduation ceremony on March 8 in Thunder Bay.

“This is a glorious occasion for all of us, a new chapter in our lives,” Boyce says. “As I stand before you here today, I am really blessed and humbled.”

Boyce says the graduation ceremony doesn’t mark the end of the graduates’ education journey, but the beginning.

2018 NAN youth gathering

Create: 02/17/2018 - 04:00
Author: 
Rick Garrick

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation To Have Hope Youth Gathering was a success with opportunities for youth to learn about healthy expression, leadership skills and cultural teachings.

“It’s been awesome,” says Ashley Bach, a Mishkeegogamang youth who grew up out west and recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science degree from McGill University. “It’s been a really good gathering. I’ve done a few workshops every day. Yesterday I made a drum, on Friday I learned about medicines from Elder Tom Chisel.”

United Way releases racism report

Create: 02/03/2018 - 04:36
Author: 
Rick Garrick

United Way Thunder Bay (UNTB) has initiated a Diversity Counts community engagement project to reduce racism and discrimination in Thunder Bay, which was highlighted in its recently released Community Report on Racism and Discrimination.

“Diversity Counts is a project that we are starting up aimed at reducing racism and discrimination in the city,” says Sage Laliberte, Indigenous liaison intern with UNTB. “We’re focusing more on youth involvements and we have money set aside for youth-led projects, so different grants we can give out to support that.”

Nibinamik Elder celebrates 100th birthday

Create: 11/21/2017 - 04:23
Author: 
Rick Garrick

Nibinamik Elder Amelia Wabasse recently celebrated her 100th birthday during Anishnawbe Mushkiki’s Fall Feast at the Ka-Na-Chi-Hih Specialized Solvent Abuse Treatment Centre in Thunder Bay. She was born on Nov. 14, 1917 at Wekwasays, near Benaymotang.

“She’s just happy that she is here with the group,” says Wabasse’s translator. “She was talking about at a very young age that she had seen this way of life, the traditional way of life. She was brought up that way by her late father. One time she was very sick … and her father treated her with this traditional medicine.”

DFC students hold A Day to Remember walk

Create: 11/03/2017 - 03:50
Author: 
Rick Garrick

Reggie Bushie’s brother walked into the cold McIntyre River during the Nov. 1 A Day to Remember walk for the seven Nishnawbe Aski Nation high school students who died in Thunder Bay from 2000-2011.

“It was just one of those moments where it just hits you,” says Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler about Ricki Strang’s walk into the water. “It sure had an impact on those of us who witnessed that. It just shows that he still carries a heavy load and that’s something that we hope, through the ceremony today, that we can begin to address the grief and the loss that we all have.”

US and THEM film screens in Thunder Bay

Create: 10/31/2017 - 02:04
Author: 
Rick Garrick

US and THEM film director Krista Loughton was surprised with the response to her film’s screening on Oct. 25 at the Finlandia Hall in Thunder Bay.

“I’m a little bit shocked at the state of the situation in terms of homelessness and the deaths in Thunder Bay,” Loughton says after the screening’s question-and-answer session. “The word of the night is shocking, because it is a gateway city to the north. There are so many people to support here.”

Loughton plans to include Thunder Bay in her next film project, which will be focused on Indigenous homelessness.

Lac Seul author hosts Transitions Workshop at Lakehead University

Create: 10/31/2017 - 01:54
Author: 
Rick Garrick

Indians Don’t Cry author George Kenny recently described the spiritual beliefs of the Lac Seul Anishinabe during an Oct. 26 Transitions Workshop at Lakehead University.

“The Lac Seul Anishinabe believed in a spirit-filled universe full of magic and the supernatural, including the existence of little hairy people who lived in rocks and caves,” says the Lakehead University masters of environmental studies: archeology student. “They were called Memagkwayshewuk.”

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