11th Annual Elders and Traditional Teachers Gathering

Location: Migizii Agamik 114 Sydney Smith Street University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB.

Strength in Identity With:

Levinia Brown (Inuit) Mark Hall (Dakota) N’kixw’stn James (Nlaka’pamux) John O’Leary (Mi’kmaq) Terry Morin (Metis) Tom Porter (Mohawk) Florence Paynter (Anishinaabe) Garry Robson (Anishinaabe)

EVERYONE WELCOME! Pipe & Water Ceremony * Panel Discussions * Youth Speakers

November 23 & 24, 2012 11th Annual Elders & Traditional Teachers Gathering Friday, November 23, 2012

Day Fire Begins: 7:30 a.m. Pipe & Water Ceremony: 7:30-9:00 a.m., Circle Room Information Desk: 8:30 - ongoing, Aboriginal Student Centre Front Desk Opening Ceremonies: 9:00-10:00 a.m.MC Carl Stone with Opening Song Invited Guest Speakers: Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) Grand Chief Derek Ne- pinak, Manitoba Metis Federation President Dr. David Chartrand and President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manitoba, David T. Barnard Youth Address by Jason Cook: 10:00-10:30 a.m. Break: 10:30-10:45 Keynote Address: 10:45-12:00 p.m. Theme: Strength in Identity with Elders-in- Residence Florence Paynter and Garry Robson Lunch: 12:00-1:00 Teaching Panel 1: 1:00-2:30 Break: 2:30-2:45 Teaching Panel 2: 2:45-4:30 TEACHING PANEL 1

Women & Identity 1:00-2:30 Migizii Agamik main floor

Levinia Brown N’kixw’stn James Florence Paynter

Facilitator: Garry Robson

TEACHING PANEL 2

Men & Identity

2:45-4:30 Migizii Agamik main floor

Mark Hall John O’Leary Terry Morin Tom Porter

Facilitator: Florence Paynter 11th Annual Elders & Traditional Teachers Gathering Saturday Morning, November 24, 2012 Day Fire Begins: 7:30 a.m. Information Desk: 9:00 a.m. - ongoing, Aboriginal Student Centre Front Desk Introduction to Day: 9:30-9:45 a.m. Carl Stone with Opening Song Youth Address by Jason Parenteau: 9:45-10:15 a.m. Teaching Panel 1: 10:15-11:45 a.m. Break: 11:45-12:00 p.m. Teaching Panel 2: 12:00-1:00 p.m. Lunch 1:00-1:30 p.m. TEACHING PANEL 1

Identity & Ceremony 10:15-11:45 Location: Migizii Agamik main floor

Tom Porter Mark Hall N’kixw’stn James Terry Morin

Co-Facilitators: Florence Paynter

TEACHING PANEL 2

Identity & Values 12:00-1:00 Location: Migizii Agamik main floor

Levinia Brown John O’Leary Garry Robson

Facilitator: Tyra Cox (UMASA) 11th Annual Elders & Traditional Teachers Gathering Saturday Afternoon, November 24, 2012 Final Words from the Elders: 1:30-2:40 p.m. Break: 2:40 to 2:50 p.m. Final Word from Elders (continued): 2:50-3:30 p.m. Closing Comments by Tom Porter: 3:30-4:00 p.m. Closing Ceremonies: 4:00-4:30 p.m. MC Carl Stone Gift Giving and Miigwetch Raffle announcements *Lowering of the Pipe: 4:45-5:15

Final Words from the Elders

1:30-3:30

Location: Migizii Agamik main floor

N’kixw’stn James John O’Leary Levinia Brown Break Mark Hall

Terry Morin

Closing Comments 3:30-4:00 Tom Porter

Co-Facilitators: Florence Paynter & Garry Robson

Opening and Closing Ceremonies represented by: Hotonami Family Eagle Feather Staff and Host Drum Buffalo Red Thunder

Lowering of the Pipe will be held in the Circle Room and is open to those interested in attending.

11th Annual Elders & Traditional Teachers Gathering Biographies

Strength in Identity

Florence Paynter (Anishinaabe)

Florence Paynter is one of the Elders-in-Residence at the Universi- ty of Manitoba’s Aboriginal Student Centre where she is available for personal, cultural and spiritual guidance. Florence was a Co-ordinator of Research and Development for the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre. Her education career began in 1973 and has had experience being a classroom teacher, an Aborig- inal education consultant for the provincial education system for 20 years. Some of Florence’s accomplishments include having the Ab- original languages recognized for high school credit and being in- volved in some key projects where there was inclusion of the Aboriginal content in cur- ricular areas. Florence delivers the cultural component to the students of the Eagle’s Nest Program which is through an AMC initiative.

Florence is from the Sandy Bay First Nation and holds a membership from the Norway House band. She has a Bachelor of Teaching, a Bachelor in Education, and a Master’s of Education degree from the University of Manitoba. Florence is a Second Degree Mide Woman. She speaks her language fluently and is a residential school survivor. She is one of the host Elders for this gathering. Garry Robson (Anishinaabe)

Garry Robson, an Ojibway from the Peguis First Nation, has been an Aboriginal Awareness Consultant with the Aboriginal Educa- tion Directorate for the past 29 years. A member of the Turtle Clan, Garry presents and provides teachings on traditional culture and history to schools, teachers, administrators, parents, commu- nity agencies and government departments within the province of Manitoba.

Garry is also a poet and storyteller, who speaks about stories of the traditional life of his people as well as the Clan System, Prophecies, 7 Stages of Life and Cradle Board to name a few. Garry is also one of the Elder’s in Residence at the Aboriginal Student Cen- tre and is the other host Elder for this gathering.

11th Annual Elders & Traditional Teachers Gathering Biographies

Levinia Brown (Inuit)

Levinia Brown was born in Dawson Inlet - just south of Whale Cove, in 1947.

After completing her early education at schools in Chesterfield Inlet and Churchill, Manitoba, Ms. Brown became the first teaching aid in Rankin Inlet. A graduate of St. Anthony Hospi- tal in The Pas, Manitoba, Ms. Brown has worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant in the Northwest Territories, British Colum- bia, and Alberta.

In 1978, Levinia Brown received her certification as a North- west Territories Classroom Assistant and was instrumental in establishing an eastern board program (EATEP) in Iqaluit, and in 1980 she became the first chairperson of the Keewatin Regional Education Authority.

After serving as an information officer, chairperson of the local housing authority, and deputy mayor, Levinia Brown became the first woman mayor of Rankin Inlet. A suc- cessful career in municipal politics provided a natural step to territorial politics for Ms. Brown.

Elected Member for Rankin Inlet South/Whale Cove on February 16, 2004, the Honour- able Levinia Brown was selected by MLAs to sit on the Executive Council. On March 9, 2004, Premier Paul Okalik named Ms. Brown Deputy Premier.

The Honourable Levinia Brown is a role model and leader for Nunavut's youth. Dedi- cating her life to the development and promotion of community capacity building for health and social services, she projects a positive outlook on life. Her belief that life is a precious opportunity that should not be wasted is clearly expressed in her thirst for edu- cation, strength in leadership, and compassion for social issues. Levinia Brown is mar- ried to Ron Brown. Together, they have seven children and three custom adopted chil- dren. 11th Annual Elders & Traditional Teachers Gathering Biographies

Mark Hall (Dakota)

Mark Hall is a member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, who helps community members as a Master of ceremonies at ceremonial functions such as funerals, wakes and memorial feasts. He also par- ticipates at sweat lodge ceremonies, sundances and pow-wows when he has the time do so. Mark is currently employed by Metis Child, Family and Community Services as a Kinship Care Worker. The Kin- ship Care program works to keep children within their own family networks and communities where possible. Mark has a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Bachelor of First Nation Aboriginal Counseling and is currently working on his Masters in Education.

(NNa’KEE’whoos’tin) N’kixw’stn James

N’kixw’stn is one of the few Nlha’ka’pmx (Innn’fllah’cup’chk’) babies born in the traditional way. N’kixw’stn means boundary. N’kixw’stn comes from Lytton, BC where she was born and raised. She left residential school in grade 11 and went to her mother in Lynden, Washington and became a migrate worker. She then chose to do the License Practical Nursing Program at the Bel- lingham Technical School. She worked in the field for eight years and decided to change careers because it was hard to watch all the Natives coming into the emergency room with cuts, bruises, broken bones and worst of all dead because of alcoholism.

She then entered the army and made a career out the military for twenty years and re- tired in 1987. In 1990 she enrolled at Nicola Valley Institute of Technology in the Social Work Program. She changed her focus and when into the educational direction where she earned her Bachelors Degree in Intermediate Education in 1997. She taught at a re- mote village up North and decided to return to UBC to enroll in the educational graduate program. She received her Master’s of Education Degree in 2000.

In 2000 N’kixw’stn returned to Lytton and applied for a counseling position and was se- lected. She worked as a counselor for two years and became a First Nations Language and Cultural Teacher position for the district. N’kixw’stn taught her own language and cultural to her students until she retired from teaching in 2005. She enjoys traveling to present at universities, colleges or conferences. Most of all she enjoys being retired with her husband John. 11th Annual Elders & Traditional Teachers Gathering Biographies

John F. O’Leary John, a renowned elder, resides in Lytton, BC, with his wife, N’kixw’stn James, who is present here also. John is a talented man in many aspects of life. He became involved with alcohol- ism treatment beginning in Providence, Rhode Island, where he designed a plan for the area’s first social setting detox center in 1974. Then he moved to Astoria, Oregon in 1976. There he reor- ganized, trained residential treatment staff. He continued work- ing with other Alcoholism Programs dating from 1978 to 1994 in the states of Oregon and Oklahoma.

John is also serve society as a Spiritual Red blanket man and travels to many sites to participate in the Sundance ceremonies. In 1994, his spiritual mentor sent him to B.C. to assist a Sundance Chief to plan and im- plement an Eagle Sundance. There he met N’kixw’stn who became his wife. N’kixw’stn coming from a matriarchic society informed John that he must move to Lytton, BC if he was to marry her, because she had a responsibility to her people. When in BC it didn’t take him long to become employed at the First Nations House of Learning in University of British Columbia and other education institutes.

John is now retired and enjoys doing many things. To John, retirement does not mean sitting in his recliner and relaxing. It means continuing to work in many aspects of life and being allowed to be selective in what he wants to do.

Terrance Morin (Me’tis) Terry Morin is from the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota, and works for North Central Electric. He and his wife Mary have three children and are grandparents to four.

Terry (Kookoo kahoo) is a spiritual leader that provides many services to the community. He is a care taker of the Thunder- bird Lodge, big drum, keeper and provider of traditional knowledge, and shares his time and energy with many.

He admits that this beautiful balance and strength is shared along with the work of his partner and family. Walking in balance is a strong family and community blessing that goes hand in hand with the Me’tis and Chippewa Languages which Terry helps promote through ceremonies. Terry would like for everyone to have a strong fire with-in such that they can look for the future of generations to come. 11th Annual Elders & Traditional Teachers Gathering Biographies

Tom Porter (Mohawk)

Thomas R. Porter (Sakokwenionkwas-“The One Who Wins”) has been the founder, spokesperson and spiritual leader of the Mohawk Community of Kanatsiohareke (Ga na jo ha lay gay) located in the Mohawk Valley near Fonda, New York since 1993. He is a mem- ber of the Bear Clan of the Mohawk Nation at Akwe- sasne. (Akwesasne, also known as the St. Regis Mohawk Reserva- tion, straddles the New York State/Canadian border near Massena, New York.) He is married to Alice Joe Porter who is Choctaw, and has six children.

Mr. Porter; held the position of sub-chief for the Tehanakarine Chieftainship title, one of the nine chief titles of the Mohawk Nation, for 21 years (1971-1992). Chiefs are consid- ered to be spiritual as well as political leaders. Some of the duties of that position were: officiating at marriage ceremonies, death ceremonies and numerous other traditional cer- emonies held throughout the year.

He was the director of and, a teacher at the Akwesasne Freedom School and taught at the Kahnawake Survival School. He taught Mohawk language, philosophy and history at both schools as well as carpentry at Kahnawake. The purpose of both schools is to teach all of the usual subject matter, but within a traditional Mohawk worldview and with em- phasis on keeping the Mohawk language alive and vital. It is said that with the loss of language, there also is the loss of at least 50% of a people’s culture and identity.

Mr. Porter worked as Secretary for the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs for 8 years and as interpreter for 11 years. He is still called on to help out as needed, when his schedule allows. Mr. Porter organized the “White Roots of Peace”, a traveling multi- media communications group designed to revitalize Native traditions and beliefs in North America. He was the main speaker and lectured for the group at various universi- ties and colleges all over the United States and Canada.

Currently, Mr. Porter works as the Native American consultant for the New York State Penitentiary System and as Chaplain for all of the Native inmates in the New York State Penal System. His office is located in Albany, New York, but he travels all over the state to meet with Native inmates. He confers with them, teaches and helps them conduct tra- ditional ceremonies.

UMASA STAR BLANKET RAFFLE:

You can buy raffle tickets for a beautiful star blanket during the Elders Gathering. All proceeds will go towards the University of Manitoba Aboriginal Students’ Association.

Tickets are $3 each or 3 for $5

Winner will be announced on Saturday afternoon!

Special Thanks To: 2012 Elders Gathering Board All the Elders Gathering Volunteers Fall 2012 class of NATV 2030 - Working with Aboriginal Elders

Sponsored by: Student Affairs Aboriginal Student Centre University of Manitoba Aboriginal Students’ Association Section of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Health Campus Map & Parking Areas

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On Friday, November 23, please arrive early as the Parkade and Pay Parking areas can fill up quickly.

On Saturday, November 24, parking is open and free in most parking lots, except for spaces marked Reserved 24 Hours or Handicap spaces.

Park at own risk - parking costs will not be reimbursed for anyone.