Levinia Brown

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, community 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 education, 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 children. 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 retired 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 selected. 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.

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