Senator Murray Sinclair - a Lifetime of Achievement from Humble Beginnings Grew an Indigenous Leader Who Has Literally Changed Canadian History
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Join Indspire in making a difference and making your efforts count. donor updAte A message from roberta Jamieson The times are ripe for change and reconciliation our students graduate, they are deeply committed to regarding First Nations, Inuit and Métis people supporting their families and communities while they continue to achieve their fullest potential. in Canada. Attitudes are slowly changing. There is greater support and awareness of issues. As we work with others to initiate and advance Canadians increasingly want to create social reconciliation to repair the errors of the past and to create a new future, we celebrate Canada’s 150th Anniversary of equity. With this heightened awareness, we can Confederation. The time has never been better to support move forward together to help build brighter Indigenous youth through Indspire. Our youth are our futures for more Indigenous students and their future. communities. Thank you, Merci, Nya weh, Miigwetch At Indspire, our constant focus is to support post-secondary education and training, and the achievement of Indigenous roberta Jamieson youth from across Canada. In 2015-16, thanks to the President & CEO generous support of donors like yourself, we were able to Indspire raise and disburse $12.2 million through 3,792 bursaries and scholarships to First Nation, Inuit and Métis students. Once thomas dymond, 2017 Indspire Award Youth Laureate Every year, Indspire honours Growing up, he played percussion in degree is in kinesiology, with honours the accomplishments of a local band and started exploring and he has just completed his first woodworking with the 4H Club. He year in medical school. outstanding Indigenous people spent a lot of time with his great Uncle Inspired by his son, Thomas’ father across Canada through the Henry (Hank) Peters, who was completed an electrical engineering Indspire Awards. Thomas inducted into the Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq degree… after he retired. Sports Hall of Fame. In his spare time, Thomas works as Dymond (24, Bear River First By the time he got to high school, the Aboriginal Liaison Officer at Nation, NS) was selected as Thomas still had no concept of Memorial University, encouraging the recipient of the 2017 university and worked part time in his many more Indigenous youth to First Nation band office and at pursue their dreams of advanced Indspire Award Youth McDonalds. Before he graduated, he studies … dreams that only come true Laureate – First Nations explored various programs, choosing with the support of generous donors general sciences with a view to like you. Thomas grew up in a quiet rural town studying kinetics. He realized early on of under 1,500 and attended Grades 1 that he needed financial support to through 9 in a small school house. further his education. “Attending Thomas loved the outdoors, running In 2013, Thomas left Nova Scotia to through the woods and riding his bike. study in Newfoundland. The Aboriginal university grants so Unknown to him at the time, his resource office at Memorial University much opportunity interest in sports, fitness and motion introduced him to Indspire, who has beyond the would lead him to eventually study provided him with educational classroom – “ medicine and kinetics. financial assistance since 2014. His first 2017 Indspire Awards Ceremony will be held in the nation’s Capital on Friday March 24, 2017 – for more information and to buy tickets, visit http://indspire.ca/indspire-awards Indspire’s K-12 Institute - Supporting educators from across Canada In 2012, the Board of the J. W. online to this learning community McConnell Family Foundation through webinars, discussion forums, Indspire’s provided funding to create Indspire’s and other professional development K-12 Institute – a virtual environment tools. The objective is to improve K-12 Institute is a: and coaching program designed to educators’ impact in the classroom, support Indigenous educators as they especially when faced with the unique 1. Online resource centre for collectively work towards increasing needs of Indigenous students. educators, students, parents, Indigenous students high school Recently, the Indspire Institute public and private sector graduation rates. offered a training supporters, and Indigenous The Foundation “ There are challenges we workshop to prepare organizations to access promising understood and encounter as Indigenous educators to deliver practices evaluated by consultation appreciated the educators that are classes on the Truth and with Indigenous educators. Institute’s unique role unique to us. Having Reconciliation 2. Showcase of biographies and vignettes of 283 past Indspire – and over the years each other to connect Commission’s outcomes. has worked with Demand for the Award laureates for learners and with creates a valuable Indspire to help fill a workshop was extremely educators. tangible void educators and sustaining strong and further 3. Access for teachers to the Industry space for me.” in the Classroom Mining Module. face in teaching sessions are being 4. Host for online discussions, Indigenous students. Lisa Lenkart, Teacher planned for delivery Through national across Canada in 2017, monthly webinars and blogs. (Saskatchewan) surveys, Indspire heard thanks to the ongoing 5. Access for educators, school a unified voice of support from the J.W. administrators, band councils and educators across Canada, calling for McConnell Family Foundation. the general public to Successful an online repository of documented In 2016, Indspire created the first Practices and Nurturing Capacity successful practices that can be easily ever Guide for Educators of Indigenous projects which are evaluated accessed and shared. Students, a comprehensive directory strategies that are making a One of the Institute’s most popular of all the programs we offer through difference in the educational programs is called Peer Support, a the Institute. outcomes of Indigenous students. mentorship and coaching program for Thank you to the J. W. McConnell 6. Access to National Gathering: educators of Indigenous students. Family Foundation for funding the Indigenous Education Conference Indspire pairs educators from across creation of the Indspire Institute and and Soaring: Indigenous Youth Canada based on their professional for working with Indspire to close the Career Conferences videos and learning goals and provides support gap on Indigenous education. information. Senator Murray Sinclair - A Lifetime of Achievement From humble beginnings grew an Indigenous leader who has literally changed Canadian history. Murray Sinclair was born in 1951 on St. Peter’s Indian Reserve, in Manitoba. He graduated as class valedictorian from his high school and was Athlete of the Year in 1968. Murray Sinclair is a Canadian Senator, former judge, First Nations lawyer, and is the first Aboriginal judge appointed in Manitoba. He has also played a key role in Manitoba’s Aboriginal Justice Inquiry and the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Inquest. In 2009, Senator Sinclair was appointed Chair of Canada’s aboriginal peoples’ communities, cultures, languages, Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Throughout this health, education, and welfare.” — Prime Minister process, he was instrumental in creating a space for more Justin Trudeau. than 6,000 residential school survivors In 2016, Senator Sinclair was appointed to the Senate. “ Education is across Canada to tell their stories on a That same year, he received Canada’s World Peace Award what got us into national level. Many survivors spoke for from the World Federalist Movement-Canada. this mess; and the very first time about their Senator Sinclair spoke at Indspire’s recent National education is experiences. Senator Sinclair ensured Gathering in Toronto in November, attended by over 800 what will get us that survivors’ stories were properly educators and the program included a workshop on how out.” documented so that all Canadians could to teach youth about the TRC. learn this dark part of our country’s Through your generous support, we can facilitate the Senator Sinclair, history. This documentation will healing process by providing financial support to Nov 2016 contribute to the country’s collective Indigenous youth. We also provide teachers with the healing and connects Indigenous and tools to educate all youth about the TRC and how the non-Indigenous Canadians in the reconciliation process for outcomes can create a stronger Canada. years to come. Knowledge is power. “By recording the experiences of thousands of survivors, On March 24, 2017, Senator Sinclair will receive the the TRC has ensured that all Canadians can gain a deeper prestigious IndspireLifetime Achievement Award, and is understanding of this dark chapter in our collective history, the only double-laureate in the Indspire Awards 24-year and of the devastating and lasting legacy it has left on history. Join us as we celebrate Senator Sinclair’s achievements, along with 12 exceptional role model laureates, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on March 24, starting at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are available at http://indspire.ca/indspire-awards Indspire Charitable Number 118834696RR0001 1002 - 555 Richmond St. W. 1.855.INDSPIRE (463.7747) Toronto ON [email protected] M5V 3B1 indspire.ca/donate .