Seneca College RED 2019 - 19

When Indigenous students move to an urban location
like Toronto from another location - where they've
had a strong sense of community - they are
looking for family and new community. All it
takes is one visit to Odeyto for them to feel that.

things today - studying aviation, early childhood education - that
says Peggy Pitawanakwat, First Peoples@Seneca Co-ordinator.
they weren't doing 20 years ago. I wanted our students to see
"All it takes is one visit to Odeyto for them to feel that."
themselves in the now."
That sense of community now goes beyond Seneca's Indigenous
This is something that is happening more and more in postsecstudents. Due to increased interest in the TRC, Seneca's support of
ondary education. As a result of the Truth and Reconciliation
Indigenous culture, and curiosity about Odeyto, more people than
Commission of Canada (TRC), new dialogues have started that
ever before are coming to First Peoples@Seneca.
allow Indigenous students to both understand their past and better
Among them is faculty learning how to include Indigenous
visualize their future.
content in their courses.
"In one of my first classes, Professor Darcey Dachyshyn asked
"It was important that we met with faculty in an Indigenous
what we knew about Canada's colonial history," says Emma Green- space," Solomon says. "It allowed a new community to be built
field, a recent graduate of the Honors Bachelor of Child Developamong the faculty that is very strong. Faculty came ice fishing with
ment program. "I was completely floored that she would ask that
our students and were there to help them if they were struggling.
question and that people would be talking about this."
It's a great partnership to happen in that space."
At Seneca people are talking about Indigenous issues in the classIndigenous content is being incorporated into programs such
room, at TRC events and in Odeyto.
as Fashion Arts. Professor Jenifer Forrest's students will be using
"I was always exposed to First Nations culture in my grandmotha zero-waste method of cutting patterns to create sustainable
er's home, but then I went to school and wouldn't see any of that
hemp/cotton ribbon dresses for Indigenous students to wear
reflected in my everyday school life," Greenfield says. "Here at
during ceremonies.
Odeyto, I do see that reflected and I feel more connected than
"This is a great help because a lot of our students don't have accI ever have before. It's like walking into my grandmother's house
ess to ceremonial clothes," Solomon says. "Students see the investagain. It feels familiar, but you don't normally think about that in
ment faculty are making and it is helping to connect with them."
your everyday life because you're so used to not having it."
Greenfield agrees that Seneca and other educational institutions
have an important part to play.
A time of revival
"Reconciliation isn't meant to happen overnight, as nice as that
Solomon sees what is happening as a kind of Indigenous education would be," she says. "It starts with education, so educators are in
renaissance.
the ideal position to be part of it."
"It's the first time for education to be normalized for Indigenous
Greenfield, who was awarded this year's Seneca Cup, the W.T.
scholars," Solomon says. "Our students are no longer first-generaNewnham Award and served as her class's valedictorian, sees great
tion learners. Having that happen in a generation is very powerful
opportunities to keep people talking about Indigenous culture. She
because there was actually a time when pursuing postsecondary
has been Professor Dachyshyn's teaching assistant for the Indigeeducation caused us to lose our status. That's a part of our history.
nous Awareness: Towards Truth and Reconciliation course that is
And now, after TRC, we can begin to move on and have conversapart of the School of Early Childhood Education. Greenfield is
tions to explain what we've experienced to help people understand encouraged to see students from outside the school taking it as an
our history."
elective. She also spent the summer at Seneca developing curricuThe recognition that Odeyto has received since it officially
lum for Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs that focus on
opened last year also helps to continue this dialogue. With every
Indigenous knowledge, stories and history.
article (Canadian Architect, Toronto Star) and award (Azure's 10
"I want future educators to be comfortable, confident and knowBest Canadian Architecture Projects for 2018), the building is
ledgeable enough to be part of social justice education, specificbeing discussed, and it's hard to talk about Odeyto without getting ally for First Nations, Metis and Inuit people," she says. "It's a way
into what it means to Seneca and its students.
of raising awareness throughout the entire ECE program."
"When Indigenous students move to an urban location like
Greenfield is working on this project in Odeyto in order to have
Toronto from another location - where they've had a strong sense access to the traditional knowledge of Pitawanakwat, Indigenous
of community - they are looking for family and new community,"
Counsellor Karen White and Elder Blu Waters.
RED

2019

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Seneca College RED 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Seneca College RED 2019

Table of Contents
Seneca College RED 2019 - Cover1
Seneca College RED 2019 - Cover2
Seneca College RED 2019 - Table of Contents
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Seneca College RED 2019 - Cover3
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