March is Indigenous Awareness Month at Bow Valley College
Bow Valley College is proud to celebrate Indigenous Awareness Month this March. This College-wide initiative helps us enact our Indigenization Strategy and show our commitment to decolonization through investment, action, and storytelling.
We know reconciliation is a shared responsibility across the College and we remain committed to increasing awareness, understanding, and respect for, with, and by Indigenous Peoples. The month of March is entirely devoted to celebrating the unique cultures, traditions and practices of Indigenous Peoples as we further trust, reciprocity and success with community partners.
Together with a number of community collaborators, Bow Valley College will respond to the global pandemic in a culturally relevant act of reconciliation: The Collective Wellness Pow Wow. Our March Indigenous Awareness events below remain essential to the College’s mandate to reduce barriers while increasing attraction and retention of Indigenous students and staff.
We are excited to advance our Indigenization Strategy through a unique offering of culturally diverse events and perspectives during the month of March and hope you join us on the journey toward reconciliation for all Nations.
| Event name and details | Date | Registration | Open to | Access | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March Indigenous Awareness Month Activities Join the College community as we celebrate Indigenous perspectives, histories, traditions, and ways. Check out the website for a full listing of events. Links to sessions will be updated shortly.
|
March 2021 | Varies | Bow Valley College - Open to All | Zoom, MS Teams | Full event listings available below. |
| Exploring the Diversity of Nations: Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy) Join Ahstanskiaki Sandra Manyfeathers, Blackfoot language teacher and PhD candidate as we explore history and intention behind Treaty 7 signing in order to better understand our land acknowledgement. Q&A to follow. Internal event to Bow Valley College |
March 15: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm |
N/A | Bow Valley College - Internal Audiences Only |
MS Teams (must have a valid mybvc.ca or bowvalleycollege.ca email address) |
Click HERE to join the event |
|
Elder Teachings: The Traditional Roles of Women with Elder Alice Kaquitts Elder Alice Kaquitts from Stoney Nakota will share teachings of traditional roles of women in societies, life cycles and matriarchy. Open to all. |
March 16: 11:30 am |
Registration required, deadline March 14 | Bow Valley College - Open to all | Zoom | Register here for the link |
|
Pow Wow 101 - documentary screening A special documentary created for Bow Valley College by Zach Creighton will be available for one day only to learn about Pow Wow dancing styles, meaning and experiences. |
March 16: 11:30 am |
N/A | Bow Valley College - Open to all |
Collective Wellness Pow Wow website Watch the video |
Collective Wellness Pow Wow |
| Pow Wow Drumming 101 Join Darcy Turning Robe, SikSika Nation member and Bow Valley College alumni as he shares in a traditional manner through his drumming circles. Note: no audio or visual recording permitted. |
March 17: 11:30 am -12:30 pm |
Registration required, deadline March 15 | Bow Valley College & Closer to Home - Open to All | Zoom | Registrants will receive a link |
| Siksikaitsitapii (Blackfoot) Approaches to Wellness Mini Conference This FREE public mini conference will explore Blackfoot governance, sovereignty, approaches to wellness, land-based wellness, encouraging youth and Siksikaitsitapi approaches to holistic therapuetic models including plant medicines, elder support and talking circles. |
March 19: 9:30 am MST - 3:30 pm MST |
Registration required | Iniikokaan & University of Calgary MEd - Poomikappi Program |
Zoom | Register here for link |
| Virtual Cooking Class: Indigenous-style tacos Start off the Collective Wellness Pow Wow with a FREE zoom cooking class. This collaborative program will feature Indigenous-style tacos in a live session. |
March 20: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm |
Registration required, deadline March 19 | Bow Valley College & City of Calgary |
Zoom | Register here for the link |
| Collective Wellness Pow Wow BVC is a host partner in this community-driven collective virtual gathering for everyone that centres around wellness. Live judging, Indgienous graduate honour song, giveaways and dancing. Live entertainment and Indigenous market to follow. See the website for more details! |
March 20 |
Dancer registration closed. Subscribe online for giveways and prizes, additional specials. | Bow Valley College & Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service (incl. community collaborators) | Youtube live via website | Collective Wellness Pow Wow website |
| International Water Day: Access to clean water in First Nations Communities Join Kerry Black, PhD as she shares her experience with water quality and access issues in First Nations communities in honour of Indigenous Awareness and International Water Day. Siksika youth Disa Crow Chief will also join to share her perspective. |
March 22: 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm |
Registration required |
Bow Valley College Sustainability Centre, Iniikokaan & University of Calgary Graduate Students' Association - Sustainability Committee |
Zoom | Register here for link |
| Trivia game: 21 Things You Might Not Know About the Indian Act Purchase or listen to Bob Joseph's 21 Things you Might Not Know About the Indian Act and join LSS staff Jennifer Carkner and Rachel Taylor-Fergusson an interactive trivia game with awesome prizes! Encourage your classmates and colleagues to participate. |
TBD | Registration required | Bow Valley College - Internal Audiences Only |
Purchase at your own expense and choice of vendor. Audio, Kindle and physical book available. |
Register here for the link |
| Healthy Living Using the Medicine Wheel A brief historical overview of the medicine wheel and its use by indigenous people that will be followed by an introduction to a modern Growing Minds self-reflection medicine wheel. This session will have participants reflect on their strengths, challenges and activities they can do to meet those challenges. This medicine wheel will be shared by email after the session, so that participants can use it as a self-reflection journal tool. |
March 26: 11:00 am -12:30 pm |
N/A | Bow Valley College - Internal Audiences Only |
MS Teams (must have a valid mybvc.ca or bowvalleycollege.ca email address) |
Enter your email to receive the tools following the session |
| Elder support with Elder Christina Fox Schedule a 30 minute appointment with Elder Christina Fox. Students can choose a video or phone call. Need some guidance? Just want to connect? Book your appointment now. Open to all students. |
Tuesdays: 9:00 am-12:00 pm |
Book by Monday at the latest before the Tuesday appt. | Bow Valley College students - Internal Audiences Only |
Phone or MS Teams meeting (must have a valid mybvc.ca email address for MS Teams meeting) |
Email iniikokaan@bowvalleycollege.ca to book your appointment. |
| Weekly Smudge Ceremony with Elder Keith Chief Moon Join Elder Keith Chief Moon in a 30-minute smudge ceremony to start your week off in a good way. |
Mondays at noon for 30 mins | Running until the end of March 2021 | Bow Valley College - Internal Audiences Only | Iniikokaan Virtual Gathering Space on MS Teams | Event is held in the Iniikokaan Virtual Gathering Space on MS Teams |
| Virtual Beading Drop-in Bring your beading or craft project and join us for a drop-in connection. |
Fridays: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm |
Drop-in, no registration required. | Bow Valley College - Internal Audiences Only | Iniikokaan Virtual Gathering Space on MS Teams | Click here |
Interested in joining the Bow Valley community?
The Iniikokaan Centre is the Indigenous student support for all Nations offering culturally relevant programming in support of Indigenous learners’ diverse needs within Bow Valley College. Connect with our Indigenous Recruitment Officer to learn more about your future in education.
