There is no better (and fun) time to learn about your culture and identity than in summer. Culture camps offer an encouraging environment to learn about the beauty and worldviews embedded within Indigenous languages, culture, values and traditional teachings. Camps can be a place where Elders and youth...
As a member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, the host nation for the TRC closing events, it was an honor to watch history in the making from June 1-2, 2015 in Ottawa. The phrase “this isn’t an Aboriginal problem, this is a Canadian problem” was heard many times over the course of the two days. ...
Image Source: United Church of Canada Archives For 150 years the Canadian government forcefully removed Indigenous children from their homes, families and everything they knew in order to get rid of “the Indian problem” through forced assimilation. The goal of assimilation was based on racist ideology w...
Buffy Sainte-Marie | Image Source: www.buffysainte-marie.com At 74 years old, there is no slowing down the legendary Buffy Sainte-Marie. With a long history behind her she has just released her twentieth album, Power In The Blood on May 12, 2015. Sainte-Marie has worn many hats as a singer, songwriter,...
Photo: Associated Press The Oscars often represent mainstream entertainment from which many North Americans celebrate collectively. This past Sunday, however Americans and Canadians alike found it difficult to celebrate the blinding whiteness (read: decidedly Caucasian) talent in the 2015 Oscar list of...
image credit: Montreal Simon On November 12, 1971 Helen Betty Osborne was sexually assaulted and brutally murdered in the Pas, Northern Manitoba. On August 2014, we learned about the brutal murder of 15 year old Tina Fontaine in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Within the 43 year time span between the two murders, h...
Original Photo: Kristine Quandee As MUSKRAT looks forward to a new year of Indigenous people making headlines, we thought we’d take a look back on the Indigenous headliners of last year, and who’s going to rock it in 2015. A Tribe Called Red Their album Nation II Nation won a Juno Award for Breakthrough...
Photo: Robert Snache In our society, winning means someone has to lose and who wants to be a loser? When it comes to developing our intellectual and creative capacities, the message we get from colonial society is that it’s an individualized and competitive process. The aim is to be smarter than others...
Here are some fun winter activities that are each rooted in Indigenous traditions! The cold winds are blowing into Tkaronto, and the rest of the Northern hemisphere of Turtle Island has been under a blanket of snow for weeks now, which means one thing: WINTER IS JUST ABOUT HERE! Winter can be long and h...
What music inspires you to take action? We offer this inspiring soundtrack in solidarity with all people who are putting themselves on the frontlines to stand against systemic racism and colonialism with a special dedication to those at Burnaby Mountain and Ferguson. Let us know what music inspires you...
