Manitoba

Graduation powwow marks the start of a new chapter for Indigenous students at U of W

Indigenous students from the University of Winnipeg were honoured on Sunday for their academic achievements during a powwow graduation ceremony that brought in hundreds for an afternoon marked with joy, colour and tradition.

'We honour the nations that they come from … that's an important part': Elder Dan Thomas

Dancers wearing traditional Indigenous multi-coloured regalia dance in a gymnasium
Dancers in traditional regalia perform at the 20th annual graduation powwow at the University of Winnipeg on Sunday. (Santiago Arias Orozco/CBC)

Countless hours of studying over the last four years filled the path to an honours biology degree for Gracie Grift.

But the now University of Winnipeg alumni says her effort wasn't the only ingredient involved in her academic success. Standing behind her throughout her career was the Manitoba Métis Nation.

"So much of my time at the university has been working for my community, working with my community, learning with my community," Grift, who was part of the Indigenous Student Association and the Indigenous Student Service Centre, said. 

She is one 39 Indigenous graduates who were honoured for their achievements at the 20th annual graduation powwow  on Sunday.

Woman with long blonde hair wearing white short-sleeved sweater and navy floral patterned skirt.
Gracie Grift was one 39 Indigenous graduates who were honoured for their achievements at the University of Winnipeg's 20th annual graduation powwow on Sunday. (Santiago Arias Orozco/CBC)

"It's really a time where we can come [to] thank our ancestors for their strength and resilience and for watching down on us," Grift said.

The ceremony is a testament to the resilience of those who came before her and fought for Indigenous people to reclaim their seat in the education system, she said, allowing students like her to keep their degrees without losing status and celebrating their traditions throughout their education journey. 

"That's so incredibly special," Grift said. 

An 'important' step in reconciliation: elder

Sunday's graduation powwow, attended by hundreds including dancers and drummers from different age groups wearing regalia, ribbon skirts and head pieces, opened up with a prayer led by Elder Dan Thomas.

Woman in blue jean jacket sits next to a man in red long-sleeved shirt with blue, yellow, red, pink and silver satin ribbons sewn in. Both smile at the camera.
Elder Dan Thomas, right, opened Sunday's graduation powwow with a prayer to honour the graduates and the nations they come from. (Santiago Arias Orozco/CBC)

"When we do this for our young people, we don't only honour them personally, but we honour the nations that they come from … that's an important part of reconciliation," Thomas said. 

It is a stark contrast to the education system he grew up in — one that frowned upon his identity and forbade his traditions. Now, decades later, he can hold a pipe and water ceremony to open Sunday's graduation and be a part of a powwow to honour students on the day they begin a new chapter in their lives. 

"We can do this not only here, but in school[s] … my grandchildren have a great opportunity that we didn't have," Thomas said. 

He has lost count on the number of  graduation powwows he has been part of, but something that stuck with him over time is the growing number of Indigenous people graduating post-secondary school, which he hopes in turn will raise the standard of living for people across different communities. 

"I honour them today for everything they have accomplished," Thomas said.

Person with long hair, purple eyeglasses, long white earrings and arm tattoos wears a black t-shirt and a purple and white-lace skirt.
Em Penner was one 39 Indigenous graduates who were honoured for their achievements at the University of Winnipeg's 20th annual graduation powwow on Sunday. (Santiago Arias Orozco/CBC)

Em Penner, who graduated this spring with a bachelor of arts degree in rhetoric and communications, said it is especially important to make space for powwows in the education system after Canada's residential school system stripped away Indigenous culture.

"Being able to be in [this] space, wearing our traditional regalia, doing our traditional ceremonies in an educational institution, that's really really powerful," they said. 

A student-led movement

The graduation powwow was first organized by students in Winnipeg two decades ago, and for many years it was run in conjunction with graduates from the University of Manitoba, said Grace Redhead, the director of Indigenous community relations at University of Winnipeg. 

woman with long dark hair wears red and white name badge, navy t-shirt and green skirt patterned with white and yellow flowers.
Grace Redhead, director of Indigenous community relations at University of Winnipeg, says the graduation powwow first began as a student-led movement two decades ago. (Santiago Arias Orozco/CBC)

"This shows the movement from a student-led event to now being supported by the senior administration and the university itself," she said. 

While it is an opportunity to celebrate Indigenous students, the powwow is also opportunity to commemorate the community that supported them throughout their education journey, Redhead said. 

For the 20th anniversary of the graduation ceremony each student received a blanket. 

Rows of multi-coloured quilted blankets sit atop a table with a black and white table cloth with the text "University of Winnipeg"
Star blankets were given to graduating Indigenous students at the 20th annual graduation powwow at the University of Winnipeg on Sunday. (Santiago Arias Orozco/CBC)

With each of them, graduates "are wrapped in the stars and the knowledge from our ancestors, and it's so important," said Andrea Redsky, a member of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation in Ontario who did a water ceremony before the start of the graduation powwow. 

Redsky went to the University of Winnipeg before finishing her degree at the University of Manitoba, and similar to elder Thomas she didn't grow up with traditional ceremonies at her home, let alone learn about them in school, 50 years ago. 

"Ceremonies were definitely coming back, but it took such a long time for these to be done out in public," she said. "We just learned real negative things about ourselves ... so it's really good for people to see all of these positive things and sound these drums as a heartbeat."

U of W holds 20th annual graduation powwow

9 hours ago
Duration 1:27
The sound of dancing and drumming filled the Duckworth Centre Sunday as the University of Winnipeg held its 20th annual graduation powwow. Thirty-nine Indigenous students graduated and each grad was given a star blanket.

With files from Santiago Arias Orozco