B.Ed Program Day

Title: Treaties Education in the Classroom

Workshop Description: This workshop will provide an overview of the resources available from the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba’s website and from the Treaty education kit. In addition, the workshop discussion will address good starting points that include: the Treaty story; what Treaty education looks like in a classroom setting; supports available for schools and classrooms; sample lesson plans from the teacher guides; as well as starting points for educators.

Workshop Facilitator: Renée McGurry is an Anishinaabekwe from Pinaymootang First Nation. She retired from education in 2015, after 35 years of teaching and leading the Indigenous education for the St. James-Assiniboia School Division. Since retirement, she has worked with the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba and as a self-employed Consultant providing professional development, school support and training to school divisions and organizations on Cultural Awareness, Cultural Humility, Integrating Indigenous perspectives, Allyship, Land Acknowledgements, Residential Schools and Reconciliation.

Workshop Description: This session will look at The Numbered Treaties 1-11 throughout Canada and how Indigenous People created and maintained a Treaty relationship with their Treaty partners.

Workshop Facilitator: Dr. Maureen Matthews is the former Curator of Cultural Anthropology at the Manitoba Museum, where she developed five exhibits about Treaties in collaboration with the Elders Council of the Treaty Relations Commission. Over the last four years she has helped to write six Anishinaabemowin/English books for the communities of the Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Site including one specifically about Treaty No. 5 co-authored with Dr. Jean Friesen. The last book of this series, an illustrated catalogue of the recently repatriated Pauingassi Collection, was published in March 2024.
 

Workshop Description: Discover the complex history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada as this learning session provides a deep dive into the significant events and cultural milestones that have shaped the Indigenous peoples across Canada.

Workshop Facilitator: Allen Sutherland. Allen is also known by his spirit name Waabishki Mazinazoot Michtaatim, of the Bizhiw Doodem (Lynx Clan), Anishinaabe, and member of Skownan First Nation, Treaty 2 Territory. An esteemed Anishinaabe Elder, Traditional Knowledge Keeper, Healer, and Historian, his work in the public has made a generational difference in Canada. Allen’s strong Anishinaabek roots run deep and always present, leaving him in the unique position of being a connection between both the Traditional and Contemporary Worlds. Today, Allen lives his life purpose as an Anishinaabek Historian, Traditional Knowledge Keeper and Healer with ever expanding healing bundles. He is the Knowledge Keeper East of 2 Child & Family Service Agencies with Treaty 2 Territory, the Lodge Keeper of Ginew Healing Lodge, and lives in Treaty 1 Territory, Cooks Creek, Manitoba.
 

Workshop Description: In this interactive session, students will explore Indigenous specific racism, contemporary realities, and treaties.

Workshop Facilitator: Sarah Gazan is currently on interchange with Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning, as the Director of Indigenous Excellence in Education. She was a staff officer in the Professional and French Language Services and Teacher Welfare Departments of the Manitoba Teachers' Society. Prior to working at the MTS, she worked as a consultant in government, and in the School District of Mystery Lake. Sarah started her career as a teacher in Thompson and Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation. She has experience working within and outside of the education field in the areas of program and policy development.

Workshop Description: Jennifer Moore Rattray will address topics of Truth, Reconciliation, and Canada, with illustrations from her own life stories. Generations of Jennifer’s mother’s family attended Brandon Residential School, and four of her relatives died as children while attending the school. Jennifer has also served as the Executive Director of the historic National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit+ Peoples. She currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO), which represents 33 First Nations and more than 87,000 citizens in what is now southern Manitoba.

Workshop Facilitator: Jennifer Moore Rattray is a proud citizen of Peepeekisis Cree Nation. She has been an Assistant Deputy Minister with the Province of Manitoba, and spent a decade at the University of Winnipeg becoming its first Associate Vice-President of Indigenous, Government, and Community Affairs. She began her career as an award-winning journalist and is one of the first Indigenous women to anchor the television news. Jennifer is married to a teacher, and she and her husband are the proud parents of a UM student!

Workshop Description: The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s (NCTR) archive is a valuable and often untapped resource that can be used in the classroom to assist students in understanding the Residential School System and its legacy. During this session, participants will learn how to access materials on the NCTR database and how they can be used in the classroom for early, middle, and senior years students. Participants will be provided with a package of resources including primary source documents used and exercise worksheets to accompany the activities.

Workshop Facilitator: As the Director of Education, Outreach, and Public Programming at the NCTR, Kaila oversees matters related to the support of educators, development of resources, establishment of outreach initiatives, as well as public engagement on residential schools and their legacy. Additionally, Kaila oversees statement gathering activities in communities for those wishing to share their stories and experiences related to residential schools, day schools, and other colonial systems. Prior to joining the NCTR, Kaila worked with the TRC as a statement gatherer and coordinator to support statement gathering activities. She holds a BA (Hons.) in Criminal Justice from the University of Winnipeg and a MSc in International Crimes and Criminology from Vrije Universiteit (the Free University), Amsterdam.

In this workshop, Dr. Marc Kuly will offer personal reflections and professional provocations based on the insights and approaches used in the Valley of the Birdtail.

Dr. Marc Kuly spent 15 years teaching in Inner City Winnipeg. He earned his B. Ed from the University of Winnipeg’s Faculty of Education, his M.Ed. from the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Education, and his PhD from the Arthur V. Mauro Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies. Marc teaches in and serves as the director of the Undergraduate Education program on the University of Winnipeg’s main campus. Marc’s research is on teaching as storytelling and on the stories of students who schools seem to have a hard time hearing.

Workshop Description: “The spirit and intent of treaties is the underlying principles and understandings that guided the creation of a treaty, beyond its written terms. It also refers to the spiritual nature of treaties as understood by First Nations”.

Workshop Facilitator: Andrea Gallagher-Courteau is an Anishinaabe citizen of Sagkeeng First Nation and a graduate of the University of Manitoba. She received a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Political Studies and Bachelor of Arts degree in Native Studies. She went on to complete her Masters of Arts degree in Political Studies, with a focus on Canadian and Indigenous politics.
In her professional life, Andrea is passionate about Indigenous education, having spent time at the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba, the Manitoba Department of Education, and as a sessional instructor at both the University of Manitoba and the Canadian Mennonite University.
As a French-speaker, Andrea strongly believes in the importance of the Treaty relationship and the need for reconciliation in Canada.

Workshop Description: Join Stephanie Fredrickson, a Senior Years 2, Bachelor of Education student, and Kevin Lopuck, a Ph.D. candidate, as they share their journey of engaging with the complexities of settler-coloniality through a professional development book club. Drawing on their personal experiences, Steph and Kevin will discuss how naive understandings of colonial history—shaped by dominant narratives in education—should evolve into a deeper acknowledgment of our own roles within settler-colonial systems. Participants will be invited to reflect on their own positionalities and consider how embracing a more nuanced understanding of history can transform their personal and professional practices. This session will inspire educators to approach history with humility and curiosity, fostering spaces for meaningful dialogue and growth.

Workshop Facilitators: Stephanie Fredrickson is currently enrolled in the After Degree, Bachelor of Education Program at the University of Manitoba where she is completing her certification year. Kevin Lopuck is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Manitoba and has been a high school social studies teacher in the province for 23 years. 

Recommended Audience: All levels, but with specific focus on social studies/ELA from grade 5 –12.
 

Workshop Description: This workshop about intergenerational trauma, with the authors of the Valley of the Birdtail, will be facilitated by a small group of B.Ed. students participating in Dr. Stewart’s course “An Introduction to Childhood Trauma and Its Impact in the Classroom.” Based on their reading of the book, audience members will also have opportunities to participate in the discussion.

Workshop Facilitators: B.Ed. Students Kylie Bard, Laura Boyle, Hannah Chambers, MacKenzie Kreitz, Holly Laninga, Jonah Powell, Rebecca Schellenberg

Workshop Description: In many familiar places across Winnipeg and Manitoba, the practice of recognizing the ancestral and current relationships of Indigenous peoples to this territory has become customary. What are territorial land acknowledgements and what do they mean to the young children who stand for them every day before the singing of Oh Canada in our schools? What is involved in writing a land acknowledgement from a child’s point of view? How do we help young children and ourselves understand the unique relationship that each of us has with the land and our privileged role in residing here on Mother Earth? How can we co-create land acknowledgements with the children in our classrooms that are meaningful, purposeful, and built on relationships? Please join Naomi and Kim as they share their learning journey—and invite conversations—about land acknowledgements through a playful, experiential, and child-centered lens.

Workshop Facilitators: Naomi Dennie is currently in her 4th year as a grade 1/2 teacher at O.V. Jewitt Community school, in the Seven Oaks School Division. She is passionate about engaging students through land-based learning practices. She also believes deeply in the words, “Representation Matters,” and holds space for all learners in her classroom. Kim Crass is a K–5 Learning Support Teacher at O.V. Jewitt School, Seven Oaks School Division. She brings with her more than 30 years of teaching experience grounded in the joys of reading, writing, play, and curiosity.
Recommended Audience: Kindergarten – Grade 6
 

Workshop Description: This workshop will introduce participants to Anishinaabe ways of Land-Based Education. The workshop will explore how a year-long education process unfolds when more-than-humans are the primary teachers.

Workshop Facilitator: Ed Neveau has a long history of introducing students of different ages to land-based education. He is a hunter, fisherman, and carpenter.

Workshop Description: In this workshop, we will position ourselves on the land and within our own communities; by developing this stable foundation together, we will be better positioned to provide Indigenous content and methodologies to our learners. This intentional process will not only enrich our perspectives on our own role within Indigenous education and holistic learning but also strengthen our ability to support students in navigating vital conversations and perspectives.

Workshop Facilitator: Kathleen F. Wilson (they/she) is a queer 2Spirit educator living in Treaty 1 with their family. Red River Metis by their motherline, they also hold settler ancestry from Spain, Ukraine, Ireland, Scotland and England. Kathleen’s research interests are rooted in Indigenous resurgence, safety within educational settings, and Queering lens work. They are an advocate for learners, and a leader in creating equitable and relational learning environments.

Workshop Description: The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s (NCTR) archive is a valuable and often untapped resource that can be used in the classroom to assist students in understanding the Residential School System and its legacy. During this session, participants will learn how to access materials on the NCTR database and how they can be used in the classroom for early, middle, and senior years students. Participants will be provided with a package of resources including primary source documents used and exercise worksheets to accompany the activities.

Workshop Facilitator: As the Director of Education, Outreach, and Public Programming at the NCTR, Kaila oversees matters related to the support of educators, development of resources, establishment of outreach initiatives, as well as public engagement on residential schools and their legacy. Additionally, Kaila oversees statement gathering activities in communities for those wishing to share their stories and experiences related to residential schools, day schools, and other colonial systems. Prior to joining the NCTR, Kaila worked with the TRC as a statement gatherer and coordinator to support statement gathering activities. She holds a BA (Hons.) in Criminal Justice from the University of Winnipeg and a MSc in International Crimes and Criminology from Vrije Universiteit (the Free University), Amsterdam.

Workshop Description: Join Red River Métis educator Sean Oliver as he shares insights into Indigenous land-based programming and enrichment ideas for teaching and learning. This session will highlight the integration of holistic assessment practices, fostering meaningful connections to the land, individual and community wellness, and decolonizing classroom experiences. Discover practical strategies and inspiration to enrich your educational approach in a supportive and welcoming space.

Workshop Facilitator:
Sean Oliver is a Red River Métis educator with 15 years of experience in the public education system. Currently serving as an Indigenous Education Support Teacher in the Louis Riel School Division, Sean is dedicated to decolonizing education through Indigenous land-based learning and experiential programming. A father of three, husband, passionate storyteller, and author, Sean weaves his lived experience into his teaching and writing to inspire and empower learners.

Workshop Description: The Mamàhtawisiwin framework was developed in collaboration with over 100 individuals from across the province, including Elders and Knowledge Keepers, students, teachers, superintendents, senior post-secondary administrators, government working groups, and community partners. Mamàhtawisiwin supports the holistic achievements of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit learners by helping Manitoba educators to incorporate Indigenous languages, cultures, and identities into their teaching and practices, setting Indigenous students up for success in school and beyond. Trish will share her experiences about how she implemented the Mamàhtawisiwin framework in her teaching practice and will provide insight to future educators as they embark on their journey with Indigenous Education. Source: https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/iee/mamahtawisiwin.html

Workshop Facilitator: Trish Wilson is a mother, Sundancer, educator, and a proud Anishinaabe and Ininew member of the Peguis First Nation. She grew up in Peguis, along with her 4 siblings and parents who still reside in the community. Trish attended Brandon University and completed her Bachelor of General Studies and Bachelor of Education in 2008. For the past 17 years, Trish has continuously worked hard to break barriers that exist in the public education system for Indigenous students. Trish recently completed her Master of Education in Guidance and Counselling, with a focus on traditional healing practices through ceremony. Trish is one of the Indigenous Education Student Support Teachers for the Louis Riel School Division, where she provides supports, programming, and services in Indigenous education, to all staff and students within the division.

Workshop Description: This session invites K–12 educators to explore the principles and practices of Indigenous Education, emphasizing respect, relational understanding, and humility. Through interactive discussions and activities, participants will learn how to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into their practice. Themes will include recognizing the impact of history and colonization, understanding Indigenous worldviews and the land as a teacher, embracing humility in the learning process, and fostering authentic relationships. Participants will leave with practical strategies to create inclusive, reflective classroom environments that honor Indigenous teachings and values.

Workshop Facilitator: Véronique Reynolds (She/Her/Elle) is a Red River Métis Francophone. She works as a Divisional Itinerant Indigenous Education Teacher with the Louis Riel School Division. She is grateful to her mother and her extended family for raising her to be proud of her Métis heritage. Véronique's love of teaching began in her childhood kitchen working on Math and Science assignments with her father. This love of learning collaboratively encouraged her to pursue a teaching career. Over her 20+ year career, Véronique has taught in both Thompson and Winnipeg. She is committed to advocating for justice and equity in education, striving to create inclusive and supportive environments for all students.

Workshop Description: Join Stephanie Fredrickson, a Senior Years 2, Bachelor of Education student, and Kevin Lopuck, a Ph.D. candidate, as they share their journey of engaging with the complexities of settler-coloniality through a professional development book club. Drawing on their personal experiences, Steph and Kevin will discuss how naive understandings of colonial history—shaped by dominant narratives in education—should evolve into a deeper acknowledgment of our own roles within settler-colonial systems. Participants will be invited to reflect on their own positionalities and consider how embracing a more nuanced understanding of history can transform their personal and professional practices. This session will inspire educators to approach history with humility and curiosity, fostering spaces for meaningful dialogue and growth.

Workshop Facilitators: Stephanie Fredrickson is currently enrolled in the After Degree, Bachelor of Education Program at the University of Manitoba where she is completing her certification year. Kevin Lopuck is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Manitoba and has been a high school social studies teacher in the province for 23 years.

Recommended Audience: All levels, but with specific focus on social studies/ELA from grade 5 –12.