/ Winter Indigenous Speakers Series

On Monday, January 30th, 2023, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII) launched its first annual Winter Indigenous Speakers Series, in collaboration with various groups on campus including the Department of Family Medicine. The aim of this series was to bring diverse Indigenous voices to campus in the spirit of collaboration.

A lighting of the qulliq

On January 30, 2023, Inuk Elder Reepa Evic-Carleton (who was born in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut, and relocated to the community of Pangnirtung when she was five years old) shared her knowledge and powerful stories with members of the McGill and Montreal community. The event was moderated by Inuk Assistant Professor, Richard Budgell, and featured a lighting of the qulliq, the traditional Inuit oil lamp. Attendees witnessed a conversation about Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (which translates to “what Inuit have always known to be true”) between the two guests, as well as Inuit values and realities.

The Haudenosaunee Ceremony of Midwinter

On February, 2023, Sarah Konwahahawi Rourke, Ed.D., McGill’s Director of the Indigenous Health Professions Program and a member of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation, spoke about the importance of the Midwinter ceremony for the Haudenosaunee people. Ms. Rourke’s presentation was about the balance between ancestral teachings, ceremonial practice, and contemporary challenges we all face. There was also a discussion about holistic approaches to healing by integrating traditional knowledge into everyday life.

A career journey as an Indigenous resident physician

On March 15, 2023, Jennifer Robinson, MDCM, Algonquin, spoke about her professional journey as an Indigenous resident physician at St. Mary’s Hospital Center. Dr. Robinson spoke about being selected into the Quebec Indigenous Candidate Pathway at McGill, a specific admission program for Indigenous students. Despite systemic barriers and challenges that face many Indigenous students, she is grateful to have had Indigenous role models in the medical field who kept encouraging her to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.