USask celebrates Indigenous Achievement Week
Hear from four inspiring Indigenous graduates during this year’s IAW celebrations
By University Advancement CommunicationsAffecting change, advocating for Indigenous peoples, finding creative solutions to gaps in our systems and highlighting opportunities for our future generations.
This is what the four inspiring Indigenous USask alumni sitting on this year’s Indigenous Achievement Week alumni panel all have in common.
The panel event is part of USask’s Indigenous Achievement Week (IAW), an annual event that celebrates the successes and contributions of Métis, First Nations and Inuit students, staff, faculty and alumni. This year event will run from Feb. 1-5 and it’s theme is: nīkānihk itohtētān, walking together into the future. Each year the theme is chosen by Indigenous students from across USask.
Hosted by Dr. Rob Innes (MA'00), Department Head of Indigenous Studies, Faculty Member in Indigenous Studies and moderated by Morgan Kalk (BComm’20), the alumni event will give all USask alumni and community members a chance to learn from some of the leading Indigenous alumni voices in their respective fields.
Meet the panelists:
Jessie Fiddler-Kiss (BEd’10 and USask women’s hockey alumna) is an Alberta resident now, but has deep roots in the Batoche Métis settlement in northern Saskatchewan. The current executive director of the Moss Bag Project, she is a strong advocate for decolonizing education, maternal health and the health of all our futures and passionate about the sharing of Indigenous narratives, children and academics, and the land and its truths.
Jason Mercredi (BEd’09) is of Métis, Denesuline, and Scottish ancestry, born and raised on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. The executive director at Prairie Harm Reduction in #YXE, Mercredi has worked tirelessly to support the most vulnerable and marginalized while also being a strong supporter of the local arts community.
Logan Martin-Arcand (BFA Honours’19) is an acclaimed Queer theatre provocateur and an influential leader in fighting systemic racism. The Treaty 6 resident works diligently on telling stories that make change in our community.
Dr. Kevin wâsakâyâsiw Lewis (BA’01, BED’03 and Certificate in Ecological Education) has been deeply involved in the protection of the Cree language while at institutions of higher learning across the prairie provinces for nearly two decades. Passing along that knowledge and promoting Cree culture to future generations remains a guiding principle in his endeavours.
Everyone is welcome and the event is free to attend. Register today for a chance to win an awesome prize pack featuring items from Indigenous alumni owned businesses!
To learn more about USask’s Indigenous Achievement Week, visit the webpage.
The event is Friday, February 5, 2021
10:00-11:00 am CST (Saskatchewan time)
Hopin will be the platform used for this event. Attendees will receive an email with a personalized link from Hopin 24 hours prior to the conference which starts on Feb. 4th, 2021.