Need a break?🧘🍃 Join us in relaxing to soothing sounds and skill of César Newashish. Watch as he crafts a canoe in the woods, without commentary or additional music → bit.ly/2WcVYv6

Big feels day. I cleared my class. Next year, I’m proudly joining my Divisional Indigenous Education Team, bringing who I am as an Indigenous man to the work I love as a teacher. It will be new after 18 years with my own home room, but I’m ready for this meaningful new chapter.

Book #1 in my summer of indigenous authors, Never Whistle at Night, featuring a handful of indigenous writers I’m already a fan of and a bunch of others I had the pleasure of discovering. All read by water and sunshine. Great start.

Just finished book #2 of my summer of Indigenous authors; Life in the City of Dirty Water. As an Indigenous man in Winnipeg, it was a phenomenal new lens to see my city in. Excellent memoir. Onto the next!

Couldn’t put down book #3 of my summer of indigenous authors; The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson - Its Narnia meets traditional indigenous storytelling & I can’t wait to fold it into my new role as Indigenous Educator. I also can’t wait to read book 2 of the Misewa Saga.

Read most of book #4 of my summer of indigenous authors with my feet in the water. It felt right because Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice was a beautiful post-apocalyptic love letter to our relationship & connection with the land & each other. Haunting and hopeful. Loved it.

Mike Johnston. Thanks a lot for spending part of your summer with the story! I love that you had your feet in the water while reading. As you know, water's a big part of the quest!

For book #5 of my summer of indigenous authors, I went back through the Great Tree to Misewa for pt. 2; The Great Bear. David A. Robertson not only weaves one of my fave indigenous constellation stories into new life, he delivers cliffhangers aplenty for pt.3. Which I need asap.

Book #6 of my Summer of Indigenous Authors, Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger was a beautiful dive into a fantasy world where Indigenous and immigrant ancestral magic, knowledge and stories are a lived reality that set the stage for an otherworldly murder mystery. Highly recommend.

A1: I'm taking on an exciting new role as an Indigenous Education Teacher, all brand new experiences, so much personal learning and growth to be had. So, #tlap , I'm most excited to experience all the new and see what I can learn and bring to my new team!

A2: New jobs mean so many new things. I do feel the nerves of hoping I can be as effective a part of the team as everyone deserves. It's like joining a championship team as a rookie. Butterflies only come through change, so having them in my stomach must be a good thing. #tlap

Book #7 of my Summer of Indigenous Authors. Read Misewa pt. 3;The Stone Child at the beach. David A. Robertson uses beautiful storytelling to showcase sweat lodge ceremonies (pumped to include this in my upcoming Indigenous Education work). So much heart & adventure. Best so far.

A3 - My go to is a little poetry action. I love me a little 6 word story. I ask my students which 6 words they would need to tell their story right now, then we taffy pull those words together to learn about each other. #tlap

A4: It's really as easy as asking questions and showing you genuinely care about the answers. I find that active listening, really showing care for what is said, sets the tone for students feeling like their voice matters and belongs. #tlap

Book #8 of my Summer of Indigenous Authors was a break from fiction & a look into history that is all too real. 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph was painfully enlightening. An important read that will undoubtedly be an important reference this fall.

Book #9 of my Summer of Indigenous Authors was The Portal Keeper. David A. Robertson ‘s Misewa Saga just gets better & better. It’s like a quilt made of traditional indigenous storytelling, teachings, values, social issues & outright character driven page turning fantasy adventure.

Book #10 of my Summer of Indigenous Authors - for Joshua; an Ojiway father teaches his son by the late, great Richard Wagamese. This one tugged on my heartstrings both as an Indigenous man & father. A literal love letter to the re-discovery of Indigenous culture as healing.

Book #11 of my Summer of Indigenous Authors. On the last day of my summer, finished The Misewa Saga pt.5; The Sleeping Giant. Another epic intersection of Indigenous Storytelling, culture & fantasy action. I hope David A. Robertson is writing pt.6 as we speak, I need that finale!

Miziwe = Everywhere, All Over Ojibwe word of the day! Learning languages is fun and good for the mind, body, and spirit. We love learning, teaching, and sharing about the Ojibwe language. It’s amazing that in spite of 500 pretty rough years, we still have indigenous languages

Educators! Join us for Truth and Reconciliation Week September 23-27, 2024. Let’s ignite the spirit of “Taking Truth to Action” together. As educators, you have the power to shape the future and make a lasting impact on our children. Enroll here: trw-svr.nctr.ca/virtual-educat… #nctr_um