My unexpected journey to education

Hamilton Spectator

26-04-2025

I never imagined I would be just weeks away from graduating with my honours bachelor's degree in Indigenous Studies from McMaster University.
As an Anishinaabe woman and a member of the Mattagami First Nation, I know this moment will be more than just crossing a stage. It is in honour of all my brothers and sisters who were denied this opportunity.
The history of education in Canada surrounding Indigenous Peoples is complex, marked by barriers that made access to post-secondary education difficult for many of us. Before 1951, if a First Nations person wanted to attend university, they had to give up their 'Indian Status.'
That meant giving up their identity just to access education. That unthinkable choice is still evident today and is part of what drives me to keep going. I once heard someone say, 'I am coming to take what they told me I could never have,' and those words resonated deeply with me.
My academic journey started in 2020, not in a classroom but online. I signed up for the University of Alberta's free online course, 'Indigenous Canada.' It opened my eyes to truths I had not been taught before about our Indigenous communities' history, strength, and resilience.
That course transformed my perspective. I knew I had to keep learning.
That's when I found the Indigenous Studies 2+2 university transfer program through Mohawk College in Hamilton. This pathway allows students to start with a college diploma and finish with a university degree, connecting institutions like McMaster and Wilfrid Laurier University. At the time, I did not think I had what it took to return to school. I only had my high school diploma, and university felt like something for others — not me.
In April 2023, I graduated from Mohawk College with an honours diploma in General Arts and Science and an honours certificate in Indigenous Studies. Mohawk College gave me the skills, confidence, and a community that I needed when I doubted myself. I am forever grateful for the mentors, classmates, and opportunities I found there.
In September 2023, I started my first semester as a third-year student at McMaster University in the Honours Indigenous Studies program. From the beginning, I was welcomed into a place centring Indigenous knowledge, values, and community.
All incoming Indigenous students are invited to participate in a summer transition program through the Indigenous Studies Department, which helped ease me into university life. It encompasses two weeks of culture, connection, and learning. That program set the tone for everything that followed.
For me, education is more than academics. It is healing. Every paper I write and every grade I receive is a step forward on a path that was once blocked. Learning through an Indigenous lens has been empowering. We are taught that knowledge is not just in books but is transmitted from generation to generation, and it lives in our stories, ancestors, and the land.
This opportunity for education would not have happened without the incredible people who created McMaster's Indigenous Studies Department. I recently had the privilege of interviewing Mohawk scholar and professor of English and Cultural Studies, Dr. Rick Monture from Six Nations of the Grand River, who shared the department's history. It is a story of vision, determination, and heart.
The Indigenous Studies Department at McMaster University began through the determined efforts of Mohawk scholar Dr. Dawn Martin-Hill from Six Nations of the Grand River. Then a PhD student, Martin-Hill worked tirelessly to ensure Indigenous perspectives and education were centred at McMaster. At the time, Trent University was the only other university in southern Ontario offering Indigenous courses.
In 1989, through the leadership of Dr. Martin-Hill, the unwavering support of Chief Harvey E. Longboat of Six Nations, and the collaboration of McMaster anthropologist Dr. Harvey Feit, the first Drumbeat Conference was organized and co-hosted by McMaster University and the Six Nations of the Grand River Confederacy. This important gathering laid the foundation for what would become the Indigenous Studies Department we know today.
Martin-Hill, the Six Nations Community, and a small group of Indigenous McMaster students organized and advocated for change. Shortly afterward, Monture (then a T.A. for Dawn Martin-Hill and a graduate student) and Algonquin/Mohawk scholar Dr. Bonnie Freeman (then an undergraduate student) developed Indigenous introduction courses.
They gained support from McMaster's president and vice-chancellor, Geraldine Kenney-Wallace (1990-1995). This advocacy led to the McMaster Indigenous Students Association and the President's Advisory Committee on Indigenous Issues. Chief Longboat's vision for centring Haudenosaunee language, culture, and history was deeply influential.
However, the department has always maintained an inclusive approach, honouring diverse Indigenous Nations across Turtle Island.
From a small office in University Hall's basement, the former Indigenous Studies program has grown into a department and an essential hub for Indigenous students and the wider community. In 2015, it introduced a four-year honours degree, established the McMaster Indigenous Research Institute in 2019, and became a formal department in 2022, focusing on Indigenous education and research.
In September 2024, the department launched its first Indigenous studies graduate program. The department provides numerous supports, including an Elder-in-Residence, academic and cultural resources, an outdoor space, and a student lounge, fostering a strong sense of community.
As I look ahead to graduate studies this fall, an incredible full-circle moment has emerged. Dr. Savage Bear, a Nehiyaw'iskwew (Cree woman) and assistant professor within the Indigenous Studies Department, who facilitated the Indigenous Canada course that so profoundly influenced my path in 2020, has graciously agreed to supervise my master's research paper.
Dr. Bear's dedication to education is widely recognized, and she was recently appointed to the Order of Canada.
I am so grateful to the amazing faculty and staff at McMaster University and Mohawk College who believed in me and helped guide my steps. There are too many to amazing people to name, and I am afraid I could forget someone if I tried.
But if you're reading this and were part of that journey, chi miigwetch. Your support has meant everything.
Above all, thank you to my children, my most incredible supporters and the brightest light in my life. Your love has given me the motivation to continue on this journey. I know all of this is possible because of the resilience of our ancestors, and their legacy continues to guide us as we move forward.