02-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Longtime Kanesatake educator retiring
Just Debbie is fine, Deborah Rennie tells her former students, but some go ahead and keep calling her Ms. Debbie anyways, a fact that brings the longtime educator joy.
'It has been an honour teaching some of my community's young people and a pleasure to have taught the children of some of my previous students,' said the proud Kanehsata'kehró:non.
In fact, she taught her own stepdaughter in her first year as a teacher, and now as she prepares to wave goodbye to three decades in the field and retire from her position as principal of Rotiwennakéhte Ionterihwaienhstáhkhwa elementary school, she will graduate her stepdaughter's son, her grandson.
'I can't think of a better way to end that chapter of my story. I may be a blubbering mess that day,' she said.
Local mother Myrna Gabriel said her children, now adults, received guidance at school from Rennie.
'She's always been a pillar of knowledge, a pillar of inspiration, mentoring,' said Gabriel.
In fact, Gabriel herself was tutored by Rennie, she said, in either math or French; she doesn't remember which - it was a long time ago.
'She's never turned anybody away who has wanted help and support, and she just knew exactly where and what the best techniques were needed to help the kids. Seeing her leave is going to be sad. She has big shoes to fill. Our community has been very lucky to have her.'
Gabriel characterized Rennie's pursuit of additional degrees as an impressive emblem of her giving nature, since this education equipped her to be an even better asset to the community's children.
Rennie, a young psychology graduate when she first got involved, started out working in the community through a program called Breaking All Barriers in the years after the Siege of Kanehsatake, the goal being to rebuild community relationships.
She helped out with a kindergarten student while in that role, which inspired her to pursue a bachelor's in education through McGill University while working in the community, and when she replaced a teacher on maternity leave from Rotiwennakéhte in 2000, she just kept on working there.
'I've never had a desire to go teach elsewhere. I wanted to be here and stay here with the children of my community,' she said.
Her own education wasn't done, though. She pursued a master's degree in inclusive education, during which she became special ed coordinator.
'I found we had a high level of special needs students. For myself it was something I needed to get more knowledge about,' Rennie said.
Rennie was elevated to principal in 2021, helping lead the school through the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated shutdowns, in part leading to more difficulties for children, she suggested.
One thing parents can do is get involved and take an active role in education, she said. She also believes it is important to limit screentime.
Rennie always wanted to work in her own community, but later in her career she began to develop an appreciaton for the bigger picture of the significance of First Nations control over First Nations education.
This belief was cemented as she began to teach older grades, where history is taught.
'We need to have more Native teachers. They need to see our faces. They need to hear our stories,' said Rennie.
'I am so lucky to have been part of not only the first all First Nations - and all from our community - leadership team, but the first all-women team,' she said, referring to her counterpart at Ratihén:te High School, Kimberly Simon, and the KEC education director Watsenniiostha Nelson, whom she described as strong, smart Onkwehón:we women.
That appreciation goes two ways, according to Nelson.
'I'm happy for her to be reaching this next phase in her life, but also a little sad and feeling selfish because I would have loved to continue working together for a bit longer,' Nelson said. 'I'm grateful for her knowledge this past year and feel lucky to have been able to call her my teacher and coworker.'
Rennie swells with emotion looking back on her career, she said, adding that she made the decision to leave for her health, noting it is not an easy job to leave at the door at the end of the day.
Three decades contributing to the education of the community's children has been a privilege for which she is grateful, she said.
'One of the things I'm going to miss the most is the little ones at recess, and they see you in the hall and you get a drive-by hug, as I call it,' Rennie said.
marcus@
Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
