Voices of Wisdom-First Peoples Panel delivers perspectives on Indigenous matters

Posted on Friday, March 21st, 2025

On March 20, more than 90 faculty members and learners, both in person and online, came together in Nawapon to listen to IndigenousGroup photo of participants of the First Peoples Panel in Nawapon voices who spoke about issues related to post-secondary education, employment and training as well as support for Indigenous students.

Speakers included:

  • Frank Horn (Mohawk) – Mohawk Nation, leader of Indigi-Solutions.
  • Madelaine McCracken (Métis) – MM Education Consulting.
  • Dan McFadden (Métis) – Métis Nation of Ontario.
  • Pitseolak Pfeifer (Inuit) – Consultant and Owner of Inuit Solutions.
  • Kristen Tenascon (Cree–Anishinàbe) – Kitigan Zibi Post-Secondary Student Support Officer.

The event was moderated by Algonquin College Police Foundations second-year student Clayton Cameron.

Algonquin College President and CEO Claude Brulé welcomed the attendees and shared some information about Indigenous terms.

“Did you know that First Nations is a term for Indigenous Peoples of Canada who are not Métis or Inuit? It’s used to describe a band, reserve-based community or a larger tribal grouping. The term came into common use in the 1970s to replace ‘Indian,’” shared Brulé.

“First Peoples is an all-encompassing term for Indigenous Peoples in Canada, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis. It’s another term for the original peoples of Canada.”

Panelists shared feedback, best practices and suggestions on a wide range of topics.

When discussing access to K-12 and post-secondary access in their respective communities, McCracken implored that students “deserve to know their spaces are safe and equitable. [They] deserve to feel welcome and should know where to go and be aware of services.”

Tenascon shared how Quebec language laws are often a barrier for students who live in Quebec but often speak English. “We are working so hard to keep our own language alive and thriving but facing barriers because of French language laws,” she said.

Pfeifer shared the common emotion of how students feel when they are far away from community. “The paradigm is shifting but there is still a lot of fear and hesitancy to come to an institution. There is intergenerational trauma that makes young people leery about how to progress into society.”

When the topic of health care arose, panelists felt that mental health issues, late diagnosis and a lack of access to health care practitioners were a common theme. Another was the small number of Indigenous researchers and data collectors. “We have a problem collecting and understanding data,” said McFadden. “We don’t have a lot of Métis researchers. We see a trend towards a need for people who have the skillset to conduct research which can help us access funding and be presented to the academic community.”

Another access point discussed was internet access.

“We are trying to create a path to provide access to people to education wherever they are,” said Horn. “We have a network to help scale up and expand broadband access. We need reliable safe affordable internet, which helps to level the playing field.”

A brief question and answer session marked the end of the event.

“The panel was so engaging,” said Anita Tenasco, Director of Indigenous Initiatives at the College. “They shared their knowledge from different cultures and backgrounds and different world views, and this is what we need at Algonquin College.”

This event was recorded and the video will be shared here when it becomes available.

 

 


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