91快色

A university might not be the first place you鈥檇 associate with family, but  鈥� Grandmother鈥檚 Lodge aims to provide just that type of atmosphere for the local Indigenous community. Its potential for impact is undeniable.

The ceremonial lodge, situated on the 91快色 campus, is integral to both the 's decolonization efforts and ii鈥� taa鈥檖oh鈥檛o鈥檖, U91快色鈥檚 Indigenous Strategy. Kiipitakyoyis 鈥� which was named by Siksika Elder Clarence Wolfleg and means 鈥淕randmother鈥檚 Lodge鈥� in the Blackfoot language 鈥� is committed to sharing understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing, creating a sense of belonging and community, and enhancing the recruitment and retention of Indigenous students.

鈥淲e do everything in this Lodge that your grandmother would do for you,鈥� says Kerrie Moore, BSW鈥�03, MSW鈥�04, M茅tis and Cree from Treaty 6 territory in Saskatchewan. Moore is the Elder of Kiipitakyoyis, a sessional instructor and Wellness Elder with Social Work, and also one of the Elders for U91快色鈥檚 Indigenous Advisory Circle.

鈥淲e provide that love, that kindness, that nurturing, that caring, that sharing, that teaching, that food 鈥� that鈥檚 what we do in this Lodge.

鈥淲e welcome all people because we want everyone to know who we are. Our hopes are that every single day this space is filled with people and we have things going on, and that it is very well used.鈥�

Unveiled on the third floor of MacKimmie Tower in January 2020, Kiipitakyoyis is a ceremonial pipe lodge that has a large, open space for ceremonies. There is also a quiet study area and a kitchen. Toiletries and some pantry items are available to students, while ceremonial items such as skirts, blankets and shawls are accessible for ceremonial use. Kiipitakyoyis also offers Elder and wellness supports to students, as well as connections and referrals to community resources.

And food. There is always food, which is customary of Indigenous cultures.

鈥淭hat makes me feel like I want to be here and I can learn,鈥� says Onyx Shelton, Anishinaabe and a member of the Little Saskatchewan First Nation and of mixed settler ancestry. Shelton is a Faculty of Social Work practicum student, or 辞蝉办芒辫锚飞颈蝉 (ceremonial attendant or helper in the Cree language) at Kiipitakyoyis. 

鈥淎ccess to food and other forms of security, which are inherent human rights, makes me feel safe.鈥�

Adds Moore: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a question of whether we give you food, it鈥檚 a question of what we have to give you. And sometimes it鈥檚 not much, right?鈥�

Increased funding would help a transformational on-campus program become even better, and that鈥檚 where Giving Day comes in.

Giving Day fundraising can expand programming

, which runs through April 18, is an excellent opportunity for donors to  鈥� or the U91快色 initiative of their choice. 

In addition to providing more food for guests, philanthropic support allows Grandmother鈥檚 Lodge to maintain its current programs 鈥� a monthly Cree Grandmothers鈥� Tea Ceremony and a popular Indigenous Ways of Knowing webinar series 鈥� and to increase the number of events it hosts. 

鈥淲e鈥檝e had to really manage our budget. Can we do more ceremonies? We鈥檇 love to do more, but the reality is 鈥︹�� says Kiipitakyoyis Lodge Keeper/Adviser Deandra Neufeld, BSW鈥�05, who is Kanien'keha:ka (Mohawk), Turtle Clan, from Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario and also of German settler ancestry.

鈥淲e need money if the Lodge is going to be able to make its mission and its goals,鈥� adds Dr. Terry Poucette, PhD, of Stoney Nakoda First Nation, director of Kiipitakyoyis and a Social Work associate professor. 

There are costs associated with ceremonies, she says. For example, gifts of gratitude such as tobacco, blankets and honoraria are dictated by cultural protocol for visiting Elders and Knowledge Keepers. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 about treating Indigenous people with the dignity and respect they deserve and being valued on equal footing,鈥� Poucette says. 鈥淩esources are needed to help guide the Faculty of Social Work towards its strategic goal of decolonization and Indigenization.鈥�

Preparing social workers to serve Indigenous communities

Key, too, is enhancing the perspective of the faculty鈥檚 undergraduates, the social workers of the future. Kiipitakyoyis offers a path to understanding Indigenous history, culture, current reality, languages and teachings.

 鈥淚t was important that the faculty created a space for Indigenous students, but also for (non-Indigenous social work students) to learn about the people they鈥檙e going to work with more than any other population,鈥� says Moore.

One tradition that visitors can appreciate is smudging, which involves prayer and the creation of sacred smoke by the burning of medicines, such as sage. The cleansing ceremony produces an unmistakably warm environment.

鈥淭he first thing Indigenous students say is, 鈥業t smells like my kokum鈥檚 house,鈥欌�� says Shelton, using the Cree word for grandmother. 鈥淎 lot of these students are coming here from communities abroad or from other parts of Canada that are isolated, and they experience severe culture shock.

鈥淭o be able to come to a space that smells like your grandmother鈥檚 home, while in such a foreign place, can reinvigorate you. It helps people stay here and keep going.鈥�