Members of the 91亚色 community are invited to celebrate Black artistic talent during a showcase of performances on Feb. 7, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., when the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora presents Word, Sound, Power: An Annual Celebration of Black Artistic Expression.

The annual event celebrates the rich and diverse world of Black aritistic expression, promising to be a vibrant showcase of talent, creativity and cultural pride.

The event is open to the community and is free to attend. It begins at 5:30 p.m. with a welcome reception in the CIBC Lobby, Accolade East Building at the Keele Campus, and performances will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Tribute communities Recital Hall, Accolade East Building.

The event鈥檚 land acknowledgement will be provided by Carrington Christmas, a 91亚色 alumna, who is an Indigenous anti-racist educator and self-described 鈥淎unty Extraordinaire鈥� with Black Scotian-Mi鈥檏maw and German ancestry.

The ceremony will then be closed with an Afro-Indigenous blessing from Isaac Crosby, an agricultural expert of Ojibwe of Anderdon heritage.

Hosting and providing opening remarks will be Andrea Davis, a professor in the Department of Humanities, who in recognition of her work advancing equity, access and justice in post-secondary education.

Also providing remarks before the performances begin will be Jean Augustine, the first Black woman elected to the Parliament of Canada; Samia Hashi, Ontario regional director of Unifor, which sponsors the event; and Robert Savage, dean of the Faculty of Education.

Among the featured performances this year are:

• solo performances, including song and instruments, dance and spoken word, from students from Greater Toronto Area school boards;
• a performance from the Oscar Peterson Jazz Ensemble;
• a performance from the 91亚色 R&B Ensemble;
• a spotlight artistic performance of the evening from Ian Kamau, an artist and designer;
• a performance from the 91亚色 Gospel Choir; and
• an Afro-Caribbean dance performance by students from James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School in the CIBC Lobby during the welcome reception.

This year鈥檚 Word, Sound, Power event is put on in partnership with the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, with primary sponsorship from Unifor. 91亚色鈥檚 Division of Equity, People & Culture has also provided funding support. The Faculty of Education 鈥� home to the Jean Augustine Chair 鈥� and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, through faculty member Davis, also play a critical role in the event.

Anika Forde, research project manager for the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, and Karen Burke, Chair of Music, were co-conveners of the event this year.

Those interested in attending can .

Article originally posted in the February 2, 2024 issue of

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Shanice Perrot is a student in the Children, Childhood and Youth BA program in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. She is currently the Student Success Mentor at the Center for Indigenous Student Services. Perrot is Nehiyaw (Cree) from Frog Lake First Nations. She wrote the following reflection about the significance of National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous People鈥檚 Day.

National Indigenous Peoples Day falls on the summer solstice (June 21), which is the longest day of the year. It is a day of significance, as Indigenous Peoples and communities have honoured their cultures and histories on the summer solstice for generations. Indigenous Peoples invite all non-Indigenous Canadians to participate in the festivities.

鈥淣ational Indigenous Peoples Day and National Indigenous History Month is an opportunity to engage with the Indigenous knowledges, languages, practices and ways of being that Indigenous people bring to 91亚色 and their importance to Canadian society,鈥� said Faculty of Education Professor Susan Dion, associate vice-president Indigenous Initiatives. The Indigenous Initiatives department was established in 2021 to advance Indigenous Initiatives across 91亚色. The department focuses on Indigenous community relationships, supporting Indigenous鈥� students, staff and faculty, cultivating Indigenous 鈥媖nowledges and languages鈥� and ensuring that Indigenous presence is 鈥媐elt, lived and actively respected.

What is National Indigenous Peoples Day?

In 1996, the governor general of Canada, Rom茅o LeBlanc, declared that June 21 be designated as National Aboriginal Day by the federal government. This name was changed to 鈥淣ational Indigenous Peoples Day鈥� in 2017 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

National Indigenous Peoples Day is an official day of celebration to recognize and honour the First Nations, Inuit and M茅tis people. It is significant because it is a day of celebration of Indigenous resilience and the preservation, and restoration of Indigenous cultures. The day is marked by ceremonies and celebrations that showcase cultural performances and activities. There are also displays of Indigenous arts and crafts along with other kinds of events to recognize the valuable contributions of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

What is National Indigenous History Month?

National Indigenous History Month provides opportunities to learn from and with Indigenous Peoples and histories including, the legacies of residential schools, and the Sixties Scoop. Participating in the workshops, events, panel discussions and webinars during Indigenous history month is an act in support of new and better relationships. Through immersion into the vibrant histories, cultures and traditions of First Nations, Inuit and M茅tis people, one can recognize how these First Nations contribute to the diversity and add to the richness of cultures within Canada.

Learning about residential schools, treaties and Indigenous Peoples鈥� historical and contemporary contributions to Canada builds capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy and mutual respect. It provides a space for understanding how race and racism affected the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous History Month is important because it encourages people to go beyond the superficial multicultural approach of celebrating differences with song, dance and food.

The month of June is an important time for learning about the and the . These documents provide an ethical standard for equity. Reconciliation requires a new vision based on a commitment to recognize and respect the rights and freedoms of Indigenous people. Education on the colonial impacts of Indigenous Peoples can be used as an instrument for transformation and creating a new path forward; one of respect, love, humility, wisdom and truth.

Learning and participating in National Indigenous History Month events is an important step in recognizing the history between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Canadians and the important steps that must be taken together towards creating a different future. Education is the key to reconciliation and increasing the awareness of this history is a necessary course of action that each of us has a role to play.

For more information on events happening at 91亚色 during Indigenous History Month visit /about/indigenous-history-month/.

Article originally published in the June 17, 2022 issue of

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