“Indigenous Veterans Day gives us the opportunity to honour the courage, sacrifice, and service of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis veterans who defended this country and contributed to peace around the world. By gathering, we ensure their legacies are remembered, their stories are shared, and our commitment to truth, respect, and Reconciliation continues to grow.” – Christina Courcelles, Engagement Lead, Indigenous Engagement and Communications.

This week, the UM community gathered to mark Indigenous Veterans Day, a significant date to honour the courage, sacrifice and lasting contributions of Indigenous Peoples in Canada’s history.

We’re honoured to welcome Indigenous Veteran William (Bill) Shead, a Cree member of Peguis First Nation and Indigenous Veteran. Bill served in the Royal Canadian Navy for 35 years, first in the Regular Force and later in the Reserve Force. Beyond his military service, he has held leadership roles as Mayor of Selkirk, Prairie Regional Director of Veterans Affairs Canada and CEO of the Neeginan Centre (formerly known as the Aboriginal Centre of Winnipeg).

Indigenous Veteran William (Bill) Shead at the Indigenous Veterans Day event 2025.

In his presentation, Bill reminded us of the profound contributions of Indigenous Veterans to Canada’s history, their influence on the Indigenous renaissance and ongoing Indigenization efforts. Drawing from his lived experience, he invited attendees to reflect on the resilience, leadership and legacy of Indigenous service members, past and present. “I would not have been as fortunate without a veteran”  Bill Shead.

Through gatherings like this, the UM community continues to honour the stories and sacrifices of Indigenous Veterans, ensuring their courage guide and inspire future generations.

Remembrance Day, November 11

There are many ways to make Remembrance Day meaningful. The Royal Canadian Legion invites Canadians to attend Remembrance Day Ceremonies across the country. Find your local Remembrance Day Ceremony on the Legion’s website. 

If you are not attending a ceremony, consider finding ways to remember on your own. Take two minutes of silence to pause and reflect on what this day means – to recognize the sacrifices of Canadian veterans, to honour the memory of those who have fallen, and to commemorate the courage of Canadians who are still serving.

Veteran Affairs Canada also suggests other ways to remember and show gratitude on Remembrance Day and beyond.

We honour and acknowledge those among the UM campus community who have and continue to serve. And if you are interested in learning more about the memorials on campus, you can read this story on our UM Today page Remembering the Forgotten written by Wayne Chan.

Reflecting on war and conflict can be difficult. If you are struggling during this time, reach out for help at the links below. The solemn nature of this day doesn’t mean that you can’t take care of yourself – it’s even more important to show yourself kindness and patience as you navigate a topic that may be difficult for you.

• Student Counselling Centre
• Spiritual Care

The University of Manitoba will be closed on Tuesday, November 11.

Myth 1: All residential school Survivors had the same experience

Residential schools operated for more than 150 years. While many Survivors share common themes of being separated from family, language, and culture, each experience was also shaped by the child’s community, the school itself, and when and where they attended. Kaila Johnston, Director of Education, Outreach and Public Programming, at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, explains why assuming all experiences were the same risks overlooking the unique histories and healing journeys of Survivors.

Myth 2: Indigenous medicines are not real medicine

Dr. Marcia Anderson, Vice-Dean Indigenous health, social justice and anti-racism at UM’s
Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, dispels the myth that Indigenous medicines and ways of knowing are not real medicine. Anderson speaks not only to their validity and influence in modern medicine, but the role they can play in the future of medicine.

Myth 3: Residential Schools were well-intentioned

Sean Carleton, Associate Professor in the Department of History and Department of Indigenous Studies, addresses the critical issue of residential school denialism, a form of misinformation that distorts the facts about the residential school system. Carleton explains how twisting the truth undermines public confidence in efforts toward truth and Reconciliation.

Myth 4: Indigenous Peoples get everything for free

Niigaan Sinclair, Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies, columnist, and sought-after voice on education, politics and reconciliation debunks the widespread myth that Indigenous Peoples receive everything for free, including education, health, and housing. He uncovers the falsehoods to explain how treaties, meant to be mutually advantageous, have left Indigenous communities struggling for the same rights and privileges that Canadians often take for granted.

For education:

Increase your understanding of the issues affecting Indigenous Peoples in Canada and calls to action at:

• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDRIP)
• Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action

For support: 

• The Indigenous Student Centre (ISC) offers support such as meetings with the ISC Elders or Knowledge Keeper in residence and student counselling services that can be accessed by contacting ISC directly at 204-474-8850 or by email at isc@umanitoba.ca.
• The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line provides 24-hour crisis support to former Indian Residential School students and their families toll-free at 1-866-925-4419.  
• First Nations, Inuit and Métis seeking immediate emotional support can contact the Hope for Wellness Help Line toll-free at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat at hopeforwellness.ca. 

Read and watch more at CBC Manitoba.

The two recently shared their own experiences with racism and their motivation to continue anti-racism work, and reflected on its significance to our community.

To advance that work, UM is providing meaningful learning opportunities for UM students, staff, and faculty at various stages of their learning journeys about racism and anti-racism.

UM’s Anti-Racism Learning Framework outlines an educational pathway to guide us as a community and individually as we work to dismantle racism in all its forms and to foster a vibrant community for all. The framework supports UM’s commitments to anti-racism and social justice as outlined in our strategic plan, MomentUM: Leading Change Together, and complements the Truth and Reconciliation Framework.

Join the work of fostering a vibrant community, advancing reconciliation for transformative change, and building a stronger, more inclusive UM for all.

Watch:”UM’s commitment to anti-racism: A campus for all.”

Personal experiences and systemic and structural racism

Sometimes racism speaks and makes itself known. But racism isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s in the way doors quietly close, opportunities slip away, or voices go unheard.

Angie Bruce shares an emotional story going back to age 11, when she was in grade six. As she was having learning difficulties, her teacher pulled her aside and asked her if she had been drinking, playing into harmful racial stereotypes. Later, thanks to interventions by her mother, Bruce was diagnosed with dyslexia and got the learning supports she needed. But the effects stayed with her.

Tina Chen remembers walking home from elementary school through the park. Encountering older kids, she heard them call out with a racial slur used for Chinese people, and sounds they thought mimicked Chinese language.

 In those moments, she says, “there would be an intense feeling of fear, of shame, of anger.” Some of those feelings still linger, adds Chen.

“It’s for those reasons, here at the University of Manitoba, I’m committed to making this a place where we all know we belong,” she says.

Watch: Experiences and motivation for anti-racism work.

Racism is hurtful and harmful. It diminishes dignity. For anyone who experiences racism at any level, racialized hatred and race-based stereotypes can feel intensely personal; racism can be internalized and carried for a lifetime.

And the harms of racial discrimination are wider than the significant emotional effects.

Racism can affect mental health; it “also has impacts on equality and opportunities…. Such widespread inequities are not the result of individual racist actions and beliefs alone, but of deeply entrenched systemic racism,” as stated in this Discussion Paper on Systemic Racism from the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

As the commission notes, “Racism and racial discrimination can be manifested explicitly or implicitly, directly or indirectly, at individual, institutional, and structural and systemic levels.”

Unlearning racism, dismantling racist structures, advancing anti-racism

This annual occasion on March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, recognizes not only the historical injustices and prejudices fueled by racial discrimination — but the ongoing nature of racial discrimination.

In Canada, Indigenous peoples, racially marginalized people, and marginalized religious communities face racism and discrimination regularly. Institutions such as universities are inextricably linked to Canada’s colonial legacy, with racial inequities manifested through policies, practices and culture.

It’s why the work of anti-racism, including UM’s Anti-Racism Learning Framework, is so necessary.

Learn more about UM’s Anti-Racism Learning Framework

Read the Mar. 21 message to UM community from Tina Chen, Vice-Provost (Equity), and Angie Bruce, Vice-President (Indigenous).

Join the ongoing learning journey for anti-racism and the collective work of dismantling racisms at UM. Join the work of fostering a vibrant community, advancing reconciliation for transformative change, and building a stronger, more inclusive UM for all.

“This work is not only important; it’s essential.”  – President Michael Benarroch

The podcast features: Vice-President (Indigenous) of the University of Manitoba, Angie Bruce and Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori, Te Kawehau Hoskins at the University of Auckland. 

To listen to the conversation, please follow the link here with Times Higher Education.

To read the entire list for the month of June, please follow the link with The Winnipeg Free Press.

Running toward Reconciliation: Tréchelle Bunn’s journey from athlete to advocate

Law student Tréchelle Bunn is the founder and race director of the Reconciliation Run, which she created to honour her grandparents who attended residential school. This year, she’s using the funds raised to create a scholarship for Indigenous student athletes. 

Maya Turner: A trailblazer in U Sports football

In November, Maya Turner made history (again!) as the first female athlete ever to be named an all-star in U Sports football. Earlier this year, she reflected on the journey that brought her here.

The Rhode to 100

UM has produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other university in western Canada. Artist Joel Nichols, UM’s 100th recipient and the first ever from the School of Art, shares the creative complexities of his world.

Change through rematriation

Pahan PteSanWin was named a 2024 Vanier Scholar for her Indigenous rematriation and reparations research. Her work highlights the importance of envisioning what a future can look like past colonial violence.

From seeking Narcos to seeking peace at UM

As a marine in the Peruvian Navy, graduate student Omar Tejada saw the impact of narcoterrorism on children firsthand. Now he’s using his master’s thesis in Peace and Conflict Studies to draw attention to the situation in his home country of Peru and advocate for the youngest and most vulnerable victims of the drug wars.

Med student, inclusion advocate recognized by Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

Med student Tooba Razi says her identity as a Pakistani, Muslim woman has strengthened her commitment to creating safe spaces and mentorship opportunities for those who are underrepresented. In 2024, she was recognized for her hard work and dedication with a Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Award.

Taking the stage at the global Falling Walls Lab in Berlin

UM Falling Walls Lab grand-prize winner Nolan De Leon made connections and represented the university at the global Falling Walls Science Summit this fall. He was in good company among 100 passionate thinkers and dreamers from various countries trying to face the world’s greatest challenges head on.

New graduate hopes to inspire other Inuit to pursue engineering

A love of tinkering with offroad vehicles and learning how to optimize them for the arctic led RJ Oolooyuk to mechanical engineering. Now he’s the first Inuk student to graduate from the Price Faculty of Engineering and has returned home to Rankin Inlet, Nunavut to inspire his community.

The intersection of genetics and advocacy

While working through her degree, fourth-year genetics student Witta Irumva noted a lack of representation of Black women in her field. She aims to change that by combining her passion for science with her drive to create a more-equitable world.

Shaping Education: 2024 Undergraduate Research Award Recipients

Six Faculty of Education students received UM’s undergraduate research awards this year. Their projects delve into critical educational issues like supporting refugee students, gender-based violence and sexual education.

As she has progressed in the first-of-a-kind Métis fiddling class at the University of Manitoba school of music, she’s found the tunes are helping to carry her.

Alexson, a graduate student in Indigenous studies, said Tuesday that when she’s stuck writing her thesis on the inherent leadership systems of the Plains Cree, or feeling “a little off” after researching colonial records, she grabs her bow and draws it across the strings.

To read the entire story, please visit the link here with the Winnipeg Free Press.

The goal of the three-year initiative is to improve the access of Indigenous and marginalized groups to traditional foods and develop climate-resilient food systems through an Indigenous circular-economy model. The university is working with Myera Group Inc., a Métis-led and Manitoba-based company, in collaboration with Indigenous communities to help lead, inform and guide the project.

“Ultimately, we’re looking to create a sustainable food system in partnership with Indigenous communities,” says Dr. Az (Ashley A.) Klymiuk, an assistant professor at UM in the Department of Biological Sciences and an Indigenous scholar in science.

To read more about this research, please follow the link her to The Globe and Mail.

Shauna Mulligan is a Métis PhD student in Indigenous Studies and Army Reserve Veteran, having served from 1995 to 2002 as a Medical Assistant. In the above video, she shares her family’s rich history of military service. A legacy, she says, runs to the very core of who she is as a person.

Enlisting in the armed forces right after high school was not just a career choice for Mulligan; it was a tribute to her ancestors and their unwavering commitment to protecting people’s rights and freedom.

Mulligan wants to honour the significance of Indigenous Veterans Day and Remembrance Day, by urging us all to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice while highlighting the importance of supporting veterans and those who continue to serve all year round.

After a 20-year career in health care, Mulligan is currently working with Indigenous Veterans by attending ceremonies including commemoration events, sweat lodges, veteran ceremonies, and namings. 

Indigenous Veterans Day Event

On November 8, 2024, the UM community attended an observance of Indigenous Veterans Day, a time to recognize and honour the significant contributions of Indigenous Soldiers in Canada’s military history. 

“Honouring Indigenous Veterans Day means recognizing the courage and resilience of Indigenous people who served this land, often without equal rights,” says Gabrielle Desrochers, Events and Conference Supervisor, Indigenous Engagement and Communications at UM. “By lifting their stories, we ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten.”

The Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous) was privileged to welcome Elder and Indigenous Veteran Michael Monias, who shared personal and poignant insights from his life and military service. Michael led a discussion on the enduring significance of the iconic poem In Flanders Fields, and asked audience members to reflect on its meaning more than 100 years after the end of World War I. This powerful piece, written more than a century ago by Canadian poet, soldier and physician John McCrae, continues to serve as a touching reminder of the sacrifices made by countless soldiers.

Audience members participated in thoughtful dialogue in response to Michael’s questions, which helped inspire a deeper understanding of the profound impact of Indigenous veterans on both history and contemporary society. As the group reflected on the enduring significance of the poem, they also explored its relevance today, and considered how the lessons of courage, resilience and remembrance continue to resonate in our lives.

Together, let us remember and celebrate the legacy of Indigenous veterans, ensuring their stories and sacrifices are never forgotten.

Remembrance Day, November 11

There are many ways to make Remembrance Day meaningful. The Royal Canadian Legion invites Canadians to attend Remembrance Day Ceremonies across the country. Find your local Remembrance Day Ceremony on the Legion’s website. 

If you are not attending a ceremony, consider finding ways to remember on your own. Take two minutes of silence to pause and reflect on what this day means – to recognize the sacrifices of Canadian veterans, to honour the memory of those who have fallen, and to commemorate the courage of Canadians who are still serving.

Veteran Affairs Canada also suggests other ways to remember and show gratitude on Remembrance Day and beyond.

Reflecting on war and conflict can be difficult. If you are struggling during this time, reach out for help at the links below. The solemn nature of this day doesn’t mean that you can’t take care of yourself – it’s even more important to show yourself kindness and patience as you navigate a topic that may be difficult for you.

• Student Counselling Centre
• Spiritual Care

The University of Manitoba will be closed on Monday, November 11.