MHC honours Indigenous grads
By JAMES TUBB on June 10, 2022.
Eight Indigenous graduates from Medicine Hat College are blanketed during the 2022 Indigenous Graduation Ceremony held at the college Thursday ahead of the MHC's convocation Friday afternoon.--NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat College celebrated its Indigenous graduates Thursday morning.
About 40 people gathered in the college’s Crowfoot room to celebrate eight Indigenous graduates in attendance ahead of MHC’s convocation this afternoon at Co-op Place, where 21 Indigenous grads will walk the stage to accept their diplomas.
Elder Charlie Fox РPiitahonista, Eagle Calf, opened the ceremony with a flight song before students were presented with gifts which represented their M̩tis or First Nations ancestry.
Fox is set to receive an honorary degree from Medicine Hat College at today’s convocation.
Métis graduates in attendance – Anika Dirk (addiction counselling and social work dual diploma program), Courtney Lagasse (child and youth care counselling), Tia Lait (child and youth counselling), Kennedy Robertson (social work) and Skye Wikjord (social work) – received L’assomption Sashes from Métis elders.
Chasity Cairns, manager of Indigenous engagement and student supports at MHC, was the ceremony MC and said the sashes originated from Quebec as tools for carrying things but are now worn with pride.
“When you receive one, it’s a greatest honour achievement,” Cairns said. “When you’re gifted a sash, there’s meanings in the colours, there’s different types of sashes and they have different meanings native to the land, depending where you’re from.
“The red is the blood of the Métis that was shed through the years fighting for our rights; and we’re still fighting for our rights … Blue, the depth of the Métis spirit; green, the fertility of our great nation; white, our connection to the earth and our Creator; yellow, the prospect of prosperity; and black, to represent the dark period of the suppression and the disposition of our meeting land.”
First Nation graduates – Casper Cherwonogrodzky (visual communications and design), Josh Cross (social work) and Sasha Kusiak (administrative office management), all received medicine pouches from Brenda Mercer, cultural co-ordinator for the Miywasin Friendship Centre. Cairns said they will offer protection to the graduates on their journeys.
“It’s going to help you walk forward in a good way and protect you on your journey,” Cairns said.
The graduates were then presented with and draped in traditional blankets to honour the celebration before Fox gifted each a dressed-up eagle feather.
“We hold the eagle in high regard, it carries our prayers to the Creator,” Fox said. “They’re really hard to come by and today these gifts that we pass on, represent the same. These turkeys can’t fly but the eagle can fly high.”
Sarah MacKenzie, chair of the MHC’s board of governors, spoke during the ceremony and offered congrats on behalf of the board and words of encouragement for the grads.
“Congratulations to the graduates, you are just starting your next chapter and it’s just so incredible,” MacKenzie said. “I just wanted to say to continue to be brave, to be courageous, and be with and from honour.”
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