M’CHIGEENG—An affiliation between Wilfred Laurier University, the First Nation Technical Institute and Kenjgewin Teg has brought about a new Master’s Program. Wilfred Laurier is well known as a multi-campus university offering unique courses which highlight strong community cultures. The First Nation Technical Institute partners with other colleges and universities to develop culturally rich programs to post-secondary students. And Kenjgewin Teg boasts of having many partners in higher education, to offer their students a place of lifelong learning. Together, these three have collaborated to bring about a unique master’s degree in Social Work which includes an Indigenous Field of Study.
“Over the course of the week of November 20-24, 2023, 15 masters of social work students (MSW) from Wilfred Laurier University visited Manitoulin to attend Kenjgewin Teg Educational Institute. This was the first in-person class attended by students from an affiliated program since 2018, due to the pandemic,” Sarah Wheale told The Expositor. “The course, Indigenous Kinship and Social Work Practice, was delivered in a ceremonial circle format led by Professor Laura Mastronardi and Elder Tina Armstrong.”
Throughout the week, MSW students took part in a drum birthing ceremony at the teaching lodge at Kenjgewin Teg. Song and ceremony were offered to the new students birthing their drums. “This course examined the fundamentals of community as a source of holistic spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical wellness for Indigenous people,” Ms. Wheale explained.
This is the first Masters of Social Work program in Canada to offer a holistic Indigenous perspective with a contemporary social work practice. Its goal is to provide social work practitioners with an understanding of and a respect for the traditions, culture and history of the Indigenous peoples of Canada. The program is unique in its structure, using Indigenous ceremonies, traditional circles and Indigenous elders as resources.
“This cohort of students will graduate in the spring of 2024 with a graduate degree as social work practitioners skilled in servicing Indigenous populations across Canada, with students from all across Turtle Island, from BC to Nova Scotia and everywhere in between,” Ms. Wheale stated proudly.
by Margery Frisch
