THUNDER BAY — Even after 16 years, Matawa's annual education conference just keeps growing.
This year's conference kicked off Tuesday, running until Thursday, at the Valhalla Inn.
“We have presenters in various topics, vendors, and we have our sponsors here,” said Annamarie Majiskon, Matawa First Nation education board of director president.
There are over 60 presenters this year, who research and present a different topic, Majiskon said.
“We have autism, mental health and other areas that we need to learn about.
“Some of our children have autism and this is something new for all of our first nations and our educators need to be trained,” she said.
Mental health and how to deal with stress were important topics at the conference, Majiskon said.
“It’s a good time for everyone to come together, for them to collaborate and network with each community, have their ideas and build friendship network, so it's a good thing.”
The conference brings people together from the nine Matawa communities, said Majiskon, and really helps to build relationships
“When you go back to your communities, and educating your students you have a clearer vision of how you want to educate your kids.”
Every year is different from the last, and it’s always a good turnout, she said.
James Velicha Kaagegaabaw, author and keynote speaker of the conference, said the community in Thunder Bay is incredibly kind, generous and beautiful.
“At the conference, I had a chance to do my keynote on the seven generations and the seven grandfather teachings. The first part of the talk is how we shift our perspective from a self-centered one, to one that works over seven generations.
“That's where we look at the seven grandfather teachings and actually looking at what those words mean in the Ojibwe language rather than merely translating them into English,” Kaagegaabaw said.
The audience was very kind with their attention, which was humbling said Kaagegaabaw.
“I was kind of nervous, despite having spoken to many different audiences, both locally, nationally and internationally, because there are so many elders here who are fluent in the language and for me, those are the real rock stars. Those are the people who are carrying our language, our culture, our history, our tradition.
“I hold them in the highest esteem, so that's the time I don't want to mess up, is in front of that very distinguished audience.”
It's incredibly important to get all of these diverse groups together, Kaagegaabaw said.
“I had worked as an Ojibwe educator for over two decades before I began writing and speaking and travelling. We can kind of feel isolated. If it's in our classroom or community to get around other people who are doing the good and important work.
“The opportunity for collaboration and inspiration at a conference like the Matawa conference, it's invaluable,” he said.
Kaagegaabaw said 'one' was the one thing hope people take away from his speech.
“We're all connected, we're all related. We need one another.
“There's a way that we can live with one another in a way that brings peace and balance.
“We can do that if we live according to our sacred laws, to the teachings that have been passed down for us for the past 13,000 years. The seven grandfather teachings.”
The seven grandfather teachings in English are wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility and truth.
In Ojibwe, he explained, they are nibwaakaawin, zaagidwin, mnaadendimowin, aakwa'ode'ewin, gwekwaadziwin, dbaadendiziwin, debwewin.
