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Creating a Culture of Change
Chris Hannah aims to make an impact with the Kahkiyaw ni wahkomâkanak: All My Relations program.
Fanshawe staff member Chris Hannah felt a shift in her thinking in the summer of 2021.
That spring, the remains of 215 children were discovered at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.
“After that, I think people were ready and wanted to do something more meaningful to contribute to reconciliation,” says Chris, who is Métis from Drummond Island and Penetanguishene. “Even though it wasn’t part of my role at Fanshawe at the time, I always liked teaching and wanted to construct a program that was impactful.”
This led Chris to create the Kahkiyaw ni wahkomâkanak: All My Relations program for Fanshawe employees. The program is a series of workshops held in a cohort format over a seven-week period that covers a range of topics focused on Indigenous realities.
Chris envisioned a program that was customized to Fanshawe, where nearly four per cent of the student population identifies as Indigenous.
“I wanted to share what it’s like to be an Indigenous student at Fanshawe,” Chris says. “Our program participants hear from our students and local community members. It helps to build a connection and find ways to take action to make meaningful changes.”
As a result of the program, there have been numerous positive outcomes. Some of the changes include faculty members adjusting curriculum to be more locally representative, providing more flexibility with assignments and providing a room in residence where students can smudge at any time.
“I liked that we were given the opportunity to take action,” says one past participant. “It was important that we had the chance to speak with some of our students and community members from Indigenous communities and really listen and understand how we can do better.”
All my relations is the basis of a similar worldview of interconnectedness for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.
It emphasizes the concept of connection to all things with spirit: insects, birds, fish, mammals, rocks, trees, plants, waterways and other humans. It reinforces that if these things are all our relations and have a purpose, then we must treat them with respect and caring.
