This Tuesday at our weekly 7am, Zoom gathering, Marjorie Dawson welcomed our Guest Speaker, Dawn Lavell-Harvard, Director of the Trent University First Peoples House of Learning. Dawn was joined by her assistant Lorelei Wilkinson. More details on the guest speaker and her initiative may be found by going to the "Read more ..." tab as given below.With her eloque
nce and her impassioned reflection on so many of the issues facing our indigenous peoples, Dawn completely captured our attention. For a brief moment in our time, she became the "spirit of the hummingbird". Hers was a message we will not soon forget; a message drawing out many reflections from several of our Club members with many more going felt, but unstated.
nce and her impassioned reflection on so many of the issues facing our indigenous peoples, Dawn completely captured our attention. For a brief moment in our time, she became the "spirit of the hummingbird". Hers was a message we will not soon forget; a message drawing out many reflections from several of our Club members with many more going felt, but unstated.Following the speech and the discussion, Gail Catherwood thanked Dawn (and Lorelei) for joining us so early in the morning. She commented on a connection between what we had been left thinking about and the upcoming Mothers Day noting that in appreciation for the message, we had restored the vision of someone in India as a art of our Operation EyeSight program.
Dr. Dawn Lavell Harvard, Ph.D., is a proud member of the Wiikwemkoong First Nation, on Manitoulin Island, the first Aboriginal Trudeau Scholar, and has worked to advance the rights of Aboriginal women as the President of the Ontario Native Women's Association since 2003. After serving as Vice-president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada for three years, Dawn was elected National President at the 41st Annual General Assembly, July 11, 2015 in Montreal, Quebec. After fulfilling her promise to see the MMIWG Inquiry initiated, in October 2016, Dawn left her role as National Leader and took on the role of Director at the First Peoples House of Learning at Trent University.FPHL Vision Statement:
The First Peoples House of Learning (FPHL) is honoured to offer cultural services to a diverse community of Indigenous learners (First Nations Status, Non-Status, Métis and Inuit). We collaborate with students to support their academic success, personal development and leadership potential.
FPHL embodies the Indigenous worldview of education as a ceremony of learning. We nurture a community that recognizes the voices and spirits of our students.
