CANCELLED: Indigenous Education and Cultural Services to host Visiting Elder - February 3 to 7
Note: This event has been cancelled.
If you have any questions, please contact indigenous@ontariotechu.ca.
Indigenous Education and Cultural Services will welcome Elder Edna Elias to campus as part of the university’s Visiting Elder program Monday, February 3 through Friday, February 7.
Elder Elias’ grandmother named her ‘Haattuliarmiutaq’, meaning ‘a person from thin ice’, because she was born on a fish lake in the fall. She is a teacher by profession, as well as an Inuit language and cultural advocate.
After serving five years as Commissioner of Nunavut, Elder Elias returned to her home community of Qurluqtuq, the most westerly community in Nunavut, where she has opened her home to women to learn traditional sewing and fur preparation skills.
Together with two former educators, Elder Elias founded a business to promote the preservation and retention of the Inuinnaqtun language. They work to provide language courses, educational and cultural orientation and advice, program and event planning, and production of Inuinnaqtun reading material, to support language programming in schools.
Elder Elias has also led three intercommunity Women in Action: Steps of Hope fundraising walks for breast cancer research, with proceeds going to the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Alberta, where many northerners receive cancer treatment.
Elder Elias had to relocate to Edmonton to access better health-care services, leaving all that she loved doing in her community. She continues to hope for stability in her personal well-being to be able to share her knowledge and Inuit culture in schools and post-secondary institutions across the country.
During her time on campus, Elder Elias will be available for classroom visits at both north and downtown Oshawa locations, as well as one-on-one appointments with students, staff and faculty members. If you would like to have her visit your classroom or would like to meet with her one-on-one, submit a request on the .
She will also lead a lunch-and-learn session at Baagwating Indigenous Student Centre on Monday, February 3 from noon to 1 p.m. If you'd like to attend, contact Jill Thompson, Indigenous Cultural Advisor, at ext. 6793. The event is open to faculty, staff and students.
