Ottawa and Area, POH_news, Workshops, _Ontario

In under the wire: Northwestern United takes the POH challenge

In one of its last community activities as an independent congregation before amalgamating to form Kitchissippi United Church, members of Northwestern United Church in Ottawa’s west end gathered in May to participate in a Project of Heart workshop.

Led by POH co-founder Louise Madaire, the group met to do some research and find out a little of the Unitied Church’s complicity in carrying out the government’s “genetic engineering” project.  A map of the IRSs across the country show which denominations and which locations the schools resided.  Participants then met on a second evening to decorate the tiles and decide on a social justice issue to confront head-on. Click on the image to see the photo set from the two evenings.

Durham and District Board, GTA, POH_news, _Ontario

CBC Cameras come to Port Perry for Project of Heart

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Editor’s note: This report reaches us from Port Perry (Ontario) High School teacher Nancy Hamer-Strahl:

The CBC was at Port Perry High Schools Thursday, March 24th and June 3rd 2011. They came to film our Grade 12 French Immersion History class and the Grade 10 Canadian History class participating in Project of Heart. The CBC was very interested in the work the student had produced. Producer Nathalie Bibeau had this to say about the documentary series: Continue reading CBC Cameras come to Port Perry for Project of Heart →

POH_news, Winnipeg, _Manitoba

“If the truth about residential schools was taught…

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..mainstream Canadians wouldn’t profess such ignorance”

So says Winnipeg educator Angela Busch in this special report filed earlier this week by CBC reporter Karen Paul for the Stolen Children series on Radio One; it’s an interview with students from Project of Heart partner school Southeast Collegiate in Winnipeg and was recorded with teacher Angela’s history class. Continue reading “If the truth about residential schools was taught… →

POH_news, Resources

Waiting for the apology: Project of Heart on CBC Ottawa Morning

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On the day before the Prime Minister’s official apology CBC Ottawa asked Project of Heart’s Greta Neepin and Sylvia Smith into the studio to talk about what the apology means to survivors and how the residential school era is being taught in schools like Elizabeth Wyn Wood Alternate Site.

The segment includes interviews with Wyn Wood students Violet Roseheart and Tommy Peacock.

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Our thanks PODCO New Media for converting the file to podcast format.

POH_news, Resources, Workshops

IRSRC marks Aboriginal Awareness Week

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As part of Aboriginal Awareness Week, Project of Heart held a workshop for employees at Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada (IRSRC) and representatives from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Embracing the POH initiative, participants had positive comments on the workshop experience: “I learned that Canadians do care about history and how it informs the present” and “it would be great to see this in my son’s school” were typical of the responses the demonstration elicited.

POH_news

Ottawa Educators

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ParticipantsEducators from the Ottawa area came together on May 10th to participate in Project of Heart. and learn about the impact of Indian Residential Schooling on various Indigenous communities in Ontario.

At the end of the day, Residential school survivor Greta Neepin arrived to smudge the participants and the decorated tiles.

POH_news, Resources, Workshops

In their words: Southeast Collegiate students

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Participant quotes from the students of Winnipeg’s Southeast Collegiate were very powerful — and worth sharing here:

“When they started Residential Schools, everything was different. They lost a lot of hope. When our people went to Residential Schools, they were physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually abused by clergy and school staff. Today, many of the Residential School survivors have been drinking a lot. They still cannot stop the pain from the past.” Myrna F Continue reading In their words: Southeast Collegiate students →

OCDSB, Ottawa and Area, POH_news, _Ontario

Tiles smudged at Ottawa high school

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SmudgingOn March 20 residential school survivors and honoured guests joined students and staff at Elizabeth Wyn Wood Alternate School in Ottawa at the first-ever tile-smudging ceremony for Project of Heart.Our thanks go out to Lisgar Collegiate student Petra Smith who photographed the event; an annoted slideshow of the morning’s programme can be seen here. Continue reading Tiles smudged at Ottawa high school →