Confederation College’s Native Child and Family Services program is getting a new name.
It will now be known as Onajigawin Indigenous Services.
The previous program underwent a review in 2019, gaining strong input from the individuals and groups within Thunder Bay.
President Kathleen Lynch says the extensive consultation has resulted in a program that will benefit students.
“We changed the curriculum to acknowledge what the community needs, to partner better with the community, and to focus on what they tell us our grads need to be doing once they graduate,” says Lynch.
The new name for the program was provided by Elder Sam Achneepineskum of Marten Falls First Nation.
He says it is important that youth are learning more about the Indigenous community.
“I think young people are waking up. They want to learn about our culture. They want to learn about our history, and I think that’s good,” says Acneepineskum. “Old people like me are getting up there in years, and I think it’s time to step aside and let the young people run with it now. If you want to know where you’re going, you need to know where you’ve been, and why things are the way they are to make changes.”
The new program has a strong focus on decolonization and will provide students with the skills needed to be effective helpers in various sectors.
The first class to enroll under the program’s new name will be welcomed this fall.
