Indigenous culture at the forefront this month at college

Niagara College is celebrating Indigenous culture throughout November, but also making efforts to raise awareness about some of the dark realities First Nations people in Canada struggle with.

One of those issues is the number of murdered and missing women across Canada whose cases have gone unsolved, a figure that is estimated to have reached 1,200, said Alkiie-Babe Froman, an international business administration student with MohawkTurtle Clan background.

On Tuesday morning, students gathered at the Welland campus to create ‘faceless dolls,’ representing the many Indigenous women who have been lost.

Inspired by a project started by the Native Women’s Association of Canada, Froman said bringing a related effort to the college for the past three years has helped the student population understand how serious an issue this has been, a part of Canadian history that she says is mostly overlooked.

Indigenous people make up four per cent of the country’s population. Through research conducted by a former Niagara College student, the 1,200 women who have been documented would equate to 24,000 females of all other ethnic backgrounds.

“If 24,000 Canadian, non-native women were murdered or went missing, do you not think something would be done about it?” said Froman.

She feels more government attention is needed, more programs in place to address this cross-Canada problem.

“This is our way of educating the best we can,” she said.

The dolls made by students are created without faces for a specific reason — they shouldn’t represent life.

“You don’t put a face to something unless you’re willing to take care of it,” she said.

Ashley Buck, Indigenous student success leader for the college, said there are more than 300 First Nations students enrolled between both campuses.

A lineup of events that will be held until the end of the month allows the Indigenous population at the college to illustrate who they are with everyone.

“It’s about creating space for students to share their culture.”

KRIS DUBE THE WELLAND TRIBUNE Louis Harris, left, Alkiie-Babe Froman and Ashley Buck with a table of ‘faceless dolls’ made by Niagara College students on Tuesday.