Indigenous graduates celebrated at post-secondary powwows in Winnipeg

Taylor Galvin had to over‐ come a lot of obstacles dur‐ ing her six years studying environmental studies at the University of Manitoba, but she finally got to cele‐ brate reaching the end of part of the journey on Sat‐ urday - with more than 150 of her fellow Indigenous graduates.

"I feel over the moon. I've been a student for long enough, and it's very exciting to be part of the graduation powwow today," Galvin told CBC News.

The Anishinaabekwe grad‐ uate from Brokenhead Ojib‐ way First Nation is among 478 Indigenous students graduating from U of M pro‐ grams this term. The univer‐ sity celebrated those grads at its 35th annual graduation powwow on Saturday.

"It's a huge way for all of us to come together to cele‐ brate the achievements and the successes of Indigenous students and our leaders," said Galvin, who will soon be starting her masters in envi‐ ronmental geography, with a focus on Indigenous-pro‐ tected land in Manitoba.

"We come from very dif‐ ferent backgrounds … I over‐ came addictions, I've been in recovery throughout my time here at the university."

The day-long event brought together more than 150 Indigenous students and their friends and families, as well as Indigenous veterans and elders, for a pipe cere‐ mony, traditional dance and drumming performances and a community feast, said Carla Loewen, the director of the U of M's Indigenous student centre.

Deborah Hatton, who is Mohawk and from Tyendi‐ naga, Ont., said the day gives her a chance to show her pride for her Indigenous identity.

The 65-year-old PhD grad wore a purple handmade dress with white ribbons - to show off her community's colours.

"My official graduation … was in October 2023, but this being so much more to be able to do it in an actual pow‐ wow. It gives me a chance to show everyone that I am In‐ digenous," said Hatton, who earned a PhD in behavioural psychology and disability studies.

For Ryan Ketchum, who's from Wauzhushk Onigum Nation in Ontario and earned a bachelor of science in elec‐ trical engineering, Saturday's celebration felt surreal.

"I get this overwhelming sense of … imposter syn‐ drome, but I'm here and I'm with these people graduating and it feels amazing," he said.

Ketchum started his de‐ gree in 2016, but took some years off school during the pandemic.

He said it's encouraging to see so many Indigenous stu‐ dents graduate alongside him.

"It's inspiring to me to know while I'm here doing this and someone might look at me and say, 'Hey, I maybe could do that too,'" said

Ketchum.

The University of Win‐ nipeg also honoured its In‐ digenous grads. On Sunday, it hosted its 19th annual graduation powwow - com‐ plete with a special dances to mark Red Dress Day, which is observed nationally on May 5.

"It's a really exciting day," said Angeline Nelson, who works at the university. She said more than 50 Indige‐ nous students are graduating from U of W programs this term.

The university invited tra‐ ditional dancers to wear red to and perform in their pre‐ ferred style as part of the event, Nelson added. That in‐ cludes Harmony Williams, who recently learned fancy shawl dancing to reconnect with her culture.

Williams wore a red skirt that she made with her fos‐ ter mother. Her biological mother, Jana Williams, was murdered in 2021.

"I'm just trying to like car‐ ry on the tradition of her, make sure that she's seeing that I'm doing good, and not going down the wrong path," Williams told CBC News on Sunday.

"Being here today … I real‐ ly feel her a lot."

Williams plans on going to Red River College Polytech‐ nic, which held its 24th annu‐ al graduation powwow on Friday, to study child care next year. She said it's en‐ couraging to see Indigenous grads "break the cycle."

"A lot of people don't get the chance to graduate," she said.