Over 30 individuals participated in a lunch-and-learn conference organized by the Montérégie-West Community Network (MWCN) with guest Keith Leclaire, an Indigenous health and policy consultant. The conference took place on October 24 at the Ormstown Legion.
Leclaire focused his discussion on providing a better knowledge of the First Nations through an Indigenous world-view lens. He introduced the audience to women’s rights activist Mary Two-Axe Early by screening of a short documentary on her life.
He then introduced participants to Tai Leclaire, a director, writer, and actor from Kahnawà:ke, as a way into a discussion about the importance of including Indigenous voices, and the #Land Back movement and how it is being portrayed in Native American TV shows.
He then used popular cultural references, such as Pocahontas and Smokey the Bear, to explain and discuss issues like MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) and the importance of traditional ecological knowledge, cultural burns, and traditional land stewardship in combating climate change.
Nadya Kovacs, an outreach and program coordinator with the MWCN who helped to organize the conference, said that participants appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Indigenous culture, territories, and issues.
Leclaire will be leading a second lunch-and-learn conference on November 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ormstown Legion. To register, contact Nadya Kovacs by email at nadya@mwcn.ca, or by phone at 450-264-3596. (SR)