UNews - Sarah Russell

New partnership to tackle education barriers for Indigenous youth and support economic opportunities

caroline.zentner — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 16:36:22 +0000

A unique and innovative partnership between the Blackfoot Confederacy, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Mastercard Foundation will support and enable Indigenous youth to achieve their goals and become leaders in their communities.

This transformational initiative will create new opportunities for Indigenous, primarily Blackfoot, youth to access education, and the needed supports to be successful resulting in employment, economic inclusion and economic development opportunities within their communities.This initiative will also support the U of L in deepening its commitment to reconciliation, providing an inclusive campus environment, and working in partnership with the Blackfoot Confederacy.

The Mastercard Foundation is investing $15 million over the next five years to improve transitions to post-secondary and increase student success, increase work integrated learning opportunities (co-op placements for example) and entrepreneurship supports, and create partnerships and programs that lead to employment opportunities for Blackfoot youth, as well as supporting Blackfoot Nations in realizing their economic development aspirations.

“This partnership joins our EleV initiative and builds on existing strong partnerships between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Blackfoot Nations. Our work together will support new pathways for Indigenous youth through education and onto employment, strengthening their communities and generating lasting change. The partnership underscores our commitment to support Indigenous youth and communities leading innovation reflective of their values and aspirations,” says Jennifer Brennan, head, Canada Programs at Mastercard Foundation.

Beginning in Fall 2020, the program will launch new initiatives for children and youth to see post-secondary education as a real possibility for them by delivering programs in Blackfoot communities, as well as creating opportunities for students to participate in activities at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. In addition, the Indigenous Student Success Program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will receive funding to enable an additional 30 Blackfoot and Indigenous students to attend the U of L.

“Indigenous students face significant barriers in accessing post-secondary education, including transportation, housing and childcare, among others,” says Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04), Distinguished Niitsitapi Scholar and advisor to President Mike Mahon. “This partnership will empower Indigenous youth by removing these kinds of barriers, creating new educational pathways and growing the supports needed by Indigenous students to be successful in their post-secondary studies. In turn, this will enhance employment and economic inclusion and drive economic development opportunities in our Blackfoot communities.”

For recent U of L graduate Sarah Russell (BA ’19), the holistic approach of the EleV program creates a pathway for success.

“Our youth need to know from when they begin their education that there is a place for them here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ,” she says. “The earlier they are exposed to the opportunities a post-secondary education provides, the greater the chance they will set that as an achievable goal. If this program can do that, our communities will prosper as a result.”

Blackfoot Nations and the U of L will work collaboratively to ensure the program is structured to meet the unique needs of Blackfoot youth and communities. Relationships will be at the heart of the project, and its activities will be focused on the Blackfoot values of kindness, respect, honesty and strength. The Mastercard Foundation’s values of humility, listening, co-creation and impact will further guide the design of program activities.

“We are excited about this partnership and look forward in working collectively with the MasterCard Foundation and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to build programs that benefit our youth and communities,” says Stanley Grier, Chief of the Piikani Nation. “We look to our Blackfoot youth to be our future leaders and this program will be instrumental for their journey.”

Funding from the program will also be directed toward enhancing Indigenous student services with the hiring of a program director as well as a number of support roles. These positions include both education and economic development navigators in each of the Blackfoot communities, mental health support, instructors and program development and funding to increase Elder support, among others. As the program continues through future years, funds will be allocated to support access to post-secondary education, student success and financial supports, education and training aligned with Blackfoot community needs, employment and economic development opportunities, work integrated learning and more.

“At every turn, we will focus our attention on what the needs of the individual communities are and, through a collaborative approach, create partnerships and programs that lead to employability and employment opportunities for Blackfoot youth, as well as economic development initiatives for Blackfoot communities,” says Mahon. “We will only achieve success by involving all of our partners and truly understanding the challenges they face.”

http://www.ulethbridge.ca/first-nations-metis-inuit/elev

Check out our Flickr gallery for more event photos.

Indigenous artist Sarah Russell seeks support for community art installation

trevor.kenney — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 21:27:45 +0000

In the summer of 2017, the community of Lethbridge came together to support artist Sarah Russell, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge student studying indigenous art studio, after her hillside art installation was vandalized near Fort Whoop Up. Inspired by the original artwork, and the strength of the community coming together to rebuild the work in less than an hour, Russell is at it again – this time installing a rock formation representing the Blackfoot Confederacy Flag on the U of L campus.

The installation is inspired by this image of the Blackfoot Confederacy symbol.

“I cannot finish this project myself,” says Russell. “I am working with the notion of reconciliation so I would like to invite interested individuals to participate in the installation, people who want to help and learn together. I believe in my heart this project is important and I hope that helps the non-Blackfoots dialogue more with understanding that land acknowledgement is not just a word but a place.”

Much like her first installation, the enormous installation piece represents community and unity. In order to make it the community project she envisioned, Russell enlisted the help of youth at G.S. Lakie and Kainai middle schools throughout May and June. Russell worked with the students to create a dialogue around culture, the Blackfoot Confederacy symbol, and the rocks themselves while participants assisted in hand painting rocks and leaving notes of love and encouragement.

Before asking for their help painting, Russell shared the story of her first art project and the way the community came together to help.

“Before that experience I never would have thought to ask for help. I wanted to do everything on my own, to have independence. But I’ve learned that it’s OK to ask for help and I want to challenge the youth so they know they can ask for help too. There’s something powerful in bringing people together, in being with people, helping each other.”

Individual rocks will carry their own inspirational messages.

Russell hoped to inspire the youth with her message of unity and community support, but what she didn’t anticipate was that the youth would inspire her in return.

“There was one note that really stood out to me. It said, ‘Hard work beats talent, but when talent is called, talent calls on hard work,’” shares Russell.

Her inspiration for this project is the Blackfoot Confederacy symbol, a symbol of unity and togetherness.

“Blackfoot’s were not originally separated into tribes, but today we are still in the reservation era,” explains Russell. “The elder that created the confederacy symbol says ‘we’re stronger together’ and we are, not just the Blackfoot Confederacy, but as a society.”

Russell’s community art project looks to prove just that: we are stronger together. Installation of approximately 350 painted rocks on the hill outside the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts will take place over the August long weekend (Aug 1-5). Interested volunteers are asked to register in advance as all volunteers will need to be briefed on health and safety protocols before participating in the installation process.

For more information and to sign up to volunteer, contact Sarah Russell at s.russell@uleth.ca.

Community invited to help reconstruct vandalized art piece

trevor.kenney — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 21:05:32 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge art student Sarah Russell planned to share a message of unity through her artwork in the LandMarks2017 exhibition. However, vandals rearranged her work into a crude image on the side of the coulee in Indian Battle Park. Russell’s artwork, which represented the Blackfoot symbol for unity, now needs just that – people to unite to help rebuild the installation before the opening reception on June 20.

As part of the national art project LandMarks2017, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ art class has been working hard since January to create artworks to celebrate Canada’s 150^th anniversary. Aimed at exploring and connecting with the land, LandMarks2017 consists of 100 works presented in 20 national parks and historic sites from June 10-27. Sixteen universities and 12 leading Canadian artists created works for the exhibitions.

Everyone is invited to play a part in an act of unity by joining artist Sarah Russell at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 20 at Fort Whoop Up to assist in reconstructing the symbol on the coulee.

The main objective of LandMarks2017 is to encourage exploration and inspire dialogue about the history of the land. Universities were invited to participate and Jackson 2Bears adopted the project for his topics course: Art 3850 – LandMarks 2017 (Spatial Storytelling: Land, Art, Place and Community). 2Bears brought in knowledge keepers from the Blackfoot community to share the history of the land and the people with the students.

Russell, a Kainai-Piikani Blackfoot herself, wanted to come to the table without any labels. “The elders really opened up my mind to be positive, so I wanted to create something that was positive out of negative,” explained Russell. “I wanted to represent the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, I wanted to represent the Blackfoot people, and I wanted to represent the territory.”

Russell was inspired by the Blackfoot symbol for unity and decided to take on the enormous task of hand painting more than 150 rocks, placing them on the coulee-side by Indian Battle Park. The piece was large enough you could see it across the river from ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall. The project was extremely labour intensive, not just in finding, painting and placing the rocks, but also the formal process she went through in securing permission to create the piece.

“You can’t just go and take a rock,” explained Russell. “In our culture we believe that everything is alive, and has its place, so I didn’t feel comfortable just going to take rocks. Therefore, I had to talk to the elders about how to obtain the rocks respectfully for this piece.”

Russell also needed to receive permission from the elder who originally created the symbol before she could recreate it. “I had to track him down, understand the meaning behind the symbol, and get permission from him,” continued Russell. “I asked him about the meaning of painting the rocks white and he said it was up to my interpretation. But the symbol was a gift to the Blackfoot people and it is a gift to me to use it however I wanted to.”

Russell’s interpretation of the symbol and the message she hoped to share through her art, was about connecting all people, not just First Nations. “The symbol is to unite the Blackfoot confederacy,” said Russell. “But I wanted to push it a little bit further and unite all human beings.”

Unfortunately, between May 20-23 the rocks were reconfigured into a crude shape, and with frustration and disappointment, Russell removed all traces of her work. “I started with seven rocks, and they were really heavy,” said Russell. It took two months to get every rock painted and in place.

“There were over 150 rocks, and I got help placing maybe 30 of them. The rest I did myself,” said Russell. While she had help in other ways, it was discouraging to see months of hard work destroyed. “Why ‘those’ rocks? That’s why I got upset. If you want to make a sculpture like that, bring up your own rocks,” Russell said with a laugh.

However, with support and encouragement from 2Bears and the U of L Faculty of Fine Arts, Russell’s artwork should soon be back on display. Everyone is invited to play a part in an act of unity by joining Russell at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 20 at Fort Whoop Up to assist in reconstructing the symbol on the coulee.

Russell warns the terrain is steep and rough, with cactuses, and maybe snakes. Volunteers should come prepared for the elements including good shoes and proper clothing.

The LandMarks2017 exhibition, including Russell’s symbol of unity, are on display in Fort Whoop-up and across Indian Battle Park from June 20-27.

UNews - Sarah Russell

New partnership to tackle education barriers for Indigenous youth and support economic opportunities

Related Content

Moving forward in a good way, EleV Navigator Team given Blackfoot name

Related Topics

Indigenous artist Sarah Russell seeks support for community art installation

Related Topics

Community invited to help reconstruct vandalized art piece

Related Content

Celebrating Canada 150 through art, LandMarks2017 opens in Indian Battle Park June 20

Related Topics