Stoney Nakoda woman Terry Poucette leading U of C’s Indigenous lodge

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Terry Poucette was raised by a powerful Stoney Nakoda girl, so it’s solely becoming she is now the director of the Kiipitakyoyis, or Grandmother’s Lodge, on the College of Calgary.

The Blackfoot-named lodge’s major function is to recruit and retain Indigenous college students, school and employees by creating a way of belonging and group on the college.

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“My entire factor is to assist prepare decolonizers and therapeutic supporters of tomorrow, so I believe I’m in the proper place to try this,” mentioned Poucette.

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“Now I’m ready the place I will help social work graduates — whether or not they’re Indigenous or non-Indigenous — contribute to the restoration of Indigenous peoples from the consequences of colonization, to get well and heal from the consequences and to rebuild ourselves in our communities.”

The lodge was created in 2020 to boost the educational journey of Indigenous social work college students by offering elder and counselling helps, ceremonies and cultural actions. It’s additionally led by Metis and Cree elder Kerrie Moore and adviser Deandra Neufeld.

As a scholar of post-secondary for about 15 years, Poucette understands the college expertise higher than most.

“Typically universities generally is a actually alien place for Indigenous folks as a result of they’re colonial establishments. This lodge creates a way of belonging and helps to nurture Indigenous college students and create relational areas for college students,” she mentioned.

‘Schooling can be utilized to assist our communities get well from the legacy of colonization’

When she was a younger lady, Poucette’s mom, Tina Fox, who’s a famend elder within the Stoney Nakoda group, insisted she and her siblings receive a college schooling.

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“Schooling was used to colonize Indigenous folks via residential college and different avenues, however in present day, I believe that loads of Indigenous folks understand that schooling may also be used to assist our communities get well from the legacy of colonization, and to decolonize and to rebuild,” mentioned Poucette.

These rules led Poucette to acquire a diploma in social work from Monroe Faculty, which she used to run social applications just like the Eagle’s Nest Stoney Household Shelter in Mini Thni and as assistant director of Stoney Nakoda Little one and Household Providers Society.

In pursuit of upper schooling, she later moved to B.C. along with her son, two canine and cat in tow, and from Vancouver Island College, she obtained a bachelor’s diploma in First Nations Research, adopted by a grasp’s and PhD in public administration.

Poucette’s dissertation delved into efficient governance inside First Nations communities, affording her insights from leaders, directors, elders, and group members. She examined each the successes and challenges of public administration inside the framework of the Indian Act.

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‘We’re extremely smart and might run our personal stuff’

A few of this was impressed by watching her mom turn out to be the primary girl ever elected to Stoney Tribal Council in 1976, the place she served as a councillor on and off for 14 years.

“The rationale I went into public administration was as a result of via the colonization course of, Indigenous peoples’ schooling ranges have been impacted severely by colonization and so loads of occasions, our administrations and our companies are run by non-Indigenous folks as a result of we don’t have that degree of schooling,” mentioned Poucette.

“I all the time believed that as Indigenous folks, we’re extremely smart and might run our personal stuff, in order that’s what prompted me to enter administration administration.”

Main Kiipitakyoyis ‘full circle’ for Poucette

Earlier than turning into director of the Kiipitakyoyis, Poucette led the Metropolis of Calgary’s Indigenous relations workplace from its inception in January 2020 up till lately accepting her new position on the college. She’s additionally becoming a member of the establishment as an affiliate professor of social work, having beforehand labored there as an affiliate professor in public administration, in addition to on the College of Victoria.

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Poucette insists she didn’t “plan to return to academia,” relatively “academia reached out to me.”

“I began off my profession and schooling in social work, and so it’s actually come full circle for me and now I’ve gone again to it,” she mentioned.

The Kiipitakyoyis goals to foster Indigenous schooling and data, offering studying alternatives for all school, employees and college students about histories, cultures, languages and teachings. It additionally goals to decolonize areas, aligned with the college’s ii’ taa’poh’to’p rules, honouring Indigenous methods of figuring out.

In 2022, Blackfoot elder Dr. Clarence Wolfleg from Siksika Nation named what was previously often called the Indigenous Social Work Circle and Lodge, Kiipitakyoyis, symbolizing the important steerage supplied by grandmothers in lodges or encampments.

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