The ‘Indigenous Signature Line’ Tees initiative launched by Norquest College last Thursday came just in time for the Edmonton municipal election.
Norquest College is incorporating the city’s new Indigenous ward name changes onto their t-shirts, which the college is selling to fundraise for those interested in the college’s Open Admissions Pathways program. It allows Indigenous students who may not meet existing program admission requirements to take some credit courses without applying fully to a certificate or diploma program.
The t-shirt initiative aims to build a bridge of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
The senior manager of Indigenous Relations and Supports at the college is Tibetha Kemble. She said the t-shirt idea came from when the ward names were changed last year.
She really wanted to honor the city and the Indigenous word naming committee and wanted their college to recognize and try to advance the process of reconciliation a bit more, she said. These are not just words. There is also a deeper meaning behind them, Kemble says.
Kemble proposed it to Jackie Nguyen, the college’s Business Enterprises manager, and her digital team worked their magic, said Kemble.
Jon Morgan is running in the upcoming civic election on October 18 for a ward that makes up portions of former wards 9 and 10. The new ward is located on the southwest side of Edmonton. The new Indigenous name for the ward is Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi, pronounced e-pee-ko-ka-nee piu-tsi-ya, which in Blackfoot means traditional lands where the Blackfoot Nation performed Buffalo Rounds.
Morgan said it’s very important for Edmontonians to understand why these boundaries and ward names were changed to Indigenous names.
“I think it’s part of our ongoing commitment to reconciliation and inclusion, obviously is kind of one small step along the way and there’s much for work to do, much more work to do but ah, but whatever we can do to kind of you know, reflect that culture of our neighbours and friends and families that we live alongside, I think all the better.”
The Indigenous ward names on Norquest’s line of t-shirts will include, for Ward 1: Nakota Isga, Ward 2: Anirniq, Ward 3: tastawiyiniwak, Ward 4: Dene, Ward 5: O-day'min, Ward 6: Métis, Ward 7: sipiwiyiniwak, Ward 8: papastêw, Ward 9: pihêsiwin, Ward 10: Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi, Ward 11: Karhiio, Ward 12: Sspomitapi.
The t-shirts are $24.99 and can be purchased online on the Norquest website. All proceeds will go towards the Indigenous Legacy Access Bursary which supports any interested Indigenous learner to gain access to the Open Admissions Pathways program at the college.
The 12 wards in Edmonton were renamed by the iyiniw iskwewak wihtwawin, a group of 17 Indigenous matriarchs from Treaties 6, 7 & 8. They represent the Anishinaabe, Blackfoot, Cree, Dene, Inuit, Iroquois (Michel Band), Métis and Sioux nations. The names represent sacred places in Edmonton and are meant to preserve the history of the territory for future generations. Each name reflects Indigenous connections to the land in each ward.
A youtube video can be found about the different wards and what the meanings are behind the ward names and how to pronounce them. It can be found on the City of Edmonton website.