Weweni Indigenous Scholars Speaker Series
The 2021-22 Weweni Indigenous Speaker Series
The Office of Indigenous Engagement invites distinguished Indigenous scholars to share current research with the University of Winnipeg campus and community. These events are hosted by the Research and Innovation Office, and are free and open to the public.
Past Weweni Indigenous Scholars Speaker Series include lectures ranging on a variety of topics from art, education, history, language revitalization, gender, environmental studies, Indigenous laws, and reconciliation.
Senator Mary Jane McCallum
As a Ward of the State, Senator Mary Jane McCallum was sent to residential school in 1957 for re-education. Hear her talk about Conciliation/Reconciliation.
Monday, September 26, 2022
Speaker: Senator Mary Jane McCallum is a Cree woman from the Barren Lands First Nation in Brochet, Manitoba. She attended the Guy Hill Residential School from 1957–1968. Senator McCallum spent nearly five decades providing care to First Nations in Manitoba as a dental nurse, dental therapist and dentist.
In 2017, Senator McCallum was appointed to the Senate of Canada as a representative of Manitoba. She assumed this mantle with reconciliation top of mind, recognizing its importance for Canada if we are to be recognized as human rights leaders.
Senator McCallum often speaks to diverse groups about residential school. She believes that Canada must never forget the genocide of their Original Peoples, and that lateral and vertical violence against Indigenous Peoples persists today; a result of sustained governmental policies. In recognizing and reclaiming autonomy, she believes that Indigenous Peoples are well on the journey towards reclaiming spirit and power.