Dear Friends and Community Members,
Through its long-standing relationship with the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, Fulbright Canada has recently launched Honouring Nations Canada (HNC). I am proud and humbled to join the Fulbright team and serve as the Director of the program – an Indigenous-led and Indigenous-informed initiative of Fulbright Canada. Together, with the support of our Circle of Advisors and partners, our work will profoundly affect Nations by uplifting Indigenous knowledge and honouring our communities.
We are pushed forward by our ancestors and pulled ahead by those not yet born. This teaching was instilled in me at a very young age. I was taught to be mindful and work for the greater good. This informs and drives my sense of respect and responsibility. I grew up on the Kahkewistahaw First Nation in southern Saskatchewan, Treaty Four Territory. My parents were entrepreneurial people who stressed hard work and good relations. I picked berries, grew vegetables, and sold them to tourists in the summer. In the winter, I took time to learn and plan. The calls of the changing seasons are constant, and so is the pull to improve our collective future while honouring our families and personal histories.
It is a critical time in Canada to speak the truth and further strengthen and build our capacity. During this period of great questioning, our stories serve to inspire one another while our practices teach the world. There are countless examples of Indigenous community resiliency through economic and social empowerment. HNC hopes to share these stories and uplift these practices respectfully. We are very pleased to have several key partners across the country supporting Fulbright Canada in this initiative, including the U.S. Embassy in Canada, the Government of Canada, the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness (SCSC), the Harvard Kennedy School, the University of Saskatchewan, and the Canadian Mountain Network.
As we focus on research, education, and celebrating communities doing excellent work in conservation, stewardship, governance, and community development, we invite you to share and recognize outstanding examples of Indigenous-led initiatives. I also encourage you to tune into our new Speaker Series, which will highlight our work on a range of matters important to our Indigenous Circle of Advisors.
I am grateful for the support from my colleagues at Fulbright Canada; most significantly Robin McLay, who continues to play a leadership role in the program, and Kassandra Sison, Administrative Officer for HNC, as we develop the program and prepare for our First Awards Ceremony in the Fall of 2023.
Thank you,
Candace Wasacase-Lafferty
Director, Honouring Nations Canada