During our most recent staff reunion, we had the honour of being joined by the incredbile Trina Moyan. Trina is nehiyaw iskwew (Plains Cree) from the Frog Lake First Nation in Northern Alberta, Treaty 6 medicine chest territory and joined us to lead our team through a highly informative, moving and interactive session on Indigenous history and culture in the lead up to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
After participating in the training session our team reflected on the experience and came away with feelings of gratitude, inspiration and a renewed commitment towards learning and indigenous allyship.
This session is a continuation of our ongoing DEI learning initiatives as part of our shared responsibility to foster a more inclusive society and to make a meaningful difference in the lives we design for.
About Trina:
Tkaronto became her second home 16 years ago and she is honoured to work and raise her family upon the lands of the ‘Dish with One Spoon’ treaty. She began her career as a writer and producer for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and she co-produced and directed the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards (now Indspire) for CBC television.
Moyan is a co-founder of Toronto-based Bell & Bernard, a First Nations consulting firm dedicated to including the histories and current realities of Indigenous peoples within urban planning projects, and has spoken widely on Indigenous inclusion and empowerment. Moyan is also a muralist, a traditional dancer, a member of the Toronto Indigenous Business Association a community activist and a University of Toronto alumna. Her life and work is inspired by her two sons and her mother Jeanne – a residential school survivor.
Trina’s Suggested Reading List:
- Residential Schools, Righting Canada’s Wrongs by Melanie Florence
- 7: Professional Native Indian Artist Inc.
- Our Voices: Indigeneity and Architecture Book by Kevin O’Brien, Luugigyoo Patrick Stewart, and Rebecca Kiddle
- Retreating to Re-Treat: A Performative Encounter at the ‘Edge of the Woods’ By The Collective Encounter With Jill Carter
- A Native American Thought of it: Amazing Inventions and Innovations Book by Rocky Landon 2022-2032 Reconciliation Action Plan, by the City of Toronto
- 21 Things You May Not Know about the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality Book by Robert P. C. Joseph
- Voices of the land : Indigenous design and planning from the prairies
- The Indigenous Paleolithic of the Western Hemisphere Book by Paulette Steeves
- Beyond the Orange Shirt Story: A Collection of Stories from Family and Friends of Phyllis Webstad Before, During, and After Their Residential School Experiences Book by Phyllis Webstad
