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Indigenous languages are critically endangered throughout the world. This is more than a loss of words: Indigenous languages embody sets of relationships and ways of being in the world that are powerful, transformative, and sometimes very funny. The Songs in the Key of Cree performance highlights the global importance of Indigenous languages.

Stephanie and Joseph Mancini’s response to unemployment and poverty has enabled decades of community development and empowerment for people in downtown Kitchener. Recognized in 2014 with the Benemerenti Medal, a Papal honour, and in 2016 with the Order of Canada, the Mancini's will now receive the highest honour conferred by the University of Waterloo, honorary doctorates in recognition of their outstanding service to society, at the Faculty of Arts convocation ceremony on Saturday, October 26, 2019.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm EST (GMT -05:00)

Indigenous Speakers Series: Songs in the Key of Cree

Tomson Highway's Songs in the Key of Cree is a collection of Cree and English songs written by one of Canada’s most renowned authors. Part of a larger Indigenous language revitalization project, this integrated performance-speaker event presents the captivating vocalist Patricia Cano, guitarist Kevin Barrett, saxophonist Marcus Ali, and fiddler Nathan Halcrow, joined by artist Emma Rain Smith and historian Susan Roy.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

Indigenous Speakers Series presents Jesse Thistle

The Indigenous Speakers Series proudly presents Jesse Thistle, a Métis-Cree-Scot from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, whose bestselling memoir, From the Ashes (Simon and Schuster Canada), chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is. His scholarship is focused on intergenerational and historic trauma of the Métis people, and also reflects on his own past struggles with homelessness. Jesse is widely recognized in the scholarly community and beyond.