Powley Day Posted on September 15, 2026 at 3:04 pm. Powley Day recognizes the landmark decision made by the Supreme Court of Canada in the R. v Powley case. In 1993, Steve and Roddy Powley shot and killed a moose near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, without a license or tags. They were charged with unlawfully hunting moose and breaching the Game and Fish Act. The Powleys plead not guilty, saying they were harvesting meat for the winter and that, as Métis, they had a right to hunt for food under Section 35 of the 1982 Constitution. Section 35 states that Aboriginal rights, including Métis rights, are constitutionally protected, but leaves the definition of specific rights up to the courts. At this point the Métis right to hunt had not been established in court, so the Métis Nation of Ontario financially supported the Powley’s case. In 1998, the Powleys were acquitted after the trial judge ruled that their right to hunt was protected under Section 35. The Crown appealed this decision several times, eventually bringing the matter to the Supreme Court. The decision was unanimously upheld, and the Powley’s community in and around Sault Ste. Marie gained a protected right to hunt. The case also brought about a selection of criteria now known as “The Powley Test.” This test is a process that can be used to assess whether the claimants are entitled to exercise Métis rights. The criteria include: The characterization of the right claimed (e.g.: was it hunting for food?), Whether the claimant is a member of a contemporary Métis community, Identification of the historic Métis community Identification of the contemporary Métis community, The historical time-frame of the practice, Whether the practice is integral to the culture of the claimant, Whether the proposed practice is continued by the Métis community, Whether the right was extinguished, Whether the right was infringed upon, and, finally, If the right was infringed, can that infringement can be justified. Although the Powley test can be problematic, like any sort of identity criteria, it has shaped recent discourse on Métis issues. Legal experts and Métis historians believe the Powley Case has the potential to expand into an even bigger rights discourse. For example, the Métis right to self-government and self-determination. This September 19, we remember the victory, its impact, and celebrate Métis history and culture. DC Orange Shirt Day Mini Powwow Posted on August 12, 2026 at 3:14 pm. Join us on September 30, the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, for the 2nd Annual Orange Shirt Day Mini Powwow! Enjoy dancing, drumming, activities, vendors, & more! Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Location: Naanaagide’endamowin Courtyard and First Peoples Indigenous Centre (Centre for Collaborative Education, Room 141) 9 a.m.: Firekeeper and vendor arrival/set up, fire lighting 10 a.m.: Opening, speakers Opening by Elder Dorothy Taylor Welcome remarks by President Elaine Popp Remarks by Speaker Susan Byrne Firekeeper Ronald Leaman 11 a.m.: Drumming, dancing, teachings Drum: High Tide Singers Head Dancer: Brooke Wheeler 11:45 a.m.: Closing by Elder Dorothy Taylor 12 p.m.: Lunch (registration required) 1 to 3 p.m.: Activities at the First Peoples Indigenous Centre, including drop-in crafts, special guest workshop, fireside chats, vendors 1:30-3 p.m.: Plant Teachings workshop hosted by Matthew Levac 3 p.m.: End of event. Orange Shirt Day – Button-making Event with DCSA – Whitby Posted on July 3, 2026 at 4:31 pm. Join the DCSA in the Whitby Campus Cafe for a meaningful drop-in button-making session in recognition of Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Orange Shirt Day honours the Survivors of residential schools, remembers the children who never returned home, and recognizes the lasting impacts of the residential school system on Indigenous Peoples, families, and communities. Stop by to create a button, reflect on the significance of the day, and show your commitment to truth, reconciliation, and the message that Every Child Matters. All supplies will be provided. Everyone is welcome. Orange Shirt Day – Button-making Event with DCSA Posted on July 3, 2026 at 2:32 pm. Join the DCSA in the Pit for a meaningful drop-in button-making session in recognition of Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Orange Shirt Day honours the Survivors of residential schools, remembers the children who never returned home, and recognizes the lasting impacts of the residential school system on Indigenous Peoples, families, and communities. Stop by to create a button, reflect on the significance of the day, and show your commitment to truth, reconciliation, and the message that Every Child Matters. All supplies will be provided. Everyone is welcome. Ribbon Clothing Workshop Posted on June 12, 2026 at 9:31 am. Join us for an afternoon of sewing hosted by DC Alumni Brooke Wheeler! Challenge yourself by starting a new garment from scratch, or bring a skirt, shirt, or pants to add ribbons to! Sewing machines, ribbon, fabric, & light refreshments provided. SPACES LIMITED, REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Lunch & Learn Screening: Incandescence Posted on June 2, 2026 at 10:37 am. Join us for a National Indigenous History Month screening celebrating Indigenous voices, stories, and cultures through film. Join us for a Lunch & Learn Screening! Light refreshments will be provided. Film Synopsis: Every summer, wildfires rage with increasing intensity across the globe, darkening skies and reducing entire communities to ash. Incandescence, a powerful documentary from award-winning filmmakers Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper (Metamorphosis), weaves together immersive footage and deeply personal accounts from Indigenous Elders, first responders and local evacuees in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. As climate change accelerates and suppression efforts falter, the film explores traditional Indigenous fire stewardship—controlled burns that regenerate the land and foster resilience. Drawing on nature’s own rhythms of destruction, renewal and rebirth, Incandescence reveals a transformative vision of fire not as an enemy, but as an ancient force essential to thriving life. With breathtaking cinematography and intimate storytelling, the film offers both a warning and a way forward, lighting a path of hope through the smoke. Lunch & Learn Screening: Rumble – The Indians Who Rocked the World Posted on June 2, 2026 at 10:25 am. Join us for a National Indigenous History Month screening celebrating Indigenous voices, stories, and cultures through film. Join us for a Lunch & Learn Screening! Light refreshments will be provided. Film Synopsis: RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World tells the story of a profound, essential, and, until now, missing chapter in the history of American music: the Indigenous influence. Featuring music icons like Charley Patton, Mildred Bailey, Link Wray, Jimi Hendrix, Jesse Ed Davis, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Robbie Robertson, Randy Castillo, RUMBLE will show how these talented Native musicians helped shape the soundtracks of our lives. Durham College recognizing Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with events, initiatives Posted on September 23, 2024 at 4:00 pm. Durham College (DC) is committed to reconciliation, which requires genuine efforts to address the historical and ongoing injustices faced by Indigenous peoples and communities. Education plays a pivotal role in this process. Leading up to and on September 30 – Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – there will be a number of events and initiatives presented by the First Peoples Indigenous Centre (FPIC). By taking part, DC students and employees will learn more about the history of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, and take meaningful steps towards reconciliation. “Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation are incredibly important because they remind us of the ongoing impact of colonialism and the need for healing and understanding,” said Dr. Kayla Murphy, Director, Indigenous Initiatives and a member of Walpole Island First Nation. “These days provide opportunities to honour the survivors of residential schools and reflect on the history of these institutions. They also encourage us to take concrete steps toward reconciliation, both as individuals and as a community.” Scheduled Events Orange Shirt Display Orange shirts will be on display, with information to help our community learn more about the history and meaning of this day. You can also express your support by purchasing an orange shirt at one of the Campus Stores. Date: September 23 to 30 Location: Oshawa (The PIT) and Whitby (Don Lovisa Building atrium) ‘Healing Through Food’ Panel Discussion Join us for a panel discussion with two Indigenous Chefs on the healing properties of food within the Indigenous context. All are welcome to attend. Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2:30 – 4 p.m. Location: Whitby Campus, W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, Room B101 Register now. FPIC ‘Reawakening’ Ceremony Elder Gerard Sagassige will return to the space he named Suswaaning Endaajig (Nest Away from Home) for a Reawakening Ceremony. Light refreshments will be provided. Date: Friday, September 27, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Location: Centre for Collaborative Education, Room 141 Register now. Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Join us to honour this important day with guest speakers and opportunities for education and reflection. The event will start indoors and end with a gathering at the Weeping Willow Tree in the Naanaagide’endamowin Courtyard. In the evening, the DC sign (Oshawa) and Don Lovisa Building atrium (Whitby) will be illuminated in orange. Date: Monday, September 30, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Location: Centre for Innovation and Research, Room 102, and First Peoples Indigenous Centre (CFCE Room 141) Register now. The Durham College Library has also curated a collection on Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge, heritage, rights, and histories. More resources are available here.
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