Fiona Blaikie and Rodger Beatty are welcomed during an event held by the Tecumseh Centre for Aboriginal Research and Education.

The Tecumseh Centre for Aboriginal Research and Education officially welcomed the Dean and the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education recently.

The event on Tuesday, Jan. 25 welcomed Dean Fiona Blaikie and re-welcomed Associate Dean Rodger Beatty. The morning began with a traditional opening delivered in Mohawk by Sarah McGean. The “Edge of the Woods” ceremony followed, led by the distinguished knowledge-keeper and instructor of Mohawk Languages at the Tecumseh Centre, Sakoieta Widrick. It was assisted by Jennifer Brant, Judith Knight and Erin Hodson.

During the ceremony, three rare words were offered to the deans to cleanse and remove obstructions from their vision, hearing and throat, thus allowing them to be welcomed to the Brock “territory” in a good and friendly way. Blaikie and Beatty were later presented with blankets by Janie Hodson and Dawn Antone to symbolize their being welcomed into the family at the Tecumseh Centre.

Widrick closed the ceremony in the Mohawk language.

The festivities concluded with a tour of the Tecumseh Centre, including a viewing of an authentically hand-crafted birch canoe made by the students of Queen Elizabeth High School in Sioux Lookout, who gifted it to Brock. The Tecumseh Centre offers a Bachelor of Education Primary/Junior (Aboriginal) program in the Sioux Lookout District in partnership with the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council.