Announcing! Professor Dr. Rhonda Hopkins, Teaching and Learning – Anishinabemowin

Honorary Doctorate in Education by the World Indigenous Nations University (WINU) to be awarded to Kenjgewin Teg’s First Full Time Faculty Position in Anishinabemowin

MANITOULIN ISLAND (May 5, 2021) – Kenjgewin Teg is another step closer in its vision of what it means to implement Anishinabek education by and for Anishinabek people with two significant milestones recently achieved in the last month in a growing momentum toward Indigenous control of Indigenous education. A much respected and valued team member of Kenjgewin Teg and a fluent Anishinaabemowin speaker from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Rhonda Hopkins is known by many across Turtle Island as a lifelong passionate educator in Anishinaabemowin. Rhonda’s commitment as a lifelong educator in Anishinaabemowin is now officially being recognized by the World Indigenous Nations University (WINU).

A nomination to WINU for an honourary doctorate was made in secrecy by Kenjgewin Teg in Feb 2021 to WINU, unbeknownst to Rhonda. Once official word from WINU was received by Kenjgewin Teg in April, Rhonda was emotionally overwhelmed with surprise, humility and gratitude when this news was shared with her that she would be the recipient of an honourary doctorate in education from WINU.

“I am so humbled to have been nominated and to actually receive this Honourary Doctorate-Education (EdD); this gift is important; it is not only about me, but it’s about our people too…it is about speaking on behalf of our language, and the need for our language to be acknowledged for what we as the Anishinabek Nation strongly believe in,” shared Dr. Hopkins.

Supporting Kenjgewin Teg’s nomination were two well-known Ojibwe language organizations in Ontario: Anishinaabemowin Teg and Eshki Nishnaabemjig. In addition to her full-time role at Kenjgewin Teg, Rhonda has been a valuable contributor to the two organizations and without hesitation, these organizational leaders added further testament to Rhonda’s lifelong work as an Anishinaabe educator. The official ceremony where Rhonda will receive her award will be held in July 2021 at Blue Quills University, an Indigenous place of learning located in the province of Alberta.

A second milestone relating to soon-to-be officially designated “Dr.” Rhonda Hopkins is her new role at Kenjgewin Teg, which is effective immediately; Rhonda is now the organization’s first full-time faculty position in Anishinabemowin! While the title of “professor” will complement her honourary degree, this title is not Rhonda’s preference. But without hesitation, Rhonda is understanding and supportive of this new role and title in that it represents an external signal by Kenjgewin Teg to the post-secondary sector in Ontario that Indigenous knowledge and ways of teaching and learning are embedded in Indigenous communities themselves. Recognition of Indigenous knowledge in this way is not common yet, as there are different values and beliefs of what a ‘professor’ means within academia. In this second wave of good news, Rhonda humbly shared that she does not take this new role and title lightly and certainly understands the influential empowerment message that it sends in advancing Anishinabek education for Kenjgewin Teg.

On this last point, the decision to designate Dr. Rhonda Hopkins as its first faculty position as a Professor in Teaching and Learning – Anishinabemowin, has been thoughtfully and strategically determined as part of Kenjgewin Teg’s advancement toward becoming an Anishinabek accredited place of learning in Ontario by the Indigenous Advanced Education Council (IAESC). IAESC is the legislatively created quality assurance body in Ontario that will review and approve any new diploma, certificate or degree programs put forth by Kenjgewin Teg in the exciting years of work ahead. Lifelong learning programs in Anishinaabemowin are certainly on the horizon for accreditation by Kenjgewin Teg.

“When I first came to Kenjgewin Teg, I found that it embraced and valued Anishinabek education. Kenjgewin Teg built their whole place of learning by supporting a place of safety in traditional knowledge and creating a safe place for Anishinaabe people. Our connection to the earth and to life itself is amazing. The word, ‘to teach’ is ‘akinoomagage’, which translates to ‘the earth teaches us’; our language can demonstrate the deeper meanings of what sustains us as human beings. Our blood memory connects our Anishinabek people to the circle of life that sustains our existence,” added Dr. Hopkins.

As a lifelong committed educator, Rhonda will without any doubt continue her involvement and share her passion for Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) learning and revitalization both within her formal employment as a new “professor” with Kenjgewin Teg and as an active and passionate member of the Anishinabek Nation’s broader community Anishinabemowin initiatives. Rhonda’s knowledge of Anishinabek teachings and their interconnectedness to foundational life values and beliefs has been learned from many years of living and learning her own journey of traditional teachings learned from various Elder teachers and mentors.

“Rhonda is a very humble person when it comes to openly sharing her traditional teachings and knowledge of language and will often say that she ‘knows very little’ – and we know this to be a common response most traditional knowledge holders and language speakers will often say about themselves; and while she may personally feel that way, what Kenjgewin Teg knows for sure is that Rhonda is an Anishinaabe-kwe sought out by many for her advice, knowledge and Anishinaabe teachings by people of all ages, groups and organizations,” said Stephanie Roy, President of Kenjgewin Teg.

Rhonda’s serious and positive outlook in the importantly critical Anishinaabemowin work that she does for future generations balanced with her warm Anishinabek humour and laughter makes her a treasured and valued colleague of Kenjgewin Teg.

Kenjgewin Teg is located on Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island, ON) and provides Anishinabek culturally relevant, community-based access and lifelong learning for adult post-secondary learners. Kenjgewin Teg is recognized under the Indigenous Institutes Act, 2017 with this Act designating quality assurance requirements of its certificates, degrees and diplomas by the Indigenous Advanced Education and Skills Council (IAESC). Kenjgewin Teg is one of seven members of the Indigenous Institutes Consortium in Ontario.

For more information on this announcement, please contact:
Beverley Roy
Director of Quality Assurance
Kenjgewin Teg
E-mail: beverleyroy@kenjgewinteg.ca
www.kenjgewinteg.ca