Carleton’s Centre for Aboriginal Culture and Education (CACE) has grown with the addition of Mallory Whiteduck, a new aboriginal cultural liaison officer.
Linda Capperauld, director of equity services, said the hiring establishes a group of three people who “are able to support each other,” increasing the “chance of making networks with aboriginal students here and with aboriginal communities because it’s providing a little bit of a core that people can begin to see and identify with.”
Whiteduck worked for the Native Women’s Association of Canada as a researcher prior to coming to Carleton.
“I think that any time you are talking about working with Aboriginal Peoples, whether it’s students, youth, women, there are a lot of common connections,” said Whiteduck. “CACE provides various services, but more than anything it fosters the sense of community amongst aboriginal students and staff and faculty within the university.”
According to Sheila Grantham, an officer with CACE since September 2009 and a master’s student in the Canadian studies program at Carleton, the aboriginal lounge is one of the most important services CACE provides students because it acts as a “comfort space” where the students can connect to one another as well as with the officers.
CACE also provides aboriginal students one on one support. Establishing a connection with a student is important, said Grantham. “If you have a concern you can feel comfortable enough to talk to that person, so [the connection’s] everything, especially within a big university such as Carleton.”
Both Grantham and Whiteduck said they see their role with CACE as something exciting and rewarding.
Whiteduck emphasized the sheer variety of work the officers do, including visiting aboriginal communities to establish connections with Carleton, moving furniture around in the aboriginal lounge and meeting with students individually and trying to help in any way possible.
She said the work is always something to look forward to.
“I am really, really impressed with the positive attitude and the real eagerness and willingness to be able to work on the issues that will make Carleton a better place for aboriginal learning and for aboriginal students,” said Capperauld, about the efforts made by CACE and the university as a whole.
One of the most rewarding things about being an officer, according to Grantham, is “having a student say, ‘I didn’t think university was for me. I didn’t think that I could do it,’ and me saying, ‘You can do it and I am here to support you in any way I can.’ ”