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OTTAWA ABORIGINAL COALITION
History Project
Our Urban Circle: Exploring Ottawa’s Indigenous Community
A Four Part Video Series
The Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition is pleased to present ‘Our Urban Circle’, a four-part film series that explores Ottawa’s vibrant and diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis community. Interviews with a variety of local services, artists, traditional teachers and community leaders were filmed, alongside footage from various events and local landmarks. This film provides viewers with the opportunity to learn about the abundance of culturally based services available in Ottawa, and the how the urban Indigenous community has developed through the years. The videos are divided into the following
themes:
Learn - Many Indigenous people move to Ottawa to explore post-secondary education which can be an overwhelming experience for many. Thankfully Indigenous student support centres offer a home away from home on campus.
Teach - Ottawa is home to a diverse Indigenous community, representing nations from coast to coast. Spending time with Elders, traditional teachers, and helpers is an essential way to reconnect with our culture and traditions.
Serve - Indigenous service organizations provide essential cultural support directly to the community members. This video introduces viewers to several local organizations and the wide range of services they provide.
Celebrate - Urban Indigenous artists and performers share their identity through a mixture of traditional and contemporary expressions. Community events offer the opportunity to celebrate and share Indigenous culture.
The videos are a perfect resource for Indigenous people relocating to our city, or those who are looking for ways to reconnect with the cultural community. Mainstream service providers will be able to easily provide informed referrals, and citizens of Ottawa can learn how to get involved with cultural education and reconciliation.
These videos only scratch the surface of all that Ottawa’s urban Indigenous community offers, and so we hope to continue to build on these resources in the future.
The Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition wishes to acknowledge Trent University, and their administration of the Urban Aboriginal Knowledge Network’s (UAKN) Partnership Grant. This grant offers the opportunity to address gaps in urban Aboriginal knowledge with a national partnership for research, scholarship and knowledge mobilization on matters of importance to urban Aboriginal peoples. Information on the Urban Aboriginal Knowledge Network can be found here.
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