Darlene Ross
- Home Community:
Treaty 2 Territory – Kith-ith-katchewanung Dauphin River First Nation. - Cultural Identity:
Anishinaabe, Ojibway, First Peoples, Indigenous, Indigeneity. - Current Position:
Dauphin River First Nation Teacher/Instructor – Adult Learning Center, Dauphin River School Teacher / Instructor (High School) – Frontier School Division. - Education/Training:
Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Political Science and History, University of Winnipeg, Bachelor of Education, University of Winnipeg, and Counselling Skills Diploma, University of Manitoba. - Roles/Responsibilities:
Counselling skills, education availability for all learners, etc. This is a huge diverse responsibility for the community. It entails gathering student information for their knowledge and learning.
“Education got us into this mess, and education will get us out of it” is a quote from the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, the former Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?
It was an extremely difficult time in terms of not knowing about the outside world. We did go here and there shopping and not often. We had to leave after grade 8. We were not accustomed to the residences we were placed in because our school only went up to grade 8. It was the first time we encountered hatred, racism, etc.
What or who inspired you to really go after the profession you are in now?
Firstly, I never would have thought about going into education. After I finished my first double major degree, there was an opportunity for students who would be interested in pursuing the Bachelor of Education degree program. I thought and thought about it because of my sad experiences at the schools I attended. Thinking about it more made me stronger in terms of what I had been through, and I submitted my application. My application was approved. This authorization took me to the highest unexpected realms and made my life stronger. One example out of the many was when one of my profs handed out a blank sheet for us to fill in. It was titled “Aboriginal People” and we were asked to circle numbers 1-10 when evaluating the listed questions. An example was, ”Would you mind dancing with an Aboriginal on the street? “. There were many instances, and these were ”the offs” that made me stronger.
What critical choices or decisions did you make that helped you get where you are today?
My children were my choices/decisions countless times. There were times when we would have to meet to resolve issues. As difficult as things would become, it would not break us. I could not allow that to happen, because if I did, our world would have likely fallen apart.
Message of Encouragement:
Make positive goals. Concentrate on your goals. As difficult as anything maybe… focus on your surroundings and your future.
