Indigenous History Month Alumni Feature: Amanda Pont-Shanks

This story is part of a series of alumni features during Indigenous History Month.

June is National Indigenous History Month (NIHM), an opportunity to acknowledge and learn about the rich history, culture and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

In honour of Indigenous History Month, Niagara College is sharing the stories of some Indigenous alumni including Métis alumna, Amanda Pont-Shanks.

A Beamsville native, Pont-Shanks is connected to the Red River Settlement in Manitoba where her family received Métis Scrip land near Rorketon, Manitoba, on the southern shores of Lake Winnipeg. As a Section 31 and Section 35 Métis rights holder as per the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Pont-Shanks has been an active member of the Niagara Region Métis Council since 2009.

She is a graduate of three NC programs including Art and Design Fundamentals – Graphic Design Production (2004), Child Development Practitioner – Pre-Apprenticeship (2012) and Early Childhood Education (2013).

Current role and career path

I’m currently the Manager of Programs and Services, Early Learning and Child Care with the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO). I also serve as a Council Member for the National Advisory Council of Early Learning and Child Care and earlier this year, was awarded the King Charles Coronation Medal (an honour that is awarded to individuals who have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community of Canada.)

Since graduating from Niagara College, I’ve worked in various ECE roles where I was able to use the knowledge and skills I learned at NC. I joined the MNO as a Métis Family Wellbeing Coordinator in 2016 and then in 2018 I moved to the MNO Education and Training Branch as a K-12 Education Officer.

As the Manager of Programs and Services, Early Learning and Child Care, I oversee 35 staff who support more than 2,800 children across the province of Ontario. Our work includes:

• ELCC Family Supports – childcare subsidy, stipend, summer childcare, and the extracurricular support program.
• ELCC Special Projects – online and in-person camps, resource development, the MNO ELCC Early Learning Conference, ELCC Christmas Program, Back to School Backpack Program, and we are a community partner of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
• ELCC Developmental Resource Consultant Team – early learning resource consulting, the Developmental Support and Services Program, and support programs for parents on child development, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Métis Tales book working group – the development of early years-specific Métis storybooks.

Niagara College’s impact

My experience in NC’s Art and Design Fundamentals, Graphic Design Production program has given me the tools to help develop Métis-specific books and resources. By learning design best practices, we are creating high-quality content and filling a gap in Métis -specific content for the early years.

Instructor Greg Smith’s utter hate for the font “Comic Sans” is deeply embedded in my soul, to the point where I can list off at least six different fonts that have the proper lower-case “a” for young children to learn how to read off the top of my head. Young children deserve to have beautiful fonts in the books they explore!

My instructors throughout my ECE journey are always on my mind, and they are my guiding voices in doing the best I can for the child’s best interest. Jane Gouck inspired me to learn about child development, taught me how to be an advocate, and encouraged me to continue working towards quality childcare for all children. Shannyn Porter taught me resilience and the value of loving the early years as a respected profession.

My cohort was full of amazing First Nations and Métis people, many of whom are working in the sector and doing amazing things! I have fond memories of us celebrating our Indigenous ways of knowing and being. NDN Taco lunch, reflections around the Indigenous gardens, and the opportunity for us to learn from each other.

Inspiration and passion

During my time at Niagara College one of my classmates was the daughter of Roberta Hill (a Residential School Survivor) and she spoke to the class about her mother’s experience in the Residential School system. When she shared her experience as a young child, I knew that it was my job as an Indigenous Early Childhood Educator to ensure that the next generation of Indigenous children can grow up knowing their culture, language and way of knowing.

And guess what? My work on the National Advisory Council for Early Learning and Child Care enables me to advocate for the needs of all Indigenous children across Canada. The NAC advises the Minister of Children and Families at the federal level on recommendations for a quality, Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system.

I am also part of the NAC’s Indigenous engagement working group with my colleague Amélie Lainé, who is Wendake First Nation in Quebec. We often work together to ensure that Indigenous ways of knowing, and the rights of Métis children are advocated for at a national level. I am also part of the Early Learning Technical Table with the Métis National Council. Together, we meet to discuss how we are implementing Métis ways of knowing within early learning systems across Canada.

Métis-led early learning and childcare is relatively new, considering we did not receive any funding towards ELCC until 2019 with the signing of the Métis Nation Early Learning and Child Care Accord. Although we have grown tremendously over the past six years, we still have much to learn and develop. My visions and dreams for MNO ELCC are that the work we do ensures our Métis children feel connected to their community and have the tools to be successful in their lifelong learning journey. I want the next generation to take over this work, but better!

Standout NC experience

There were days at NC that were hard. However, one of my favourite memories is going down into the courtyard at the NOTL campus, where I would meet Basil, the campus mouser. He would let me give him all the head scratches and belly rubs. As someone who is neurodivergent, having Basil on campus helped with my self-regulation. Yes, he did a great job hunting mice, but he did a better job at making students feel safe.

Rest in peace, Basil. I saw Scout on Campus when I visited Benchmark for lunch recently. He seems to be doing a good job!

Advice for Indigenous students at NC

Sometimes it can feel like we must walk a longer journey. Indigenous peoples have been through a lot, and for over 100 years, we have been attending education systems that are not designed for us. While the last Residential School closed in 1996, many mainstream schools, colleges, and universities did not assess our knowledge on how we learn. So, it does seem like it is harder for us because it is. We must learn how to succeed in mainstream education systems; we are constantly playing catch-up, and it’s a significant challenge.

So, first, I want you to be proud of yourself for being an NC student! For many of us, we are the first. I was the first woman in my family to graduate from college. I will be the first woman in my family to earn a Bachelor’s degree, and one day, I will be the first person in my family to earn a Master’s degree. I am 43 years old, and my learning journey is far from over. You are in the room! You are making our ancestors proud!

Second, your journey is your journey, nobody else’s. I will be fully honest: when I first went to college, I attended Mohawk for advertising, and I failed out. However, I had a very kind teacher at Mohawk who encouraged me to apply to art school at NC, and I did, and I loved it. Later, I was gifted with the beautiful opportunity to participate in the Aboriginal Child Development Pre-Apprenticeship Program, so I took a leap of faith, and it changed my life. You might fail, you might not, you might take another journey, but please know, failure is an opportunity. You might not know what you want to do at 22 after your NC journey. That is okay! Like Indigenous storytelling, our journeys take many different paths.

Third, find your community. Visit the Indigenous lounges, connect with Indigenous services, and attend local events. It is okay to ask them for help. They are there because they know this journey can be hard. Visit the local friendship centres and the MNO office. You are not alone.

Finally, if you are at the NOTL campus, find Scout and give him a snuggle from me!

Final thoughts

While I firmly believe that Mark Suknanan (aka Priyanka) is NC’s most famous alumnus, I hope that other NC students can look up to me as someone who is making educational change at a local, provincial, and regional level! And they can create change too! Find your love and passion and move forward!