Fighting social injustice through outdoor education and programming
Meet Jeremie Caribou, a mature student in the Public Administration and Governance Program at First Nations Technical Institute in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan. Jeremie is of Cree and Mohawk descent and was adopted and raised by his Cree grandparents, who were residential school survivors. Leaving home at the age of sixteen, Jeremie worked on construction sites across Canada before returning to school in 2017.
Both on and off-campus, Jeremie aspires to create awareness of the continued social injustices imposed onto First Nations people in Canada through outdoor education and programming. We sat down with Jeremie to discuss his Indigenous walking tours of Toronto Metropolitan, and his social venture Outdoor ReconciliACTION.
Interview with Jeremie Caribou
How do you define social innovation (SI)?
SI to me is the idea that everyone should have access to basic human rights, such as access to education, healthcare, and work, and not be judged by the colour of their skin.
What sparked your interest in SI?
Systemic racism. Before I came back to school, I worked in the trades and experienced a lot of racism. Systemic racism is something that I’ve experienced throughout my whole life. I knew there were negative implications of colonization, but I didn’t know to what extent, so I decided to go back to school and learn more about it.
What is the problem you are hoping to solve through work in SI?
To create awareness on social injustices that are inflicted on First Nations communities, build a discussion on these injustices, and develop a course of action.
When I first came back to school I started learning about the extent of colonization. This motivated me to create awareness on colonization and historical treaties, as well as the affects colonization still has on Indigenous communities today. I also wanted to find a way to do so by connecting with nature.
One day I was out hiking in Tobermory by myself, and I noticed all of these non-Indigenous people I was walking behind. I thought to myself, “I bet you that none of these people have any knowledge of the history of this land or whose territory they are [hiking on].” That’s when I thought it would be cool to create some form of social enterprise to educate people on the history of whose territory they were walking on. Then I mentioned this idea to my friend, which lead us to enter a pitch competition with MEC. Our pitch was chosen and our organization, Outdoor ReconiliACTION, started.
When I first came back to school I started learning about the extent of colonization. This motivated me to create awareness on colonization and historical treaties, as well as the affects colonization still has on Indigenous communities today. I also wanted to find a way to do so by connecting with nature.
How did you start working with the Office of Social Innovation (OSI)?
I met an OSI staff member at a Truth and Reconciliation Commission meeting and began to learn more about the office. Shortly after that meeting, I started a summer work term at the office where I created a presentation and land-based educational walking tour of Toronto Metropolitan from an Indigenous narrative. These Indigenous-led walking tours explored the often untold history of T’karonto (Toronto) from an Indigenous perspective, based on the related Indigenous history of Toronto Metropolitan and the surrounding area.
What did you gain from your work term with OSI?
OSI gave me the space to further research and develop my tours. The office was also able to help promote my walking tours to a larger audience, which helped build awareness of the work I have been doing on truth and reconciliation. I was also able to grow my personal network.
What advice would you give to a student at Toronto Metropolitan looking to start their own SI project?
The struggle is real because barriers do exist, but that doesn’t mean you can’t break them down.
Just don’t be afraid to network with people and reach out for help. There are experts out there willing to share their knowledge and who want to fight the same injustices as you. The power is in the people.
For resources on campus, be sure to go to the Research Help Desk, and reach out to OSI staff for general help.
What’s next for you and your work?
I’m going to continue creating as much awareness as I can by sharing my knowledge on colonization, treaties, and reconciliation wherever the opportunity comes up.
