Emma Kahente Ouimet

“The First Peoples Studies courses really shape you into somebody who could be a leader in your community.”

Learning about the legal and historical context of the social issues faced by many Indigenous communities inspired Emma Kahente Ouimet to get involved with her own.

How did you choose First Peoples Studies?

I didn’t learn much about my own culture or language. Since I never got the opportunity to learn much about First Nations in school, it felt right to use my university years to build that knowledge. I wanted to discover more about different First Nations groups, so the program description stood out to me.

Why did you add a minor in Law and Society?

I always found issues affecting Indigenous people in Canada, and around the world, frustrating, and I felt like I needed to help in some capacity.

I decided to learn more about politics, the law, human rights and other subjects that would allow me to be knowledgeable enough to do something.

I chose a field that would allow me to be knowledgeable enough to do something.

Emma Kahente Ouimet

What have you gained from each program?

The Law and Society courses complemented my major since we learned about things like human rights violations, civil and common law and the Indian Act. The combination of all my courses helped me better understand the obstacles that First Nations face, legally and politically.

Combining these two programs also helped me understand how non-Indigenous Canadian politics are the obstacle.

Did you have a career path in mind when you decided on these programs?

No, I just knew that through whichever I program I chose I wanted to bring the knowledge I acquire back into my community and put it to use.

It was also important for me to choose something that I wanted to learn about — this makes your educational experience more worthwhile.

How do you envision applying the skills and knowledge you’ve gained?

I started working for Kahnawà:ke Tourism, giving tours of Kahnawà:ke to visitors and speaking about our culture. My educational background has helped me with this.

The First Peoples Studies courses really shape you into somebody who could be a leader in your community. I may run for council or just become part of the greater politics in my community.

Otherwise, I want to work for any organization that’s striving toward a cause I really believe in that will help my community.

What has your Concordia experience been like overall?

I owe a big part of my success to the Aboriginal Student Resource Centre. I discovered the centre when a friend of mine invited me there. It’s a very helpful atmosphere and everybody there is very encouraging.

What advice would you give to prospective students interested in First Peoples Studies?

I encourage anyone interested in learning more about challenges faced by Indigenous people to pursue First Peoples Studies.

We need the public to be more educated, even if it just means taking a few classes as electives. As long as you get involved and are motivated to learn more about First Peoples, you’re already helping the cause.