Pauline Shirt, the Guiding Elder at George Brown College (GBC), has received the Order of Ontario, honouring her over 50 years as a champion and pioneer of Indigenous education, a community activist and a Knowledge and Wisdom Keeper.
Shirt, a Cree Plains Elder from the Saddle Lake Reserve in Alberta, Red-tail Hawk Clan, is among 26 appointees to the Order of Ontario for 2022 and received the province's highest civilian honour from Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont at a ceremony on November 27. Her influence, leadership, generosity, and kindness continue to impact individuals and Indigenous communities across Ontario, particularly in Toronto and at George Brown College, where she has taken hundreds of Indigenous students "under her wing" and fostered a strong sense of belonging.
Jolene May, GBC's Indigenous Mentorship Program Lead and an alumna, has known Elder Shirt since she was a child and has worked with her at the college for over a decade. "When some students come to the college, they don't feel like they belong in the Indigenous Student Centre because they don't know their culture. Pauline takes them under her wing and teaches them," May said.
"Pauline is inspirational and very knowledgeable about cultural teachings and traditions," May added, highlighting Shirt's memberships in the Buffalo Dance Society and Three Fires Society.
David Wolfman, Director of Indigenous Initiatives at George Brown, said Elder Shirt’s impact on Indigenous students at the college is immense.
“The spiritual guidance and support, cultural teachings and kindness Pauline provides directly affect the success of Indigenous learners at George Brown," he said. "We are proud that her efforts at the college and with so many other organizations and communities are being honoured and celebrated by the province.”
“Here at George Brown, my main purpose is to communicate with the students and work with them and have a work plan with them. And in our work plan, it’s mostly the spiritual aspects of their existence here. I sit with them periodically and talk to them and try to make them comfortable that this is their home." - Guiding Elder Pauline Shirt
Founder of Toronto’s first Indigenous-led school
While Elder Shirt remains an important and enduring presence at George Brown, her legacy is felt across Toronto and beyond. She co-founded Kâpapâmahchakwêw - Wandering Spirit School in Toronto in 1976 with her husband Vern Harper to provide a culturally safe learning environment for their child. Classes first ran in her home before the school was recognized by the Toronto District School Board. It operated as an elementary school until 2017, when grade nine was added, followed by grades 10 to 12 in the following years. Indigenous cultures and languages are embedded in curriculums.
Shirt is currently a member of the Elders Council at the Urban Indigenous Education Centre.
An incredible legacy of Indigenous rights activism and education
In 1974, Elder Shirt organized of the Ontario leg of the Native People’s Caravan to Ottawa, a demonstration in support of land and water rights of Indigenous people in Canada. A part of an Indigenous Medicine Society since the early 1980s, she holds a degree in sacred Indigenous Knowledge, equivalent to a PhD in western-based education systems. In 1984, she founded the first independent Indigenous holistic practitioner’s clinic, Red Willow.
The Ontario Order of Ontario 2022 nominees web page highlights Elder Shirt’s “timely and earnest contributions to Indigenous education, cultural revitalization and holistic wellness within Indigenous communities while building relationships and understanding across diverse peoples.”
“At age 80, she continues to champion Indigenous education in many sectors of Ontario and has had a profound impact on individuals and families, compounded over more than 50 years of community activism, learning, and teaching across the province,” the nominee description states.
Kent Monkman's Tribute to Elder Shirt
Famed Cree artist Kent Monkman painted a portrait of Elder Shirt for his exhibit Being Legendary, which ran at the Royal Ontario Museum from October 2022 to April 2023.
“Pauline Shirt (Nimikiiquay), knowledge Keeper, educator, singer and a founder of Kâpapâmahchakwêw / Wandering Spirit School still carries the song her great-great-great grandfather kapapamahchakwew (Wandering Spirit) sang as he crossed over to the other side on that cold day in the Frost Moon in 1885,” Monkman wrote in an Instagram caption with an image of the painting. “The song gives hope and shines a light forward for future generations.”
Congratulations from the GBC community
GBC President Dr. Gervan Fearon expressed his gratitude for the time, consideration, and guidance Elder Shirt provides to students and for everything she contributes to the college community.
"As a Guiding Elder and Knowledge Keeper, Pauline supports Indigenous students at GBC by fostering a true sense of belonging and making learners feel welcome, at home, and part of a vibrant and active community. Many students call her grandma—a testament to the kindness, wisdom and generosity she exudes," he said.
"Our Indigenous Education Strategy guides our efforts to ensure that learners have what they need to achieve Mino-Bimaadiziwin ('a good quality of life'), and in this, Pauline plays a vital role."
Learn more about the work of Guiding Elder Pauline Shirt and the Indigenous Initiatives department at georgebrown.ca/indigenous.
