Have you met Violet Okemaw, Curriculum Director for the Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization (SILR) project? Spend a few minutes getting to know her better.
What is your first U of A memory?
A great place to learn!
What’s something your coworkers don’t know about you?
I come from a family of 13 siblings; 8 brothers and 5 sisters. All 14 of us speak Anishinaabemowin/Ojibwe/Saulteaux as our first language. As well, most of us have post-secondary degrees in education, social work and/or in the medical field.
What’s your favorite distraction?
Scrolling Facebook posts, and other social media platforms.
If you were enrolling in one course, program or degree right now, what would it be?
I already have three degrees in Education, so it is difficult to decide which course I would like to take. Maybe a series of technological courses.
You can invite anyone — alive or dead, real or fictional — to dinner. Who would it be?
My late grandparents and parents. It would have been great for my children and grandchildren to get to know them and be with their kookoms and moshooms.
If you could see any live performance tomorrow, what would it be?
Any country and western musician. I love country music.
What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
You’ve made some mistakes along the way, however it is good that you choose the right path in your life. Education is the key to living a mino-bimaadiziwin (good way of life).
What’s one thing you can’t live without?
I guess technology, although we never had technology growing up. I was about 11 years old when we had our first black and white television. I was first introduced to how to use a computer when I was teaching grade 3 in the early 1980s. For my first degree, I hand wrote most of my assignments, and for my second degree, I used a typewriter to type all my research papers. For my last degree, I used a computer/laptop. Times have really changed. Technology has certainly changed the way we do our academic work!
What three words describe your U of A experience?
Empowering, gratifying and interesting!
About Violet
Violet Okemaw is originally from Berens River First Nation, a small community situated in the southeastern part of Manitoba. She speaks Anishinaabemowin/Ojibwe and has recently moved to Edmonton with her husband, Rudy Okemaw, to be with their two daughters, partners and two grandchildren. Amongst many educational work experiences in Manitoba and Alberta for the past 39 years, Violet graduated with a PhD degree in 2019 from the University of Alberta, and is now the Curriculum Director for the Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization (SILR) project.