Kristen Pittman remembers her days as an undergraduate at Memorial University’s Grenfell campus.

She attended Grenfell from 2005 to 2009. She made friends and even met her husband, Ryan, in her first year.

But she also remembers the lack of Indigenous programming on campus in those days, which she felt as a tangible absence.

Ms. Pittman was raised in Corner Brook and connected to her Mi’kmaw community of Pollard’s Point through her father. Her connection to her community and family allows Ms. Pittman to bring her lived experience and perspectives to her work, grounding her efforts in both cultural and personal understanding.

So it made perfect sense, after graduating with her bachelor of science degree in psychology and working for a time with the federal government, that she would find her way to work with Qalipu First Nation. It was a way to help create change.

She started in 2012 as a client service officer working with the Education and Training Department, which included supporting Mi’kmaw students in their educational journey.

In 2019, she became the manager of education and training, where she was involved in developing Mi’kmaw programming within the K to 12 school system.

Though Ms. Pittman recognizes that our educational system still has a long way to go and that curriculum changes can take years to evolve, her favourite part of working with the K to 12 system was engaging directly with teachers.

She loved having professional learning sessions with teachers and finding ways to Indigenize and decolonize classrooms. She said it’s important to make small changes while also working towards more substantial curriculum development.

Her commitment to these efforts was both professional and personal.

Ms. Pittman has a young daughter, Olivia, who is a proud jingle dancer. “I want and need her to see herself reflected in the school system,” Ms. Pittman said. “So she can feel that she belongs, and so she can thrive and succeed.”

Although she loved working with Qalipu First Nation, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join Grenfell Campus as the first manager of Indigenous affairs in 2022.

 

 

Kristen Pittman leads the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation march through Corner Brook in 2024. Photo by Lori Lee Pike.

 

Ms. Pittman recently completed her master’s degree in educational leadership, a journey that allowed her to delve deeper into the role of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives in educational systems.

As part of her research, she engaged with the Mi’kmaw community of Elmastukwek (Bay of Islands) to explore how Mi’kmaw music serves as a powerful tool for teaching, connecting people and strengthening community bonds, all while preserving and promoting traditional knowledge.

This research deepened her commitment to integrating Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into educational frameworks. And now she works diligently to grow and build on the Indigenous programming which is pervasive across Grenfell Campus.

Grenfell is now home to regular student programming, including drop-in smudging and the Kekina’mut Indigenous Peer Mentorship program. Then there are larger campus events and initiatives that include the annual All-Nations Powwow, Mi’kmaq History Month, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Grenfell Indigenous Craft Market and Indigenous Peoples Week.

Ms. Pittman is forming partnerships with the wider community as well, such as her role in assisting with the renewal of the Tūrangawaewae Pōkai Whenua Indigenous student exchange program with the University of Otago in New Zealand.

The results of her efforts are showing.

As of 2024, approximately 25 per cent of students at Grenfell self-identify as Indigenous, an inspiring increase over the last few years. Ms. Pittman is certain to acknowledge trailblazers like Kelly Anne Butler, Interim Director, Indigenous Engagement and Reconciliation, who helped to initiate Indigenous programming and events at Grenfell and continues to lead and mentor Ms. Pittman in her current role.

She said she measures her small team’s success by the feedback they receive from the community, and the feedback has been positive.

Following the 2024 All-Nations Powwow, Ms. Pittman was approached by a member of the community. Even though the powwow had attracted almost 400 people that year, the community member said, “It felt like a gathering of family.”

This is the feeling that Ms. Pittman most wants to create at Grenfell as she continues to open the campus to Indigenous-led initiatives. She’s creating a place where students feel represented and know they belong.