Students Union / en Indigenous student leader Zachary Biech is one of the faces behind U of T's grand powwow this weekend /news/indigenous-student-leader-zachary-biech-one-faces-behind-u-t-s-grand-powwow-weekend <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Indigenous student leader Zachary Biech is one of the faces behind U of T's grand powwow this weekend</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-03-08-LEAD-ZACHARY%20BIECH.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=aHHsgffz 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-03-08-LEAD-ZACHARY%20BIECH.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=TY4K6JgS 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-03-08-LEAD-ZACHARY%20BIECH.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=F9AGy1RT 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-03-08-LEAD-ZACHARY%20BIECH.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=aHHsgffz" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>hjames</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-03-10T14:24:51-05:00" title="Friday, March 10, 2017 - 14:24" class="datetime">Fri, 03/10/2017 - 14:24</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Law student Zachary Biech is a founder member of the Indigenous Studies Student Union and will be a flag bearer at Saturday's powwow (photo by Hannah James) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/hannah-james" hreflang="en">Hannah James</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Hannah James</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/powwow" hreflang="en">Powwow</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students-union" hreflang="en">Students Union</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When <strong>Zachary Biech&nbsp;</strong>– a descendant of the legendary Chief&nbsp;Poundmaker – first arrived at οhe&nbsp;had little connection to his&nbsp;Plains Cree&nbsp;ancestry.</p> <p>By the time he finished his degree in Indigenous studies, Biech (who describes Poundmaker as his uncle of seven generations) was well on his way to becoming&nbsp;an engaged&nbsp;student leader.</p> <p>Biech, now a first year law student, has been asked to be a flag bearer at Saturday's first-large scale powwow in decades. The powwow is organized by the <a href="http://indigenousstudies.utoronto.ca/undergraduate/issu/">Indigenous Studies Student Union</a>, which he founded less than two years ago.</p> <h3><a href="/news/for-us-by-us-students-organize-university-toronto-first-powwow-decades">Read more about the powwow</a></h3> <p><em><span lang="EN" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: &quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></em><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3751 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2017-03-10-poundmaker_0.jpg?itok=v6N5Gwab" style="width: 250px; height: 400px; margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image">“I’m unbelievably proud,” says Biech. “I get emotional when I think about it,” he says.</p> <p>Raised in Alberta, first in Calgary and then later in Cochrane, Biech says he had little contact with the Plains Cree communities.</p> <p>Biech says his family as a whole had struggled with intergenerational traumas stemming from Canada’s colonial policies. Over time, his family became fragmented. In high school, Biech says he began to learn more about the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada.</p> <p>“They didn’t tell us very much, but I always got fired up,” he says,&nbsp;“because I knew… that’s my family, those are my relatives.”</p> <p>When Biech arrived at U of T, he took a Canadian politics course with a&nbsp;teaching assistant who&nbsp;was&nbsp;interested in Indigenous studies.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Again, I was fired right up,” says Biech.</p> <p>That summer, Biech says he began volunteering at the<strong> </strong>Native Canadian Centre of Toronto and met people in Toronto’s Indigenous community that helped solidify his path.</p> <p>“I didn’t realize how hungry I was for that basic foundation.&nbsp;For that kind of knowledge,” he says.</p> <p>In 2015, Biech and&nbsp;two friends in<strong>&nbsp;</strong>Indigenous studies&nbsp;at the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science decided it was time the faculty had a student union to call their own&nbsp;with a consitution&nbsp;informed by indigeneity. This meant creating a group that avoided hierarchies and advocated for decision-making to&nbsp;be collaborative.&nbsp;</p> <p>By fall 2015, the<a href="http://indigenousstudies.utoronto.ca/undergraduate/issu/"> Indigenous Studies Student Union </a>was born. Now, less than two years later, Biech has moved on to law school, but the student union he helped found is thriving.&nbsp;It has&nbsp;hundreds of members and&nbsp;hosts dozens of events across U of T, including Saturday's powwow, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1578461218836927/">Honouring Our Students Pow Wow&nbsp;and Indigenous Festival</a>, which is free and open to the public.</p> <h3><a href="http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2017/03/09/uoft-students-revive-pow-wows.html">Read the Metro News story about the powwow</a></h3> <p>The Indigenous Studies Student Union has also been awarded the <a href="http://assu.ca/services-resources/assu-awards/">Sanjeev (Sanj) Dewett Course Union of the Year Award</a>&nbsp;by the Arts and Science Student's Union, which will be presented officially to the union on March 22.<span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></p> <p>“The group is meant to be a symbol of hope, and I think it’s living proof&nbsp;because it shows a small group of friends with a good idea really can change everything,” says Biech.</p> <p>Inspired by his ancestors – like Chief Poundmaker (pictured above, courtesy of Archives Canada), and celebrated scholars&nbsp;Freda Ahenakew and <strong>Edward Ahenakew&nbsp;</strong>–&nbsp;Biech says as he continues to study at U of T, he remains dedicated to standing up for&nbsp;his people.</p> <p>“It was the greatest gift to me to come here and learn about my people, my culture and other Indigenous cultures," he says.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 10 Mar 2017 19:24:51 +0000 hjames 105513 at