Date(s) -Thursday, October 23, 2025
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: James Bay New Horizons
Categories
Victoria Historical Society invites you to attend the talk, The Constitution Express by Lorna Wanosts’a7 Williams on Thursday, October 23 at James Bay New Horizons, 234 Menzies Street, James Bay V8V 2G7. James Bay New Horizons opens at 7:15 pm for coffee and conversation; talk starts at 7:30 pm.
In 1980, then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was advancing talks to “repatriate” the Constitution from Great Britain. but excluding participation by Indigenous leaders. The Constitution Express was an Indigenous initiative to make sure Indigenous voices were heard and Dr. Lorna Wanosts’a7
Williams was a central participant. She will share the story of two passenger trains that transported Indigenous activists to Ottawa and their work to leverage meaningful participation in the process that affected Indigenous people so profoundly. The Constitution Express was a powerful, effective assertion of Indigenous influence.
Dr. Williams is Professor Emeritus of Indigenous Education, Curriculum and Instructionat the University of Victoria and Canada Research Chair in Education and Linguistics where she initiated and led the development of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Indigenous Language Revitalization, and a Master’s in Counseling in Indigenous Communities. She also initiated, designed, and implemented a mandatory course in Indigenous Education for all teacher education students, leading to the requirement that all teacher education programs in British Columbia include an Indigenous Education course.
In 2020 Dr. Lorna Wanosts’a7 Williams was appointed to the Order of Canada. She received the honour for her contributions to Indigenous education and her advocacy of Indigenous language revitalization programs.