Cultivating Empathy at the Canadian Canoe Museum

Visiting the Canadian Canoe Museum (another beneficiary of Mr. Stu Lang’s philanthropic vision), scholars gained a firsthand appreciation for traditional canoe craftsmanship. Throughout the day, students learned from Joe and Gisele Martin, two Indigenous canoe builders-in-residence visiting from British Columbia, shared a lunch-and-learn session with Chief Laurie Carr of Hiawatha First Nation, and engaged in hands-on workshops in soapstone carving and qajaq (kayak) building. 

Each student also received a copy of Braiding Sweetgrass, recommended by Chief Carr as the latest addition to the Lang Library, a growing collection of thought-provoking and inspiring readings each scholar will delve into during their leadership journey. Written by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Potawatomi Nation, Braiding Sweetgrass offers a model of relationality based on stewardship and interconnectedness, rather than hierarchy and control. Through Indigenous teachings, Kimmerer outlines core principles, including reciprocity, unity, gratitude, humility and listening, that will help heal humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

By considering Indigenous traditions and lived experiences in a Canadian context, engaging in hands-on creation and participating in dialogue, the scholars honed the empathy and cultural awareness essential for principled global leadership.