Testimonials

Shé:kon skennen Kowa ken?

Good day to you!

Recently I was gifted the honour to engage in a 2 day workshop with Christopher Stock (and his Family) from ‘A Journey Begins..’ learning how to make an authentic wooden Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) water drum. Christopher is very knowledgeable about the Iroquois history, and was very generous with sharing that knowledge with us. He and his family were very welcoming, very organized and thoughtful in their preparations for us, offering different options for decorating our drums, so that they would be as unique as we are. They were very respectful and created an atmosphere of acceptance with warmth and encouragement

This workshop was filled with laughter, fantastic authentic food, and many Teachings from both the Haudenosaunee and the Anishinaabe that was contributed by an attending Anishinaabe Elder. I was very grateful for this knowledge that came with my drum. I was equally grateful for the new relationships I encountered there. Everyone worked hard, and helped each other. We came together with one mind. It was a great way to spend a weekend!

These ways were lost to my family through the Intergenerational Impacts that came down through the generations. It felt good to be able to continue to add to what we are relearning in order to bring back what was once almost lost.

I would attend any other workshops through ‘A Journey Begins..’ in the future in a heartbeat, and fully recommend both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous to attend one! You will not be disappointed.

With much appreciation to the Stock Family;

Niá :wen kowa!

Jenny Fleming, Indigenous Correctional Programs Officer

Dear Sir / Madam;

It is with great pleasure that I write to you about Elder Christopher Stock. Elder Stock has been working with us in Trillium Lakelands District School Board as a Knowledge Holder, Cultural Teacher and Language Instructor for many years. As a former graduate of TLDSB, Christopher shared his teachings with educators and classmates alike. Now as a partner in cultural education and an Elder in the “Elders in Residence Program”, Christopher shares his knowledge with staff and students in a number of our elementary and secondary schools.

As a cultural and language teacher and a member of the Ontario College of Teachers, Elder Stock brings a unique and talented perspective to the classroom. He is able to combine Ontario curriculum with Mohawk teachings in a truly integrated way that engages students and inspires them to be agents of change who genuinely work in allyship towards a true vision of reconciliation. As a valued member of our community, having Elder Stock in our schools allows all students, especially Indigenous students, to see themselves and their cultures and families celebrated and honoured in our school environment.

Most recently, Elder Stock was part of a team that co-created and co-delivered a virtual summer program for Indigenous students focused on social entrepreneurship. This program married cultural teachings with passion projects. Students were guided by the Elders to learn about their connection to Mother Earth, The Thanksgiving Address and the Four Sacred Elements, to see how they have the ability to be influencers in our communities, no matter how old they are. Students ended the program by presenting their ideas to a virtual audience with pride and excitement, all owing to the support they received from the team of Elders and Elder Stock in particular.

Christopher is a valued member of our community and an extremely important part of Indigenous Education in TLDSB. Should you have any questions or if you would like to discuss anything further, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,

Holly Groome, Indigenous Education Curriculum Consultant

To Whom It May Concern,

It is with great pleasure that I can support Chris in his endeavors to expand and replicate the programming that he provided to students at Macaulay Public School.

As an Elder in Residence, Chris was able to infuse Indigenous Education into the daily life of our students and staff.

Each week, Chris taught lessons to every class in the school. His lessons were engaging to all students, in all grades. As an educator, he provides excellent and relevant programming that is enjoyed by all students. Furthermore, Chris met regularly with teachers to provide resources and guidance with respect to indigenous resources, ideas, and perspectives. Chris quickly became an invaluable support. He was also instrumental in assisting us with outdoor learning experiences

While the full impact of this program has yet to be realized, what I can say is that I believe that Chris’ work has been instrumental in helping to develop an understanding of and respect for the cultures that are an integral part of our Canadian identity. Helping students develop this mindset is, in my mind, one of the most valuable pursuits that we can provide within a public education system and Chris’ excellent program supports this goal!

We have benefited greatly from the Elders in the Classroom experience and would love to see it continue and expand.

Sincerely,

David Crawford, Principal

This past summer, I had the distinct pleasure of working with Christopher Stock to co-create and deliver a program for students who identify as Indigenous within the Trillium Lakelands District School Board.

Christopher’s dedication to advising the program’s cultural component and delivering meaningful cultural teachings was an incredible asset and student feedback was effusive with praise. Christopher is highly committed and passionate about teaching traditional Kanien’keha:ka knowledge and culture to both Indigenous and Non-indigenous youth.

Christopher demonstrated deep expertise and an innate ability to engage personally with students through an online platform. The widespread adoption of remote learning is an exciting opportunity to scale the number of youth whom he can teach, interact and inspire. I am thrilled that Christopher will be able to further support students through virtual programming and look forward to following his continued success in engaging youth in traditional teachings.

Sincerely,

Rachel Franks, OCT, B.Ed., Education Lead

To Whom This May Concern,

This letter is written to express my complete confidence in Christopher Stock as a childrens’ worker, a teacher, and a holder of knowledge of Kanienkehake (Mohawk) ways.

For many years Christopher has been striving to learn more and more about his cultural ways, and was an avid student in learning the Mohawk language. He has in the past been a childrens’ worker for Wahta Mohawks, a teacher, and overall inspiring person due to his enthusiasm for what he believes in.

I have known Christopher since he was a child and I have no difficulty whatsoever in my comfort level that Christopher represents the authentic knowledge of the Haudenosaune people, and that he will work well with children in any school.

Yours sincerely,

Chief Philip Franks

To: Chris Stock

150 Bracebridge Fall Fair & Horse Show – Opening Ceremonies

The year 2017 marked a very special milestone and cause for great celebration for our organization. The Bracebridge Agricultural Society (BAS) celebrated its 150th Anniversary.

On behalf of President Dave Nichols and the Directors of the Bracebridge Agricultural Society, I would like to thank you for joining us as part of the celebration. Your Thanksgiving for 150 Years integrated nicely into our opening ceremonies and brought a new experience and enlightenment to many fair-goers.

Please feel welcome to join us at our upcoming pot luck supper at which we gather to enjoy an evening of family and friends as we reflect back on this year’s fair activities. The supper will be held on Thursday, October 26 at 6:30pm in the Exhibit Hall at J.D. Lang Park We hope to see you there.

Yours truly,

Pat Munroe, Secretary/Treasurer

Dear Chris and Nicolas:

Subject: Thank You for Your Support!

On behalf of Town Council and the residents of Bracebridge, please accept our sincere thanks for your participation in hosting the Gol, Norway Youth Friendship Delegation while they were visiting Bracebridge and Muskoka.

The Youth delegation’s visit was a very successful event. Your contribution in helping to provide them with a quick look at life in Muskoka helped to ensure our guests from Norway felt very warmly welcomed to our community. From all of their comments and feedback we know that the Youth Delegation had a wonderful time during their visit.

You have helped to ensure that the Gol Youth Delegation have many positive memories of their visit to Muskoka,

Once again, on behalf of the Town of Bracebridge, I would like to express our sincere appreciation for your generous support and continued involvement with our community.

Yours truly,

Graydon Smith, Mayor

Dear Mr. Christopher Stock,

RE: Your Iroquois Social Singing And Dancing presentations at our school

On behalf of the staff and students of Prince of Wales School we wish to thank you for your excellent series of presentations yesterday and today. Through an engaging mixture of stories, songs, dances, demonstrations, and discussion you helped all of us to begin to understand and appreciate Iroquoian (in particular, Mohawk) society and culture.

We appreciate the way in which you prepared six different presentations, each aimed at the particular interests, attention span, and Specific Expectations unique to the particular grades present at each. We enjoyed your two presentations for our middle school; one concerning the Iroquoian culture and one allowing for interactive discussion of current and historical social and political issues. It’s not often the same person is able to educate and enthral all grades from Junior Kindergarten to Grade Eight.

The interactive, multimodal nature of your presentations were well-suited to our diverse population with varied learning styles. The combination of stories, visual props in the form of clothing and artwork, hands-on props like drums and rattles, and of course the students’ participation in the songs and dances gained—and maintained—their attention and helped them to truly learn something from the presentations.

Your reference materials and lists will assist our teachers in following up on what has been an excellent exposure to Iroquian culture, society, art, and social /political issues.

We will gladly recommend you to any other schools interested in your services.

With Thanks,

Gary LaPeare, Senior Kindergarten, event organizer, and Pamela Reinholdt, Principal