UM Indigenous PhD candidate honoured with 2025 Migizii Award

At this year’s 36th Annual Traditional Graduation Pow Wow, PhD candidate and sessional instructor/lecturer Hope Ace received the Migizii award and was nominated by graduating student Sheri Shorting.In the final and most challenging semester of her degree, Shorting faced immense personal hardship and considered taking a leave from university. She reached out to her professors for support, and while many advised her to withdraw, one response stood out — Hope Ace encouraged her to stay and supported her every step of the way.

Shorting expressed how life simply does not get better especially with the ongoing effects of intergenerational trauma and the many difficult themes that exist within Indigenous families and community structures.

“I lost a lot of hope this year, both in finishing my degree and in pursuing a career in medicine,” says Shorting. “But Hope became my source of support, encouragement and belief within myself.” 

Hope Ace is a member of M’Chigeeng First Nation located on Manitoulin Island, ON. She is Anishinaabe with settler roots on her maternal side and currently lives in Dauphin River First Nation in Treaty Two, MB. Photo by Adam Dolman

“This award means everything.”

“Receiving the Migizii Award meant everything to me,” says Ace. “When I first got the news, it took me several days to truly grasp the weight of the honour and the responsibility it carries. I felt deeply honoured to be nominated and recognized.“

”This award is a reminder that we are actively creating alternate futures beyond colonial realities. It holds me accountable to ensure students feel seen, heard, and respected — and reminds me of my responsibility to support space-making for the next seven generations, both on campus and in community, while honouring everyone’s autonomy.”

Ace teaches Indigenous feminism in the departments of Indigenous Studies and Women and Gender Studies. “I arrived at UM in 2019, never having been to Manitoba before,” she shares. “The Indigenous Studies department offered a strong sense of community and a network of brilliant scholars to learn alongside. It felt like the perfect home for my research. I’m deeply grateful to everyone at the university who welcomed me and continues to support me on this journey.”

A student-designed award brings new life to tradition 

This year’s Migizii Award pin was designed and hand-beaded by Métis student Mariah Hanslip and features an eagle — Migizii — representing spiritual strength. 

“I used earthy browns to represent the land, and UM blues for the sky,” Hanslip says. “It was important to me to blend Indigenous imagery with UM’s identity. The pin itself is backed with bison hide, and notably, the wooden box it rests in was handcrafted by my friend, Sean Kennedy.”

Mariah Hanslip is a descendant of a Residential School and tuberculosis survivor from Peguis First Nation, with settler roots from the Orkney Islands and England. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology at UM.

The design came to her during final exams, and she completed the beadwork over two to three days. Hanslip hopes the recipient feels the care that went into it — and the culture it helps carry forward. 

“My family has Métis roots, but no one has practiced beadwork for generations,” she says. “Now that I’ve learned it, I’ve been teaching my mom, my aunty — even my grandmother. This art form is coming back to life.” 

A final message from Hope Ace on the Graduation Pow Wow 

Ace vividly recalls the moment she attended her first Graduation Pow Wow while completing her master’s degree — an experience she describes as one of the most profound and heartwarming of her academic journey. The gathering was filled with a spirit of celebration and support, as the hard work and sacrifices of Indigenous students were honoured in the presence of their families and communities. In that moment, she felt a powerful sense of belonging.

Years later, returning to the same circle as an instructor, she watched graduates from across disciplines stand shoulder to shoulder, celebrating one another with pride and solidarity. The stands were filled with loved ones and kin, their presence a moving testament to the strength and unity of the Indigenous community. It brought tears to her eyes.

As an Indigenous scholar navigating both academic and traditional worlds, Ace firmly believes that communities of care are essential for students to take root and thrive. As she puts it,

“As an Indigenous student walking through multiple worlds, I find it most important to build communities of care — where students know they are valued, trusted, respected, and cared for. Where their knowledge and inquiry are honoured, and their spirits are nourished.”

For her, this is more than a reflection — it is a continuing commitment to safeguard and nurture spaces where future generations of Indigenous students can learn, grow, and shine.

* Acknowledgment: Special thanks to Adam Dolman for his photography, which helped bring this story to life.

Epilogue: Just as we finished writing this story, we received the wonderful news that Sheri Shorting has been accepted into medical school. She is about to begin a new and hopeful chapter—one that speaks not only to her dreams, but to the strength it took to reach them. For those who know her story, this moment is nothing short of extraordinary.

Chelsey Hill