Indigenous Initiatives
The University of Alberta is home to a diverse and welcoming community of over 1,300 Indigenous students across the country—with Edmonton having the second-largest Indigenous community of any city in Canada. We celebrate and honour Indigenous connections, including the lands on which our university is located today.
The establishment of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation responds to Call to Action 80, issued by the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which “calls upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”
In Honour of Residential School Survivors
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day of remembrance for the children who never returned home and an opportunity for Canadians to acknowledge the intergenerational harm caused by the schools. In recognition, the University of Alberta is flying the national, provincial and university flags at half-mast from September 26 — 30, 2022.
Message from Vice-Provost (Indigenous Programming & Research), Florence Glanfield »
Message from President and Vice-Chancellor, Bill Flanagan »
On September 30, we encourage everyone to wear an orange shirt to honour and remember the thousands of children who were stolen from their families and placed in Indian Residential Schools (IRS).
Indigenous Honoraria Process & Form Change
In alignment with goals outlined in the Indigenous Strategic Plan and reflecting the spirit of a variety of Indigenous practices around gifting and reciprocity, new procedures, guidelines and forms have been established for Indigenous honoraria. The form has been simplified and now requires much less personal and private information from honorarium recipients.
First Nations, Métis, Inuit Student Emergency Award
First Nation, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) peoples in Canada face financial and other barriers, such as systemic racism and isolation from family and culture that are a challenge to success in post-secondary education. You can help First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students with financial need to overcome these barriers by giving to the FNMI Student Emergency Award.
September 30th: Reflecting in Truth Toward Reconciliation
Andrea Menard (she/they/ᐃᐧᔭᐋᐧᐤ wiyawâw), Lead Educational Developer for Indigenizing Curricula and Pedagogies, takes us through the power and importance of recognizing September 30th as both the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as well as Orange Shirt Day, why it matters, and how we move, and reflect, in truth toward reconciliation.
Events
Orange Heart Pin Beading at the Library
Sept. 26—29
A number of U of A Library locations are offering a self-guided beading activities to create an orange heart pin as designed by local Indigenous artist, Felice Gladue.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Tour and Presentation
Sept. 29, 4 p.m.
A place-based land learning event around Augustana Campus for staff and faculty featuring Andrea Menard (Centre for Teaching and Learning) and Victoria Delorme (Augustana Indigenous Student Services).
Guided Walks on Truth and Reconciliation Day
Sept, 30, 9 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Join Knowledge Keepers, local historians and community members on a reflective land-based teaching and learning walk at one of two Edmonton cemeteries on the morning or afternoon of September 30, 2022.
Recognition and Reconciliation
At the U of A, we know that we have the responsibility to educate and the opportunity to uplift the next generation as part of the movement to unravel systemic racism. At the same time as we celebrate the vibrant First Nations, Inuit, and Metis lives lived, it's also a time to reflect on the intergenerational effects of colonialism. You can learn more, including calls to action, and can access supports by visiting the following Canadian and international resources:
- Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program
- Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
- Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Braiding Past, Present and Future
University of Alberta
Indigenous Strategic Plan
See the plan Watch the launchINDIGENOUS PROGRAMMING & RESEARCH
The Office of the Vice-Provost (Indigenous Programming & Research) facilitates institutional collaboration and communication to support the development and implementation of programs, services and initiatives related to Indigenous engagement. The office is also working to enable transformative institutional practices that respect and honour Indigenous knowledges across the University of Alberta.
Indigenous Student Services
First Peoples’ House
NORTH CAMPUS
Standing true to our beliefs as First Peoples and guided by our cultural teachings, the First Peoples’ House provides an environment of empowerment for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) learners to achieve personal and academic growth.
Wahkohtowin Lodge
AUGUSTANA CAMPUS
A gathering place for everyone on Augustana campus, the Wahkohtowin Lodge offers opportunities for Indigenous students to access a range of services as well as gather with each other, with Elders and with Indigenous community members.
I-STEAM Pathways
NORTH CAMPUS
Enabling First Nations, Métis or Inuit undergraduate students to gain research experience in environmental fields including science, environmental engineering, environmental law and policy.
Free Online Course: Indigenous Canada
We have the responsibility to educate and the opportunity to uplift the next several generations, which is why all are welcome to join Dr. Paul Gareau, Dr. Tracy Bear, Alannah Mandamin-Shawanda, and Isaac Twinn, as they lead learners through an exploration of Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. It’s free, it’s online, and there’s a space waiting for you.
INDIGENOUS-FOCUSED LEARNING
We are the only university in Canada with a Faculty of Native Studies. Both within this faculty and beyond, the University of Alberta offers Indigenous and non-Indigenous students alike education focused on the complexity of Indigenous issues and thought.
SITUATED KNOWLEDGES: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND PLACE (SKIPP)
One of the University of Alberta’s signature research and teaching areas, SKIPP was created to highlight Indigenous scholarship, create a strong community of Indigenous scholars, and allow other scholars to come into that space to learn and connect. Indigenous scholarship is defined as teaching, research, community engagement, research creation, and activities, locally and globally.
Resources for Everyone
Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization (SILR)
SILR seeks to build capacity for community-led Indigenous language revitalization in Canada. Their work seeks to provide support for community-led Indigenous language revitalization efforts through the coming generations — a future where Indigenous languages are healthy and vibrant, and are spoken in homes, schools, workplaces, and on the land.
Presenting Our Presence
Presenting Our Presence (POP) is a monthly vodcast and podcast that amplifies the voices and visibility of the Indigenous knowledge-holders, learners and change-makers who enliven the University of Alberta community. POP’s Indigenous-led protocols and ethics centre knowledge holders' sovereignty as stewards of their own stories.
Turtle Spirit Pathway Award for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Students
The Turtle Spirit Pathway Award for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Students assists Indigenous students who are entering the U of A and who have demonstrated financial challenges and barriers to attending university.
Start your application.Stories
Read about how Indigenous students and academics are uplifting the whole people through their teaching, research, and advocacy.