U of C celebrates successful year of Indigenous strategy
Looking ahead, university vows to meet 27 outlined recommendations
The University of Calgary is ushering in the second year of its Indigenous Strategy with a call to action, urging students and faculty to find ways of increasing the institution’s Indigenous representation and learn more about Indigenous culture.
Unveiled in November of 2017, the strategy aims to “reset” the university’s relationship with Indigenous peoples “and ensure all aspects of campus life are informed by Indigenous perspectives.”
In Blackfoot, the strategy is called ii’ taa’ poh’ to’ p, meaning a place to rest and re-energize during a journey.
Creation of the strategy solidified the university’s commitment to respecting, including and promoting “Indigenous ways of knowing, teaching, learning and research.”
“The strategy is about a journey, a transformation and renewal, where Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples are going forward together in a respectful way,” said Michael Hart, vice-provost of Indigenous engagement.
“What we are looking forward to is enhancing that, and really being a model … for many other institutions throughout society as well as individuals so we’re walking together, and we’re all better in diverse ways of living.”
An event on campus Thursday featured a panel discussing next steps for the strategy and celebrating successes on the road to reconciliation in its first year — including the creation of the Circle of Advisors, which brought 15 Indigenous knowledge-keepers together with U of C’s senior leadership to promote “authentic dialogue” around Indigenous issues.
When the strategy launched, 731 First Nations students were enrolled at U of C, making up 2.6 per cent of the student population.
The university said more than 130 of those students have since graduated, and the university hopes to increase its Indigenous enrolment next year.
Through the strategy, the university made more than $1 million in education assistance funding available to self-identified Indigenous undergraduate students last year, including more than $530,000 in bursaries from the province.
Another $634,850 was awarded to self-identified Indigenous graduate students, including designated bursaries from the Rupertsland Institute and the government of Alberta.
Hart said there are many “parallel” components of the strategy that apply to students from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous backgrounds, such as the creation of “safer places” where students can “feel respected for who they are and what they bring (to the university) is recognized.”
“There’s a lot of focus in our strategy talking about what’s referred to as ethical space, where people can participate as who they are without having to give up any sense of identity or knowledge, and that applies to everybody,” he said.
The university has made Indigenous-specific additions to a number of faculties, including introducing Indigenous games to kinesiology classes and an Indigenous youth partnership with the veterinary medicine program.
One of the initiatives under the Indigenous Strategy is the Aboriginal Youth Engagement Program, which saw students from the Siksika Nation High School working alongside U of C students this summer for an archaeological dig at Cluny Fortified Village — the only known prehistoric fortified village on the Canadian plains.
In Year 2, Hart said the university is working to meet 27 recommendations outlined in the strategy, including developing Indigenous language programs, increasing engagement of Indigenous alumni and developing a landscape plan to “ensure Indigenous presence is evident” on campus.
To learn more about the Indigenous Strategy, visit www.ucalgary. ca/indigenous-strategy.