Equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives at Canadian universities
Mount Royal University opens Office of academic Indigenization
Mount Royal University’s new Office of Academic Indigenization (OAI), which opened in January 2018, aims to increase the number of Indigenous students on campus, help ensure they succeed and deepen the understanding of all students about Indigenous peoples and their history in Canada.
Nearly 200 people from across campus and Indigenous communities attended the opening. Events included a pipe ceremony and a blessing by an elder. In addition, a mural by Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) Dené artist Lauren Crazy Bull was unveiled, while Alice Kaquitts and Thomas Snow from the Îyârhe Nakoda Nation were among speakers from the Treaty 7 area. The formal ceremony ended with an honour song written as a gift to the OAI to commemorate the occasion.
The OAI consults and collaborates with stakeholders within and beyond Mount Royal. Together, they promote culturally responsible and respectful curricula that integrates Indigenous pedagogies and ways of knowing. The Office will lead in the professional development of faculty wanting to increase their understanding of what it means to Indigenize, which will include speakers and other events on campus.
