Time for Action
UM’s Truth and Reconciliation Framework
Our plan
Grounded in community engagement, the Framework builds on decades of work led by Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Holders, students, faculty, staff and community members. It is informed by the Indigenous Senior Leadership Report and Recommendations, as well as the MOMENTUM: Leading Change Together 2024-2029 strategic plan.
While significant progress has been made to address organizational and structural gaps and barriers at UM, significant work remains.
Commitments
Transforming UM’s spaces and systems, and confronting anti-Indigenous racism and oppression requires time, active engagement with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities and collaboration to prepare UM graduates to be forward-thinking leaders. Transformation begins with the following four commitments. Here's how we are taking action:
Integrate Indigenous knowledges and ways of being
Integrating Indigenous knowledges and ways of being to be an integral component of UM’s systems and structures acknowledges the richness of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit approaches to knowing and being.
What we're doing
- Establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Framework implementation committee
- Safeguarding opportunities for Indigenous students, faculty and staff through a university-wide policy and procedures on Indigenous membership, citizenship and kinship.
- Developing, resourcing and implementing a Respectful Rematriation and Repatriation Ceremony Policy and Wise Practices (Procedures).
- Developing an engagement approach to inform a process for evaluating the ethics of Indigenous research projects involving human ethics.
Create a sense of belonging
Attracting and retaining First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, faculty, staff and senior leadership involves fostering an equitable, respectful and supportive environment that creates a sense of belonging.
What we're doing
- Improving our understanding of the demographic and geographic composition of Indigenous students, faculty and staff.
- Strategically sharing more student, faculty and staff stories.
- Establishing a repository to capture existing and future ideas to support creating a sense of belonging.
Learn more about how we're creating a sense of belonging (PDF)
Empower learning
Empowering students, faculty and staff to learn and understand Indigenous history and ways of understanding and knowing through enhancing curriculum with Indigenous knowledges and supporting culturally responsive and historically accurate training.
What we're doing
- Initiating a review of curriculum, programs, training and content for opportunities to integrate Indigenous knowledges.
- Identifying ways to support Indigenous language teaching and learning.
- Exploring approaches to resource initiatives that support advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Framework.
Decolonize and Indigenize spaces and places
Creating environments that enable individuals to reach their highest potential as balanced beings is essential. This involves inspiring excellence and creativity while nurturing harmonious relationships with all of creation.
What we're doing
- Engaging with First Nations, Métis and Inuit faculty, students, staff and Indigenous communities to listen and learn how to create Indigenous community spaces.
- Developing an Indigenous mental health strategy.
- Encouraging the integration of Indigenous languages and naming ceremonies to name spaces.
Timeline of Truth and Reconciliation at UM
Resources
Now is the time for action. Reconciliation requires the work of the entire UM community to create an equitable and safe space for all Indigenous Peoples at UM and in the community. This Framework provides a roadmap for the university’s reconciliation efforts and will guide future initiatives, including the development of an implementation plan that emphasizes accountability through regular evaluation, progress reporting and measuring success.
Each academic and administrative unit will develop tailored action plans in alignment with the four commitments. To help develop these Reconciliation action plans, we will build out resources to help assist with this work. Resources coming soon.
WATCH: On Monday, March 3, 2025, we launched the Truth and Reconciliation Framework: Time for Action at a UM community event. Watch the recording to hear inspiring speakers, a panel discussion with engaging discussion and advice for those on their Reconciliation journey (at 58:23), as well as a question-and-answer session.
Acknowledgements
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has contributed to this work, from those who started this journey decades ago to our current UM community. That bravery, dedication and hard work laid the foundation for the progress we’re making today.
Thank you to all the Elders, Knowledge Holders, faculty, staff, students and community members who participated in engagement sessions and provided feedback on the Framework throughout its development. We look forward to future engagement as we move forward in a better way.
Reconciliation Advisory Committee Members
Leslie Spillett
Knowledge Keeper
Angie Bruce
Vice-President (Indigenous), Co-sponsor and chair of the committee
Jeff Leclerc
University Secretary, Co-sponsor
Andrea Di Ubaldo
Communications Manager, Strategic Marketing and Communications, External Relations
Annemieke Farenhorst
Associate Vice-President, Office of the Vice-President (Research and International)
Chantal Daniels
Ongomiizwin Education Director, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
Christopher Yendt
President, Graduate Students Association
Heather McRae
Acting Executive Director, Indigenous Communications & Elev, OVPI
Jolene Head
Associate Executive Director, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Marcia Yoshida
Student Appeals & Academic Gov. Officer (Office of the University Secretary)
Mario Lebar
Chief Information Officer, Office of the Vice-President (Administration)
Michaela de Hoop (2024/25) and Ishkode Catcheway (2023/24)
Indigenous Students’ Representative, University of Manitoba Students’ Union
Mimi Locher
Dean, Faculty of Architecture
Tracey Peter
Vice-Provost (Academic Affairs), Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic)
Advisory committee resource person
Maire McDermott
Strategic Initiatives Project Manager, Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous)
Special thanks
Thank you to Nicki Ferland, Anny Chen, Mark O’Reilly (retired) and Dr. Cary Miller who organized and facilitated community engagement sessions to ensure we received feedback from across our community. Dr. Miller also made significant contributions to the writing of the Framework. Thank you as well to Dr. Catherine Cook, the inaugural Vice-President (Indigenous), whose leadership initiated this work. We are grateful to each of them for their time and genuine commitment to this work.
How we got here
Draft framework
We are excited to share the Truth and Reconciliation Framework: Time for Action – 2024-2029 (PDF). Informed by community consultations and MOMENTUM: Leading Change Together 2024-2029, this draft framework outlines the vision, mission and shared values, which has guided the Reconciliation Advisory Committee in its work.
Before the Committee moves forward with presenting a final plan to Senate and the Board of Governors for approval, we invite you to read and share your feedback on this important document. This framework will guide our shared work over the next five years. We want to ensure that it resonates and that the diversity of voices and perspectives that strengthen our UM community are reflected in our framework.
Using the Indigenous Senior Leadership Report and Recommendations and the MOMENTUM: Leading Change Together 2024-2029 plan as guides, the Truth and Reconciliation Framework provides the high-level context to champion a university-wide Reconciliation Implementation Plan in 2025, which will drive UM’s commitment of advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action and integrating Indigenous ways of knowing into what we do.
The online form to provide feedback closed Friday, July 12, 2024 at 4 p.m. Thank you to all who submitted.
Engagements sessions
We developed the Truth and Reconciliation Framework (PDF) in consultation with our community.
The Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous) (OVPI) formed a team in fall 2022 following recommendations from UM’s Indigenous Senior Leadership Report. The goal of the team was to lead an engagement process to inform the development of a university-wide plan for Reconciliation.
The team organized three large-scale sessions, bringing together a range of collaborators, including Elders, UM Indigenous students, senior leaders, faculty, staff and Indigenous community members. They kicked off with talks about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action. Participants were asked to share broad, university-wide goals, visions, ideas and needs to address the holistic experiences of Indigenous students, faculty and staff. Participants were also encouraged to consider the intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of working and learning at the UM.
Other recent university reports, many of which responded to the Indigenous Senior Leadership recommendations, were also vital in shaping this process. The thoughts and suggestions from those reports were echoed by the participants in the community engagement sessions, contributing to the development of the Reconciliation plan. You can find the reports, which each held their own engagement sessions, on the OVPI's reporting page.
Feedback we received
What we’ve heard so far: Truth and Reconciliation Framework Engagement Session feedback
Thank you to all who have participated in the engagement process and provided feedback on the University of Manitoba’s Truth and Reconciliation Framework: Time for Action (Framework).
From May until early September 2024, we have held engagement sessions to help inform and strengthen the draft Framework, ensuring it reflects the diverse voices within the UM community. These sessions have included UM Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Grandmothers, Grandfathers, students, faculty and staff, as well as external Indigenous community partners.
We gathered rich and valuable feedback from each session, direct email and online feedback form submission. Below is a high-level summary of the main themes we’ve learned from your feedback to date:
Accountability: Feedback from the UM community and external Indigenous community partners indicated the need for all UM units, departments and faculties to be accountable for Reconciliation commitments. This means setting clear goals, regularly reporting on progress and being transparent about both successes and areas needing improvement.
Direct and Honest Language: Feedback emphasized the need to make the language in the Framework clearer and more direct, and to ensure it speaks to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous audience perspectives. Helping build trust and ensuring everyone is on the same page.
Anti-Indigenous Racism and Oppression: Feedback highlighted that language concerning the need to address and dismantle systemic racism and oppression faced by First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, faculty and staff needs to be stronger.
Real Systems Change: Feedback showed a desire for deep, structural changes that go beyond surface-level adjustments to making fundamental changes to policies, practices and workplace culture to support Indigenous rights and perspectives.
Transparency on Progress: Feedback indicated the need for the university to be open about its progress on the Truth and Reconciliation Framework and following implementation. Regular updates and clear communication are essential.
Truth-Telling: Feedback stressed the importance of acknowledging historical and ongoing injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples, specifically at UM. Sharing the truths related to UM’s history and relationships with Indigenous Peoples is a crucial step towards healing and being in right relationship. It also reinforces the message that without truth, there can be no Reconciliation.
Distinct from EDI Efforts: Finally, some feedback indicated the need for clarification of how this work is distinct from the UM’s equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) efforts; that the Truth and Reconciliation Framework is not simply about promoting diversity and inclusion; it is about fulfilling our obligations and commitments to Indigenous Peoples.
This feedback will inform the work as we move forward with developing the next draft of the Framework.
Thank you again to everyone who has contributed to ensure the Framework has meaning. We appreciate your time and commitment to advancing Reconciliation at UM.
We invite anyone who wishes to share additional feedback to email us at reconciliaction@umanitoba.ca by September 20, 2024. Your input is invaluable as we continue this important journey.