Indigenous Initiatives Fund

Indigenous Student-Led Indigenous Art Purchase Program (ISLIAPP)

C.W. Brooks-Ip, Registrar, University Art Collections in the office of the Associate Vice-President (Administration)

The Indigenous Student Led Indigenous Art Purchase Program (ISLIAPP) will transform the composition of the University Art Collections by adding contemporary Indigenous art to the collection. Each year the ISLIAPP will convene a committee of 5 to 7 Indigenous students from the University of Manitoba community who will meet artists and curators, visit studios, and select artwork to be acquired by the University of Manitoba University Art Collections.

These new acquisitions of contemporary Indigenous artworks will receive an exhibition in the Collections Gallery of the School of Art Gallery. After the exhibition, the work will, as part of the University Art Collection, be placed on display on campus as possible.

This effort will begin the process of diversifying and decolonizing the University Art Collections by including contemporary Indigenous artwork in the collection. This contemporary work, selected by an Indigenous student committee, will offer a point of cultural connection to Indigenous individuals visiting the University of Manitoba campus.

$60,000

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Raven Medicine Cloud Online Story Map Expansion

Christie Nairn, Director, Office of Sustainability; Kevin Handkamer, Campus Planner, Campus Planning Office; Heather Stark, Sustainability Projects Coordinator, Office of Sustainability

The Raven Medicine Cloud project began in 2018 as a placemaking initiative intended to strengthen connections to the land and highlight Traditional Knowledge surrounding native plant species that exist throughout the Fort Garry Campus lands. An interactive story map was created in partnership with an Indigenous Land Based Education Working group established to inform and guide the project.

The next phase of Raven Medicine Cloud will focus on completing and installing physical signage installations within the campus lands and establishing an online platform to include language, oral history and Traditional Knowledge that can be linked to the physical signage installations as well as to other online platforms across the University, to better highlight Indigenous spaces, art and placemaking projects on campus. 

The project will integrate Elders, traditional knowledge holders and land-based education experts to help create a narrative related to traditional plant uses, language, storytelling and connections to the land which can be shared with the greater campus community through an interactive online platform to foster a deeper understanding of the lands on which we are located. 

$60,000

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Pathways for Indigenous Students into Clinical Psychology in Manitoba

Aleah Fontaine (Ph.D. Candidate, Dept of Psychology, Faculty of Arts); Maxine Holmqvist, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Dept of Clinical Health Psychology; Rady Faculty of Health Sciences); Sandra Hunter (Ph.D. Student, Dept of Psychology); Corey Mackenzie, Ph.D. (Professor, Dept of Psychology); Julia Riddell, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Dept of Clinical Health Psychology); Lindsay Woods, Ph.D. (Director, Multidisciplinary Assessment and Consultation Centre, New Directions).

Mental health disorders are the second leading cause of disease burden globally and 44% of Canadian adults have at least one chronic health condition. In Canada, a legacy of colonization, residential schooling, and anti-Indigenous racism has led to disproportionate numbers of Indigenous Peoples requiring effective and culturally appropriate mental and physical health treatment. Clinical psychologists can play important roles in promoting physical and emotional well-being. Unfortunately, as of 2018 there were just 12 Indigenous clinical psychologists in Canada, highlighting the need to substantially increase the recruitment and training of Indigenous students in professional psychology. In 2020, the UofM departments of Psychology (Faculty of Arts; doctoral training program) and Clinical Health Psychology (Max Rady College of Medicine; residency program) co-hosted a 1-day event to start the conversation on improving pathways into clinical psychology for Indigenous students in Manitoba. Over the past year, our Pathways Working Group that emerged from this event has developed three overarching goals that the current proposal will begin to implement: (1) describing pathways and barriers for students considering careers in clinical psychology by collecting data on Indigenous students at various points in their career journeys starting in high school, (2) strengthening pathways through outreach to high school and undergraduate students, and (3) maintaining pathways by Indigenizing training program curricula to promote Indigenous ways of knowing and to build cultural safety to ensure that Indigenous students are supported throughout their training.      

$29,947

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Creating Community: Making Supports for Indigenous Students at the School of Art        

Katherine Boyer, Associate Director Undergraduate Programs, School of Art; Suzanne McLeod, Assistant Professor, Art History (Indigenous), School of Art; Justin Bear, Indigenous Art Education Coordinator, SoA Gallery, Project Advisor

Recognizing the importance of an Indigenous-specific space that supports Indigenous students, both from the School of Art (SoA) and other faculties, the SoA aims to create a culturally safe physical place that will be instrumental in contributing to student success. This will help Indigenous students to build confidence and academic ability through mentoring, tutoring, access to Elders and Knowledge Keepers, cultural supports, hosting of workshops, artist talks, guest speakers, and relationship-building opportunities. Through the creation of an environment that recognizes the importance of culture, family, and community as an integral part of well-being, the SoA strives to meet the academic and holistic needs of Indigenous students as they move successfully through their programs.   

$15,000

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Kiskithihta Mīthokwesowin: Discovering our Gifts

Blair Fornwald, Director/Curator; Justin Bear L'Arrivee, Indigenous Art Education Coordinator

Art is a gift we can give ourselves, our communities, and future generations. A powerful means of self-expression and communication, art gives form to ideas and can help us imagine new ways of being, and being together in the world.  As we engage in the process of reconciliation, we recognize that Indigenous art is a particularly valuable gift, transmitting stories and perspectives that will collectively lead us to a more equitable and sustainable decolonial future. While there has been increased visibility and support for Indigenous art, many Indigenous youth face barriers that prevent them from recognizing their gifts and developing their artistic potential.

In response, the School of Art Gallery (SoAG) has developed Kiskithihta Mīthokwesowin: Discovering our Gifts. The program will inspire and activate the next generation of Indigenous artists by removing barriers, instilling confidence, and providing them with opportunities to explore art-making as a means of telling their stories. Working in partnership with community partners at Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc., Marymound Inc., Willow Tree Action Therapy Youth Services, and Rainbow Resource Centre, the program will offer a series of art workshops focused on cultural themes, led by professional Indigenous artists, and developed in consultation with Elders. Kiskithihta Mīthokwesowin aims to help Indigenous youth – particularly 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and those placed at risk through the foster care and justice systems – to discover and share their gifts through art. By breaking down barriers and helping Indigenous youth recognize the importance of their stories and perspectives, the program aims to empower the next generation of Indigenous artists, whose work will influence the social and cultural landscape for years to come.

$14, 588

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THE SHARED PATH: Expanding Synergies between Health, Ecology and Indigenous Knowledge and the Lake Manitoba First Nation / University of Manitoba Partnership through Workshops and Design-Build Studios

Dietmar Straub, Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture; Anna Thurmayr, Professor and Head, Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture; Cara Brown, Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

In collaboration with Lawrence West, Mary Maytwayashing, Debra Beach Ducharme, Lisa Mendez, and Jacquie Ripat.

The Shared Path project is an initiative that will advance the University of Manitoba’s relationship with the Lake Manitoba First Nation. It engages community members of all ages and abilities and university students, faculty, and staff from multiple faculties to participate in hands-on workshops and design-build studios to develop and maximize the use of the new green heart of Lake Manitoba First Nation. These educational sessions on planting, seeding, making, and community guardianship will expose Lake Manitoba youth and university students to different professions, university programs, Anishinaabe knowledge, improve trust between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people for reconciliation, and provide University of Manitoba recruitment and interprofessional collaboration opportunities. The Shared Path project facilitates reciprocal learning and promotes physical, spiritual, and emotional health.

$60,000

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Documenting "Decolonizing and Indigenizing Engineering": The Profound Impact of a New Course on Students and Faculty in the Price Faculty of Engineering

Dr. Jillian Seniuk Cicek, Assistant Professor, Centre for Engineering Professional Practice and Engineering Education, Price Faculty of Engineering; Ella Morris, EIT, Instructor & Indigenous Scholar, Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural & Food Sciences; Randy Herrmann,  P. Eng., Director, Engineering Access Program (ENGAP) for Indigenous Students, Price Faculty of Engineering

The Price Faculty of Engineering will build on their 2018 & 2019 IIF project, "Seeing Through an Indigenous Lens: Enhancing Engineering Education with Indigenous Cultures, Pedagogies, Knowledges, Perspectives, and Design Principles: Part 1 & 2," which designed and implemented a new Complementary Studies (CS) elective course focusing on "Decolonizing and Indigenizing Engineering," by creating a professional documentary about the course.

The course provides engineering students with knowledges and perspectives for working successfully with First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples and communities in engineering practice in Manitoba, and in Canada. The course, offered twice, has created space for Indigenous engineering students to see themselves in the curriculum; and for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to see themselves as engineers with renewed purpose and identities. This project intends to capture the unexpected, profound, and deeply emotionally impacts of the course on the students and faculty involved. This archived work will be shared with faculty, staff, and students in the Price Faculty of Engineering and at the University of Manitoba, as well as with the larger national engineering education community. We wish to celebrate the power of this course and inspire others to value and advance their own work in this space by raising the voices of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and faculty on their journeys to learn the truth about engineering in Canada, and to decolonize and Indigenize engineering education.

$15,000

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Creating a place for Indigenous art in the University Welcome Centre on Fort Garry campus

Kristina Manaigre, Operations Analyst, Office of Parking & Transportation Cameron Neufeld, Director, Office of Parking & Transportation

As we strive to advance Indigenous engagement, bringing to light the hardships caused by colonization will require ongoing effort.  One way we can contribute is by increasing the visibility of Indigenous cultures, languages, and symbols on our campuses.  By showcasing beautiful Indigenous art pieces, we hope to encourage discussion, understanding, and create a safer, more inclusive space.

One artist who exemplifies the power of Indigenous art is Jackie Traverse.  Her work not only expresses her ideas and opinions but also inspires dialogue on the social issues faced by her people.  For Jackie, painting is where her heart lies, and she finds her happiest moments when immersed in her craft.

$15,000

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Piloting a Community Indigenous Oversight Circle for the integration of Indigenous health and anti-racism in Post-Graduate Medical Education

Dr. Lisa Monkman, Co-Chair, PGME Truth and Reconciliation Action Plan Committee, PGME, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences; Dr. Joel Kettner, Co-Chair, PGME Truth and Reconciliation Action Plan Committee, PGME, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

PGME TRAP will pilot a Community Indigenous Oversight Circle to provide leadership to PGME programs in their development and implementation of Indigenous Health and Anti-racism curriculum. Over the past three years of work, it has become clear to PGME TRAP members that the work needed around Indigenous health and anti-racism will not be able to be done by only PGME TRAP members and that this work really needs to be done by all PGME program Faculty, staff and residents. We also recognize that significant capacity is going to need to be built in programs in order to do this work in a good way. We want to work with the growing PGME TRAP network to establish and pilot a Community Indigenous Oversight Circle that will potentially have these responsibilities:

• Review and provide feedback on content developed by PGME programs. This feedback will be critical; programs will have to integrate feedback and changes.

• Review and provide feedback on curriculum design, evaluation and delivery outcomes. This will ensure the delivery of established curriculum guidelines are in line with the authenticity of Indigenous worldviews and pedagogy.

• Provide a pre and post-curriculum delivery workshop and resources for Faculty and staff responsible for implementing Indigenous health and anti-Indigenous racism curriculum. Preparatory workshops will ensure facilitators have the skills necessary to handle difficult conversations in order to create safe spaces for all students. Post workshops will focus on debriefing and providing support while addressing any issues that arise during classroom sessions.

The Community Indigenous Oversight Circle will be comprised of Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Indigenous health practitioners, Indigenous peoples working in community social services and health organizations. We are looking at a maximum of 12 people on the Committee, with a mix of University staff and external members. With the support of the Category 3 funding for 36 months, we will be able to establish the Circle and have significant time to test, learn and adapt the committee to ensure that it meets the needs of PGME programs and the creation of a culturally safe curriculum. The funding will also allow PGME TRAP to appropriately compensate Elders and community members for their contributions.  PGME TRAP will work with all stakeholders involved (members of all of the PGME TRAP Committee, advisory groups and sub-groups) throughout this period to identify a permanent place and secure core funding for this initiative.

$60,000

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Preparing for Repatriation:  Foundational work in archival collections at the University of Manitoba

Heather Bidzinski, Head, Archives and Special Collections

Preparing for the work of repatriation.

As the University moves towards presenting and implementing a policy for respectful repatriation, University of Manitoba Libraries recognizes the impact this will have on archival collecting, collections, and collections management moving forward. To activate this important policy, Archives & Special Collections will need to identify possible sites of Indigenous content, collections, Ancestors, tangible and intangible cultural heritage. UMASC, in its capacity to provide access to collections it holds, has already identified collections with Indigenous subject matter. Much of this subset of content will require further analysis. It is anticipated that there will be additional human resources required to support the work of repatriation, and the extensive processing and research activity facilitating this work.

 

$40,000  

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Building Structures that Last:  More “Working in Good Ways” Initiatives, Resources and Tools

Nicki Ferland, Community Engaged Learning Coordinator, Indigenous, Community Engaged Learning, Career, Community and Experiential Learning Centre; Anny Chen, Lead, Community Engaged Learning, Career, Community and Experiential Learning Centre

In the next phase of the “Working in Good Ways” project, Community Engaged Learning will develop new resources and tools to help faculty, staff and students at the University of Manitoba learn how to work in good ways with Indigenous communities.  At the outset, CEL will work collaboratively with the Office of the Vice-President Indigenous, community partners, and other relevant UM offices and departments to identify priority projects for the university.  The initial WIGW consultations and user feedback have indicated the need for new adaptations and supplementary resources, systems changes that support work with Indigenous community partners (including changes to financial policies and procedures), and education and training for students, staff and faculty.  Further, phase 2 will support a Knowledge Exchange that brings community partners together to identify a reciprocity framework for Working in Good Ways.  The framework will ensure that both the university and community partners continue to benefit from the knowledges, experiences and insights shared in the framework.

$60,000

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Queering Indigenization at the University of Manitoba

Dr. Lucy Fowler, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education; Melody McKiver, Assistant Professor, Desautels Faculty of Music; Charlotte Nolin, Indigenous Culture Specialist, Ongomiizwin Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing; Desta Tataryn, Assistant to the Director, Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous)

The University of Manitoba has been engaging in long-term, meaningful consultation with Indigenous peoples and communities, and dedicating resources to Indigenization at the institution. This project will carve out space in the Indigenization process for Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer voices to be centered by bringing Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer peoples together in a conference to share stories, evaluate current practices across faculties, and develop recommendations for the university to utilize moving forward. Through year-long consultations, a gathering of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer university community members, drafting of unit-specific action plans, and a final report and recommendations, the Queering Indigenization project will have a significant impact on the landscape of the university, and provide nourishing gathering spaces for Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer peoples.

$60,000

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Pow Wow Club

Carla Loewen, M. Ed., Director, Indigenous Students Centre; Desiree Morrisseau-Keesick, Director, Indigenous Student Recruitment and Community Relations

The University of Manitoba’s Indigenous Students Association (UMISA) is seeking funding through the Indigenous Initiatives Fund (IIF) to establish the Pow Wow Club for the 2023/2024 academic year.  This club will provide weekly practice sessions for students throughout the Fall and Winter terms.  At the end of the winter term, participants will be invited to showcase their skills at Misko Fest 2024, an annual event celebrating Indigenous culture and community.  UMISA believes this initiative will benefit Indigenous students by fostering a connection to their cultural heritage and creating an inclusive environment for learning and celebration.

$15,000

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Development and Design of Indigenous student space in the Faculty of Science (FoS) to enhance visibility of Indigenous cultures and to support Indigenous student achievement.

Dr. Carrie Selin, Wawatay Academic Program Coordinator; Dr. Melanie Lalonde, Wawatay Development Specialist

The Faculty of Science is dedicated to prioritizing Indigenous accomplishment and involvement through initiatives such as the Wawatay Project, which seeks to attract, retain, and graduate Indigenous students in science while building relationships with Indigenous communities and valuing ancestral knowledge and classical science equally. To further support Indigenous students, the FoS has committed significant funds to develop an Indigenous student-exclusive space that fosters community, inclusivity, and belonging. However, the space still lacks furnishings, technology, and Indigenous artwork. To address this issue, we propose an advisory group of diverse Indigenous students from the Wawatay initiative be given control over designing and bringing the space to life. The Indigenous Initiative Funds will go towards covering the costs of furnishing, art pieces and technology selected by the Wawatay student advisory group for the space. The project will benefit all by promoting academic success, retention, and a diverse, inclusive environment built on understanding and knowledge exchange, furthering the University's commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity.

$15,000

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Nagamowin: Supporting Music Education in Pikangikum First Nation

Melody McKiver, MA., Assistant Professor & Indigenous Scholar, Desautels Faculty of Music; Jody Stark, Ph. D., Associate Professor, Area Head for Music Education, DFOM; Laura Loewen, DMA, DFOM Associate Dean (Undergraduate Programs), Collaborative Piano

Through the Nagamowin: Supporting Music Education in Pikangikum First Nation project, the Desautels Faculty of Music will work in collaboration with two Indigenous musicians/composers to build upon a relationship with the Eenchokay Birchstick School in Pikangikum First Nation over a period of two years. In 2022, the school received a donation of a baby grand piano, and there is strong student interest in learning to play the piano and exploring post-secondary and career opportunities in music. Following a visit initiated by Eenchokay Birchstick School to the Desautels Faculty of Music in May 2023, a series of in-person visits will be held in Pikangikum (twice annually) and in Winnipeg (one trip annually).

Pikangikum First Nation is a fly-in Anishinaabe community located approximately 300km northeast of Winnipeg in Treaty #5 territory in northwestern Ontario. The team includes Music faculty members Melody McKiver (Lac Seul First Nation), Jody Stark (settler Canadian), and Laura Loewen. Indigenous guest artists participating in the project are composer/pianist Sonny-Ray Day Rider (Kainai Blood) in providing musical performances for the Pikangikum community, in addition to Anishinaabe piano pedagogue and composer Beverley McKiver (Lac Seul First Nation). In-person trips to Pikangikum First Nation will support music education initiatives, including providing guidance around piano repertoire composed by Indigenous composers, and providing public performances at the annual Christmas concert. As a visiting artist to DFOM, Day Rider will provide additional mentorship to visiting Pikangikum students, as well as masterclass, guest lecture, and public performance opportunities for the University of Manitoba community.

$60,000

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Creating opportunities for accessible and inclusive land-based learning at the University of Manitoba campuses:  Building an Indigenous-led Birding Club to improve student well-being, promote Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and Languages, and build community

Bailey Hendry, Student Advisor, Indigenous Student Centre, Office of the Vice-President Indigenous (Co-Lead); Dr. Justin Rasmussen, Director Indigenous Leadership Programming, Office of the Vice-President Indigenous

Advisors:  Elder Carl Stone, Elder-In-Residence, Indigenous Student Centre, Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous); Taylor Galvin, Student and Expert on Indigenous Ecological Knowledge, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of the Environment, Earth and Resources

With students returning to campus, there has been an influx of students reporting high levels of stress, anxiety and depression, as well as an overall disconnect to the campus community.  Relatively cos-free, bird watching has many benefits, such as practicing grounding techniques, being able to connect with the land physically, mentally and spiritually, and managing levels of stress, anxiety and depression.  In the form of an Indigenous-led bird watching initiative called the University of Manitoba Indigenous Birding Club, this initiative will create sustainable, year-round programming on engaging students in land-based activities on or close to the University of Manitoba Campuses with a significant focus on Indigenous Ecological Knowledge.  All students and community members will be welcome and can be expect to attend group bird watching walks, have access to a library of birding equipment, receive mentoring and peer support, participate in programming that will promote physical and mental well-being, build community, engage with the land, and champion ecological protection on UM campuses.

$18,500

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Unity – Bridging Worlds: Indigenizing and Decolonizing Mental Health Research Student Symposium

Indigenous Psychology Students Association (IPSA)* and Dr. Linda Diffey (Co-lead/Advisor), Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

*IPSA Co-Leads: Anthony Elsom, Aleah Fontaine, Morgan Hanson-Oliveira, Sandra Hunter, Aimée McGillis, Meghan Mollons, Jamie O’Neill, Sydney Puhach and Erin White

Unity – Bridging Worlds: Indigenizing and Decolonizing Mental Health Research is a graduate student-led symposium that aims to promote Indigenous knowledge systems and worldviews within mental health research. This hybrid symposium will take place at the University of Manitoba in late spring/early summer 2024, and will bring together Indigenous graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community members to engage in critical discussions related to Indigenous mental health research. There will be a distinct focus on Indigenization and decolonization in order to contribute to culturally rich, safe, and supportive research environments for Indigenous students. In doing so, Indigenous knowledge systems will be upheld as valuable perspectives that can be used to reconceptualize mental health research.

$15,000

Inclusion of an Indigenous Perspective in the Sustainability-in-Action Facility: Elder Consultation & Environmental Site Assessment 

D. Mann, Ph.D., P.Eng., Professor & Head, Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural & Food Sciences 

Other UM staff who have contributed to the preparation of this proposal include: S. Bailey, F. Delijani, ENG 4100/EVDS 3710 Course Instructors; J. Ackerman, SiAF Manager; R. Herrmann, Engineering Access Program Director; J. Seniuk Cicek, K. Zacharias, Faculty members in Centre for Engineering Professional Practice & Engineering Education; Jordan Cantafio, co-President of the Indigenous Design and Planning Student Association (IDPSA)   

This project represents the first phase of an initiative to restore and Indigenize the land that houses the Sustainability-in-Action Facility (SiAF). The Department of Biosystems Engineering is in the process of establishing SiAF, on the west side of the Fort Garry campus, as a site that will be available to the entire UM community for land-based and experiential learning related to sustainability. During 2021, we partnered with the Faculty of Architecture to sponsor a "site plan design competition" for landscape architecture students with the purpose of generating innovative ideas for development of the site. Students' designs highlighted Indigenous worldviews, symbols, and stories. One student developed their concept for the site around the story of Sa-Klu-Nazetti of the Dene peoples - a story in which the sun is "snared" to gain access to its energy. The pathway leading around the site exposes SiAF visitors to the various modern technologies that are used to "snare" solar energy to support living beings. We were given various other ideas for acknowledging Indigenous Peoples, cultures, languages and symbols into the SiAF site. Examples include a gathering place around a fire, a Knowledge Circle, Three Sisters crop area, and a structure featuring Indigenous architecture. 

The activities described in this proposal represent a starting point for a longer-term initiative to restore the land spirit of this place, and ultimately create a place to gather and learn in a decolonized environment. We aim to create an ethical place where Indigenous and non-Indigenous faculty and staff can learn from one another, and work together guided by Etuaptmumk, Two-Eyed Seeing, to advance Indigenous ways of being, knowing, doing, and relating in postsecondary education in Manitoba. 

$15,000 

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Building a story together: A partnership between the Faculty of Architecture and Long Plain First Nation 

Shawn Bailey, M.Arch., Assistant Professor & Indigenous Scholar, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, and cross-appointed as Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Engineering; Sarah Cooper, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of City Planning, Faculty of Architecture; Neil Minuk, M.Arch., Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture 

In 2020, the former Portage La Prairie residential school—now called the Rufus Prince Building— was declared a Canadian National Historic Site. Located on Long Plain First Nation’s Keeshkeemaquah Reserve, the building houses the National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada. It is a place for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to learn about the residential schools and is also a memorial to the children who lived there and a way to honour and support survivors (NIRSM of Canada, 2021).  

Through the Building a Story Together project, the Faculty of Architecture will work with the Museum to collaboratively develop ideas, conceptual design, visioning and strategic planning to support the work of the Museum. It will also contribute to the Faculty of Architecture’s growing focus on Indigenous design and planning by immersing students and faculty in a community-engaged learning project grounded in Indigenous knowledges and practices, thus preparing students for professional careers in Manitoba and Canada. 

$28,628.00 

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Mawachihitotaak (Let’s get together) Métis Symposium 

Laura Forsythe, Ph.D. Candidate Faculty of Arts, Indigenous Studies; Lucy Fowler, Lecturer, Faculty of Education; Mylene Gamache, Assistant Professor, Indigenous Studies; Melanie Lalonde, Wawatay Academic Coordinator, Faculty of Science; Nicki Ferland (Community Service-Learning Coordinator (Indigenous), Community Engaged Learning); Sarah Hourie (Master Student, Indigenous Studies); Nicole Stonyk (Master Student, Indigenous Studies); Métis University Students Association; David Parent (Assistant Professor, Indigenous Studies); Jeremy Patzer (Assistant Professor, Political Sciences) 

This gathering will take place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from May 3-6, 2022, at WAG-Qaumajuq. We intend to create a space for Métis scholars, art makers, knowledge holders, students, language speakers, organizers, writers, and other community leaders to share knowledge and engage in conversation. We will discuss a range of Métis priorities and scholarship areas through our visiting while nourishing our relationships and celebrating the different forms that we are carrying and building Métis knowledge. 

$15,000 

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Respectful Caring-for: Honouring Ancestors, belongings and other Indigenous material culture in UM Archeology Labs 

Lara Rosenof Gauvin, Anthropology, Arts; Laura Kelvin, Anhropology, Arts; Pahan Pte San Win, Grandmother and MA Social Work in Indigenous Knowledge; Derek Johnson, Anthropology, Arts; Rachel ten Bruggencate, Anthropology, Arts; Julia Gamble, Anthropology, Arts, Kathleen Buddle, Anthropology, Arts. 

Respectful Caring-for: Honouring Ancestors, belongings, and other Indigenous material culture in the UM Archaeology Labs follows guidance from the Respectful Repatriation Ceremony Council of Elders, Grandparents and Knowledge Keepers to radically transform the archaeology labs and create respectful and safe spaces for engagement, sharing and resurgence.  

This part of the Respectful Repatriation Ceremony involves 2 elements related to respectful caring-for: 1) outfitting a new temporary resting room outside of the labs for the Ancestors until they are reburied, and 2) asking for continued guidance and collaboration from the Council, as well as Indigenous faculty and students, to identify objectives for a grant proposal for Canadian Foundation for Innovation’s Innovation Fund to transform the lab into a space that can safely and fully support repatriation, community access, and community research. 

$60,000 

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Developing Capacity for Instruction in Indigenous Research Methods: Guest scholar Jennifer Brant 

Frank Deer, Associate Professor & Associate Dean, Faculty of Education; Melanie Janzen, Associate Professor Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Associate Dean, Graduate Programs & Research, Faculty of Education 

The Faculty of Education at the UM is committed to addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) (2015) Calls to Action, with a special focus on the calls related to education and research. This commitment has recently been incorporated as one of five pillars in the Faculty of Education Strategic Plan 2020-2023 - Creating Pathways to Indigenous Engagement - where one of our core strategic objectives is to "Expand Indigenous educational programming at the undergraduate and graduate levels." In support of this objective, the Faculty has recently begun to offer additional graduate courses in the area of Indigenous education, including courses focused on literacy education, Reconciliation, and Indigenous ways of knowing in curriculum.  

To support development in this area, the Faculty of Education is proposing to host a visiting scholar - Dr. Jennifer Brant of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto - who will (a) deliver a guest lecture on the theme of Indigenous Research Methods in Education, and (b) develop and teach a 7000-level course on Indigenous Research Methods during July-August 2022. Dr. Brant's guest lecture will raise awareness of the potential for new approaches to Indigenous educational research methods, while her course will serve as a model for permanent courses in the future based on Indigenous research methods. 

$14,980.00 

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Graduate student program enhancement: Electromagnetic metasurfaces for smart radio environments 

Puyan Mojabi, Associate Professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Price Faculty of Engineering 

This project seeks to support the Ph.D. program and career development of an exceptional Indigenous PhD student, by facilitating his participation in the European School of Antennas and Propagation (ESoA). The ESoA was founded in 2004 by a group of leading researchers from various European universities in the area of applied electromagnetics. (https://www.euraap.org/esoa-in-brief).  It is a high-quality and sought-after opportunity to expand the professional networks and career opportunities for researchers in Antennas in the field of Electrical Engineering.  

This project will support a Ph.D. student to attend two of these courses in his research area in electromagnetic metasurfaces, which is a relatively new research area currently pursued by the electromagnetic and wireless communication societies. Electromagnetic metasurfaces are thin structures that can systematically tailor electromagnetic wave propagation. They are currently pursued for varying applications areas, including smart radio environments for next generation wireless communication systems (5G and beyond). 

$6,500 

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Joining the IBET PhD project network: Supporting Indigenous PhD students in the Price Faculty of Engineering 

Marcia Friesen, Dean, Price Faculty of Engineering; Cyrus Shafai, Associate Dean - Research & Graduate Studies, Price Faculty of Engineering 

This proposal is to support two (2) IBET Momentum Fellowships for Indigenous PhD students in the Price Faculty of Engineering.  IBET is the Indigenous Black Engineering & Technology Ph.D. Project, currently a partnership of 12 Canadian engineering schools. This funding will allow the UM to join the IBET Project network (ibetphd.ca) 

The network-level objective of the IBET Project is to support career success of Indigenous graduate students in future academic and engineering practice careers and to increase representation of Indigenous engineering academics and engineering experts in industry. 

Two fellowships of $30,000/yr for four years will be awarded to two Indigenous PhD students in the Price Faculty of Engineering.  IBET Fellows will also benefit from academic mentoring and networking within the Price Faculty of Engineering, within the UM campus Indigenous community, and within the IBET Project network.   

An express objective of this IIF project is to develop ongoing financial sustainability with two Fellows supported on a continuous basis from 2026 onward, building sustainability through donor funds and industry sponsorships.  

$60,000 

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Building a Faculty Social Accountability Framework for Indigenous Cultural Safety in the Department of Pediatrics & Child Health 

Melanie Morris, Associate Professor, Section of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, and Indigenous Health Lead, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Max Rady College of Medicine; Patricia Birk, Professor and Department Head, PhD candidate in the Applied Health Sciences program and on faculty in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba; Ming-Ka Chan, Associate Professor and Equity Diversity Inclusivity and Social Justice Lead, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Max Rady College of Medicine ; Linda Diffey, Lecturer, Max Rady College of Medicine.

Purpose: Addressing systemic racism within the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health 

Activities: 

1. Faculty Development for Cultural Safety and Anti-Racism (short-term):   

2.  To develop Indigenous cultural safety and anti-racism training materials for faculty members in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health that can then be adapted for use across other departments. 

3. To develop Indigenous cultural safety and anti-racism training materials for faculty members in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health that can then be adapted for use across other departments. 

4. To develop implicit bias training materials for faculty in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health starting with faculty who are involved with recruitment of learners, staff, faculty and leadership. 

5. Faculty Development for Cultural Safety and Anti-Racism (long-term):  To establish expectations, curricula and timelines for ongoing cultural safety and anti-racism training for faculty in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health. Such programing will support cultural safety education for our learners and can potentially be adapted for other health care professionals and staff. 

6. Cultural Safety Infrastructure Development (long-term):  To construct an Indigenous Healing Room to promote Indigenous cultural safety practices within the Children's Hospital-Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. 

7. Cultural Safety Communication Platform (long-term):  To develop a departmental digital communication platform (website, social media) for the promotion of Indigenous literary, artistic and historical materials and cultural safety and anti-racism policies. 

$60,000 

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Reconcili-action Begins with Education: Turtle Island project experiential exercise for graduate nursing students 

Student Groups: Graduate Nursing Students Association, College of Nursing 

Project Leads: Renée Boily, Master of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner Stream 1st Year; Karamveer Kaur, Master of Nursing – Clinical Practice Stream – Final Year, College of Nursing 

Co-lead/Advisor: Dr. Donna Martin, Professor, Associate Dean Graduate Programs, College of Nursing 

The Graduate Nursing Students Association, in collaboration with the Winnipeg-based Turtle Island Project (TIP), will facilitate and evaluate two TIP experiential exercises with a total of 60 graduate nursing students in the Fall of 2022. The TIP experiential exercise is designed to transform participants' negative perceptions of Indigenous peoples and engage in Reconciliation action. The three-hour TIP experiential exercise raises awareness and increases understanding of the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. In the first hour, facilitators provide information about the history of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. In the second hour, graduate nursing students will be invited to walk in the shoes of Indigenous peoples on a journey that began 150 years ago and share in the celebration of Indigenous peoples' lives today. In the third hour, the students will be invited to participate in a sharing circle to engage their minds and hearts in understanding the myths and stereotypes about Indigenous peoples and why the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples is often broken. In the sharing circle, graduate nursing students will also be encouraged to reflect upon their role as registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses and identify how they can take action towards reconciliation. 

This collaborative project with its process and outcomes will be presented to educational administrators and other graduate student associations within the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and at local and national nursing conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. The aim of this collaborative project is to advance reconciliation action among current and future healthcare professionals in Manitoba and beyond. 

$15,000 

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Bringing Astronomy to the MB Indigenous Youth 

Dr. Samar Safi-Harb, Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Extreme Astrophysics, Dept of Physics and Astronomy; Dr. Danielle Pahud, Instructor and Director of the Lockhart Planetarium, Dept of Physics & Astronomy. 

This will be a community-based application, open to anyone interested in contributing to this project. Current co-Investigators include:  

Dr. Jayanne English (Associate Professor, Physics & Asrtronomy=P&A), Dr. Juliette Mammei (Associate Professor, P&A), Dr. Myrle Ballard (Assistant Professor and Indigenous Scholar, Dept of Chemistry), Dr. Robert Stamps (Professor and Dept Head; P&A), Dr. Gerald Gwinner (Professor and Associate Head Graduate; P&A) 

Students: Brydyn Mac Intyre and Kyle Monkman (Indigenous PhD students), Janette Suherli (PhD student), Neil Doerksen and Isabel Sander (undergraduate students)-Dept. of Physics & Astronomy 

We propose to use the field of Astronomy & Astrophysics as a recruitment and educational tool for the support of Indigenous students (outreach), while cultivating our own appreciation and knowledge of Indigenous contributions to the field ('inreach'). For our outreach project, we will target students and teachers in Indigenous communities near the city of Winnipeg. For our “inreach” and pedagogy development, we will work with Indigenous astronomers to integrate the Indigenous way of knowing into our Astronomy curriculum. These efforts are intertwined and will support our Indigenous initiatives in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, the Faculty of Science and the UM. 

This initiative will (a) create and enhance our connections with the Indigenous communities, (b) support our Initiative to recruit Indigenous students into our Physics & Astronomy program, and (c) educate the Indigenous youth in a field that has been traditionally an important part of their culture, beliefs and spiritual journey, while (d) incorporating the 'two-eyed seeing' approach into our own curriculum and teaching -- thus providing a broader view and a more welcoming environment to our students. 

$27,510.00 

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Wawatay-fostering Indigenous student success in science 

Ayush Kumar, EDI Lead, Faculty of Science, Professor, Department of Microbiology; Teresa Dekievit, Associate Dean, Faculty of Science, Professor, Department of Microbiology  

Wawatay is a research-based program, shaped by a combination of student interests and Indigenous community needs, designed to recruit, retain and graduate highly motivated Indigenous students. From summer orientation until the last year of their degree, students will be engaged in hands-on research to ignite a passion for science and a deep appreciation for its impact on our world. Students will be provided with academic and personal supports, including advisor meetings, access to tutors, cultural and professional development workshops, group activities and spiritual care. By maintaining a connection to community and culture throughout the science degree program, Wawatay Scholars will grow into scientists who can walk in both worlds with unique capabilities to forge a new future for themselves and their communities. 

$59,250.00 

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Developing & Trialing a Social Work Outreach Program Based in Indigenous Knowledge for Indigenous K-12 Students in Winnipeg 

Student Group: Social Work Student Association (SWSA), Faculty of Social Work   

UM staff or faculty member co-lead/advisor: Deana Halonen (Senior Instructor, Faculty of Social Work) 

The Social Work Students' Association and Faculty of Social Work in partnership with a Winnipeg K-12 school will develop and trial a social work outreach program based in Indigenous Knowledge. The primary goal of the program is to engage Indigenous K-12 students in the profession of social work. In Canada, outreach programs engaging Indigenous K-12 students focus on the fields of Engineering, Health, Law, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). It appears that no outreach program exists for social work and across all fields few outreach programs are based in Indigenous Knowledge. The secondary goal of the program would be to increase the co-curricular opportunities available to undergraduate social work students. University students often deliver outreach programs to gain leadership skills and give back to the community. Undergraduate social work student delivering the program will be able to develop their leadership skills, give back to the community, and develop personal and professional skills based in Indigenous Knowledge and worldviews. The third goal of the program is to advance reconciliation between the profession of social work and Indigenous Peoples, especially in the area of education and youth. The program will allow for the building of respectful and reciprocal relationships between social work students, staff, and faculty. The project supports the Faculty of Social Works current efforts to Indigenize and decolonize curriculum and Faculty and to increase Indigenous community engagement. The outreach program will serve as a model or template for other University of Manitoba departments and Canadian social work departments interested in developing or updating their outreach initiatives for Indigenous K-12 students. 

$8,623.20 

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Indigenous Student Connectors 

Meaghen Fillion, Communications Coordinator, Indigenous Engagement and Communications and Indigenous Student Centre; Andrea Danelak, Marketing Communications Office; Carla Loewen, Director, Indigenous Student Centre; Ruth Shead, Director, Indigenous Engagement and Communications 

This Initiative will create opportunities for Indigenous students to take training such as how to talk to the media, presentation skills, and social media video coaching.  Participants will become "Indigenous Student Connectors," playing a key role in sharing the story of the Indigenous community at UM. 

Indigenous Student Connectors will also be matched with requests for Indigenous students to participate in activities such as photo and video shoots, social media takeovers, connecting with incoming students, sitting on UM committees, speaking at events and panel discussions, and media requests. 

$60,000

A Knock on the Door: Creating a Comic Book Version of the Essential History of Residential Schools from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Sean Carleton, Assistant Professor, History and Native Studies, Faculty of Arts; Cary Miller, Department Head and Associate Professor, Native Studies, Faculty of Arts; Niigaan Sinclair, Associate Professor, Native Studies, Faculty of Arts; Raymond Frogner, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation; Jill McConkey, Acquisitions Editor, University of Manitoba Press; Gord Hill, Kwakwaka’wakw artist, Alert Bay, British Columbia

Coming to terms with Canada’s history of schooling and colonialism is a top priority for many Canadians in light of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). After almost a decade of research, the TRC released its final report in 2015 to raise public awareness about the history of the Indian Residential School system in what is today known as Canada. A key focus of the TRC's Calls to Action (specifically 62, i. to make “age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools”) is on developing new materials to help educate Canadians about the history of residential schooling to support reconciliation efforts. Most of the histories are geared towards adults, including the TRC’s own publication of the history sections of the final report, “A Knock on the Door: The Essential History of Residential Schools from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission” (University of Manitoba Press, 2016). 

To help put truth before reconciliation, to establish the University of Manitoba as a leader in residential school education, the “A Knock on the Door” project will create a comic book version of the TRC’s history of residential schools, to be published by the University of Manitoba Press, to be used in K-12 education, post-secondary schooling, and community outreach initiatives. The goal of the project is to establish innovative linkages on campus to support knowledge mobilization and truth and reconciliation education throughout Manitoba and across Canada.

$30,000

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Truth and Reconciliation: Exhibitions on Canada's Residential School System for Indigenous Children and on Indigenous Education - Past, Present, and Future

Frank Deer, CRC and Associate Professor, Faculty of Education; Thomas Falkenberg, Professor, Faculty of Education; Amy Farrell, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education; Karen Favell, Lecturer, Faculty of Education

The Faculty of Education is creating a public exhibition space in the Education Building about the Canadian Residential school system for Indigenous children, Indigenous education of children in the past and the present, and its vision and possibilities for the future. The exhibition space will be accessible to the UM community and the public at no cost. In this space, we will exhibit expressions of reconciliation and material objects from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation as well as videos and other multimedia. The project consists of the development and the implementation of plans for two curated exhibitions, which are each one year in length and which will follow the opening of the exhibition space. It will also include a series of public events linked to the opening of each of the two exhibitions.

$59,600

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Indigenous Voices – Connecting Communities and Curriculum

Michele Rogalsky, Special Academic, School of Agriculture; Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences; Maggie Abwao, School of Agriculture Instructor; Kathleen Wilson, School of Agriculture Instructor; Phil Veldhuis, School of Agriculture Instructor; Reg Dyck, School of Agriculture Instructor; Garrett Sawatzky, School of Agriculture Instructor; Jacquie Manaigre, School of Agriculture Instructor; Colin Penner, School of Agriculture Instructor; Kyle Bobiwash, Assistant Professor and Indigenous Scholar, Department of Entomology; Annemieke Farenhorst, Professor, Department of Soil Science and Associate Dean; E. J. Fontaine & Eva Wilson-Fontaine,  Co-Founders, AMIK Inc. and Cedar Lake Ranch; Leah Fontaine, Indigenous Initiatives Educator; Jeri Ducharme, Indigenous Initiative Educator; Colleen Webb, Team Lead, Development and Consultation; Cheikh Ould Moulaye, Faculty Development Specialist

This project will provide a forum for Indigenous voices to share their stories, history and culture with University of Manitoba students, staff and the Manitoba agri-food community through the creation of professionally produced culturally relevant videos featuring Indigenous leaders and Nations. One film will feature School of Agriculture alumni Ardell Cochrane, Robert Maytwayashing and E. J. Fontaine sharing their success stories as Indigenous leaders. Community members from Swan Lake First Nation and Peguis First Nation will also share their stories, Indigenous perspectives, traditional and cultural responsibilities, roles in sustainable food production and land stewardship. Another film will feature Cedar Lake Ranch, an Indigenous owned and operated land-based cultural and educational facility, and First Nations members fostering a greater understanding of Indigenous knowledge and culture.

These videos will be an additional resource for sharing Indigenous perspectives, history, and cultures in the revised Diploma in Agriculture program. The videos will be woven into the content of several courses, and a team of instructors will work in collaboration with the curriculum specialists from the Centre of Advancement in Teaching and Learning to include additional Indigenous knowledge, models and approaches into several courses into the overall program. The videos will also be used to enhance the planned cultural sensitivity training for academic staff while highlighting the accomplishments of our Indigenous Alumni and First Nations communities.

$60,000

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Kitigay: Indigenous Food Systems Course Options and Curriculum Development at University of Manitoba with First Nation and Metis Communities and Businesses.

Dr. Kyle Bobiwash, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences; Marla Robson, Indigenous Projects Coordinator, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources (CHREER); Dr. Myrle Ballard, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Scienc; Mr. Dennis Ballard, Wawatay Lead, Faculty of Science; Professor Shawn Bailey, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Architecture/Engineering; Dr. Brian Rice, Professor, Kinesiology and Recreation Management; Dr. Dan Henhawk, Assistant Professor Kinesiology and Recreation Management; Randy Herrmann, Access coordinator, Faculty of Engineering; Dr. Shirley Thompson, Associate Professor, Natural Resources Institute, CHREER

A University of Manitoba pilot of Indigenous Food Systems courses will improve Indigenous food security and sovereignty by addressing First Nation and Métis academic and community needs. "Kitigay" is an Anishinaabe word meaning to plant. This funding will plant Indigenous foods, medicine, and different accreditation pathways in Indigenous food systems by working with Indigenous communities and businesses. An extensive menu of blended and distance education, from the Faculties of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Kinesiology and Recreation Management, CHREER, and Science, provide the building blocks to engage in a curriculum development process with different Indigenous partners. Some existing courses from these academic units will be converted to virtual short course offerings for the first offering in 2021/22.  Students will obtain a UM letter of accomplishment with the successful completion of course requirements. Through collaboration with the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation community and Indigenous students and professors, a series of internships and courses will be developed with Indigenous content that inspire minds. Internships will offer hands-on experiential learning approaches to food production, food processing, nutrition, wild rice cultivation, traditional harvesting, business, land stewardship and food preparation. This drive to teach and discover sustainable food systems with Indigenous peoples and communities will transform UM into a centre of excellence in Indigenous education and research and build trust with Indigenous communities to further reconciliation. 

$60,000

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Learning Hub Pilot -- Community Partnership with Interlake Reserves Tribal Council

Ruth Shead, Director, Indigenous Engagement and Communications, Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous); Sarah Olson, Project Assistant, Indigenous Engagement, Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous); Steering Committee of the Manitoba Collaborative Indigenous Education Blueprint

The closure of the University of Manitoba and other post-secondary institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching effects on students. Indigenous students have been disproportionately affected for a number of reasons. Many rural Indigenous students face huge challenges in being able to participate in online learning. Large households living in small spaces, Internet connectivity, lack of appropriate physical space and equipment, and community shut downs all prevent students from being able to leave their homes for better Internet access and/or make it challenging to complete their course work.  

We plan to establish Learning Hubs in First Nations communities across Manitoba, which will allow Indigenous students living on reserve an appropriate space to participate in online learning through the duration of the pandemic and beyond. The UM, along with our partners in the Manitoba Collaborative Indigenous Education Blueprint (MCIEB), propose to work with Interlake Reserves Tribal Council (IRTC) to establish a pilot Learning Hub to support the learning needs of students living on reserve to participate in online learning for a 16-week trial period. 

The pilot Learning Hub will contain 10 work stations available to any students enrolled in any Manitoba post-secondary institution through the MCIEB partnership. In addition to accessing a safe and appropriate learning and study environment, students will be supported by staff who will assist them with accessing online learning platforms, raise awareness of services available, and guide students in accessing academic and wellness support services.

$60,000

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Supporting Indigenous High School Student Participation in the Northern Student-led Arctic Research (NorthSTAR) Program

Dr. Emily McKinnon, Instructor II, Access Program Science Education Specialist, Extended Education

This project includes partnerships and collaborations with: 
Dr. Jane Waterman, Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science; Dr. Jim Roth, Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science; Ms. Celeste Kosik, Helen Betty Osborne Ininew Education Resource Centre; Mr. Rudy Subedar, Independent consultant to Manitoba First Nations Schools; Ms. Donna Labun, Teacher, Kelvin High School; Dr. Stephen Petersen, Director of Conservation and Research, Assiniboine Park Zoo; Ms. Jill Larkin, Parks Canada Resource Manager, Wapusk National Park and leader of Churchill Junior Rangers

One of the strategic priorities of the University of Manitoba is to increase success rates and representation of Indigenous students and scholars in all faculties. Currently, Indigenous students are underrepresented in the Faculty of Science and science programs. Our outreach program aims to provide training, research experience, and networking to youth in grades 11 and 12 by engaging them in scientific research on polar bears and climate change in Churchill, Manitoba through a fall field trip and pre- and post-trip training and workshops. The Northern Student-led Arctic Research Program (NorthSTAR Program) is designed to engage high school students with the process of science, and give them critical skills in data collection, analysis, and scientific communication. Our team consists of polar bear biologists and science educators at both the high school and university-level. We have committed to inclusion of a minimum of 10 Indigenous students (40% of participants) each year from communities outside of Winnipeg, including local students from Churchill. Given historical discrepancies in science outreach opportunities for Indigenous students (especially those from outside of Winnipeg), and the need to increase representation of Indigenous students in science programs at the UM, participation in this program will be free of cost for all Indigenous students and their teachers.

$36,000

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Kitatipithitamak Mithwayawin: Evaluating impacts of an existing Indigenous-led project on COVID-19

Stephane McLachlan, Professor, Environment and Geography, CHR Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources; Myrle Ballard, Assistant Professor, Chemistry, Science

COVID-19 has swept around the globe and has already resulted in over 1.2 million deaths. In the past, Indigenous people were devastated by pandemics including smallpox, Spanish flu and H1N1 and cases of COVID-19 are now rising quickly in many communities. This proposal builds on the activities of our existing project that focuses on COVID-19 and Indigenous people. Named kitatipithitamak mithwayawin, Cree for control or sovereignty over wellbeing, its goal is to document the past, present and future impacts of pandemics. And to support Indigenous communities as they respond to COVID-19. Our goal here is to hold an international (virtual) conference in 2021 that brings Indigenous communities and both scholars and students from around the world to share their experiences with COVID-19 and to learn from one another. This will ideally result in an Indigenous-led network of support that helps communities respond to pandemics in the future. The conference will expand on our existing Indigenous-led project on COVID-19 and does so in ways that serve the interests of any and all Indigenous communities into the future, regardless of location.

$15,000   

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Assessing Capacity to Conduct Indigenous-Based Research and Engage with Indigenous Communities in the Prairie Provinces (RESOLVE Manitoba)

Dr. Kendra Nixon, Director of RESOLVE, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Work

The proposal is for a research building capacity project for RESOLVE Manitoba (a gender-based violence research centre at the University of Manitoba). The project will include a comprehensive examination of the Centre's current research capacity for conducting community-engaged Indigenous research and the development of strategy to increase our current capacity. RESOLVE Manitoba is the administrative hub for the RESOLVE Network, a tri-prairie research institute on family and gender-based violence with two other offices at the University of Calgary and University of Saskatchewan. Given the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the Murder and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry’s Calls to Justice, it is imperative that any research relating to issues of family violence and gender-based violence, including violence against women and girls, be conducted in ways that are not only methodologically sound but are inclusive of Indigenous communities, incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing and caring, and are culturally safe. This project will result in the Centre having greater capacity to conduct research based on stronger relationships with Indigenous partners and will embrace fundamental principles, such as good faith, reciprocity, and trust. Outcomes of the project will be shared broadly - with UM senior administration, research centres affiliated with the University of Manitoba, the seven partnering universities affiliated with the RESOLVE Network, and the four other gender-based violence research centres across Canada.

$29,914

Arts – Anthropology - Indigenizing Curation and Repatriation of Indigenous Ancestors and Cultural Heritage at the University of Manitoba

Derek Johnson, Professor and Department Head, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts; Kathleen Buddle, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts; Julia Gamble, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts; Lara Rosenoff Gauvin, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts; Rachel ten Bruggencate, Technician, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts; Camille Callison, PhD Student, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts

This initiative will create a one-year position for an employee who will work with an advisory committee to create 1) an lndigenized curation and repatriation policy for Indigenous ancestors and sensitive cultural heritage housed in the University of Manitoba Department of Anthropology's archaeological laboratories, 2) a repatriation and curation procedures and guidelines manual for the Department of Anthropology, and 3) a five-year vision plan for community engagement, repatriation, and respectful curation of Indigenous ancestors and cultural heritage housed by the Department of Anthropology. The advisory committee will be made up of Elders from communities represented by collections housed by the Department of Anthropology, members of the Departments of Anthropology and Native Studies, and representatives of the Faculty of Arts. This advisory committee will meet quarterly to review and revise policy, procedures, and plans drafted by the employee.

$59,369

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Arts – Native Studies – Indigenous Content Literacy Institute

Cary Miller, Associate Professor and Department Head, Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba

Indigenous Content Literacy Institute is a program to take University of Manitoba faculty and staff beyond Indigenous awareness and Indigenous competency to the level of literacy required to introduce Indigenous content into their classes in support of the strategic goals of the university. TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) Recommendation number 57 calls for all government employees (our faculty and our students as future employees in many fields such as health and education) to receive "education on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-Crown relations. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism." This program answers that call by educating our faculty and staff not only on the histories, political status, rights and contemporary concerns of Indigenous people in Manitoba, but also addresses how to manage discussion of racially sensitive topics in the classroom. This will fulfill the strategic action in Taking Our Place to provide educational opportunities for academic staff members to ensure they can incorporate Indigenous knowledge in their areas. Through assigned readings and a series of seminars equivalent to a graduate level course, faculty and staff will learn this material and be able to fulfill the goal in our strategic plan to infuse Indigenous content across the curriculum.

$58,320

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Engineering – An Engineering – Architecture – Shoal Lake 40 Community Summer Design & Build Studio Course: Developing Curriculum Integration & Project Sustainability

Marcia Friesen, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Director, Centre for Engineering Professional Practice & Engineering Education, Faculty of Engineering; Shawn Bailey, M.Arch., Assistant Professor & Indigenous Scholar, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, and cross-appointed as Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Engineering; Carlos Rueda, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Head, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture

This project will develop and implement the second offering of an interdisciplinary design-build studio course, in which undergraduate students from the Faculties of Architecture and Engineering will work together with faculty members and community members of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation to design and build gardening structures on the Pow Wow grounds on the shore of Shoal Lake, tied to discussion of food sovereignty in Indigenous communities. The course's inaugural offering was a uniquely rewarding learning experience for the student, faculty, and community, and it planted seeds of a longer-term relationship with the Shoal Lake community. This second offering will take advantage of the lessons learned in the first offering, deepen the relationships, offer students an integrated design experience with Indigenous perspectives which is unique in their curricula, and offer a tangible outcome to the Shoal Lake community. The experience will engage students and faculty with Indigenous Knowledge and design principles and foster awareness among non-Indigenous students toward their future architectural and engineering practice in Manitoba & Canada.

$30,000

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Engineering – Seeing Through an Indigenous Lens: Enhanced Engineering Education with Indigenous Cultures, Pedagogies, Knowledges, Perspectives, and Design Principles: Part 2

Dr. Jillian Seniuk Cicek, Assistant Professor, Centre for Engineering Professional Practice and Engineering Education, Faculty of Engineering; Dr. Marcia Friesen, P. Eng., Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Design Education), Faculty of Engineering & Director, Centre for Engineering Professional Practice and Engineering Education, NSERC Design Chair; Randy Herrmann,  P. Eng., Director, Engineering Access Program (ENGAP) for Indigenous Students, Faculty of Engineering; Dr. Afua Mante, EIT, Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for Engineering Professional Practice and Engineering Education, Faculty of Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering will build on and expand their 2018 IIF project, "Seeing Through an Indigenous Lens: Enhancing Engineering Education with Indigenous Cultures, Pedagogies, Knowledges, Perspectives, and Design Principles," using a multi-pronged approach to increase Indigenous partnership, achievement, representation and belonging in the Faculties of Engineering, Architecture and Agricultural and Food Sciences, and support the enhancement of engineering education in significant and culturally sensitive ways by becoming a more intentional student-facing initiative, and expanding our Faculty audience. We will continue to support a part-time Elder-in-Residence position in the Faculty of Engineering, and the cultural and spiritual guidance and cultural teachings the Elder offers to Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, staff, and faculty. We also plan to design and implement a new Complementary Studies (CS) elective course focusing on “Practicing Engineering and Allied Professions with Indigenous Community Members in Manitoba” for undergraduate students in the Faculties of Engineering, Architecture, and Agricultural and Food Sciences.

$57,624

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Kinesiology and Rec Management – Junior Bison Indigenous Athlete Development Camps

Dr. Heather McRae, Director for Indigenous Engagement; Bree Langlais, Indigenous Engagement Coordinator

This project supports the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action #88 which outlines the need to support long-term Indigenous athlete development and growth, and Call to Action #89 to reduce barriers to sport participation and increase the pursuit of excellence in sport. The Junior Bison Indigenous Athlete Development Camps will provide young Indigenous athletes with an opportunity for advanced levels of skill development with the goal of preparing more Indigenous athletes to participate in varsity athletics at the university and college level. To promote gender equity in sport, the Indigenous Athlete Development Camps will focus recruitment efforts on engaging young Indigenous girls and youth. This project will be piloted in a minimum of two communities each year over the next two years (rural/remote and inner Winnipeg).

$36,142

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Music – Indigenizing and Decolonizing the Desautels Faculty of Music

Dr. Jody Stark, Assistant Professor, Desautels Faculty of Music; Dr. Laura Loewen, Associate Professor, Desautels Faculty of Music; Dr. Edward Jurkowski, Dean, Desautels Faculty of Music

This multifaceted project seeks to expand our decolonizing and indigenizing work in the Desautels Faculty of Music through four strategic initiatives designed to impact the experiences and perspectives of our students, academic staff and the public, and to impact our curriculum. We will offer year-long faculty learning community of up to 10 DFOM faculty and staff members who will meet each month with an Indigenous facilitator for discussions and readings, and engage in several community-based experiences throughout the year. In addition, there will be two faculty-wide events for all members of the Desautels Faculty of Music community and DFOM community partners. These events will feature a blanket exercise facilitated by Kairos Canada and a cultural teaching session facilitated by Metis fiddler and knowledge keeper Oliver Boulet. We plan to work with an Indigenous educator and in consultation with community advisors, to develop an Indigenous perspectives module for a course for future music educators. Lastly, a commission of a new work or works by Indigenous composers to be performed at the opening of the new Desautels concert hall. The intention of this commission is to not only acknowledge that the concert hall is located in Treaty 1 territory, but to create repertoire that represents an Indigenous worldview, which can then be taught by music educators in schools and conservatory music programs after the premiere.

$30,000

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Rady Faculty of Health Sciences – Ongomiizwin – Network for Anti-Racism and Indigenous Health Education

Linda Diffey, Lecturer, Indigenous Scholar, Ongomiizwin Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing and Department of Community Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

This project proposes the development of an interdisciplinary peer support network across the five RFHS colleges that will help respond to the TRC Calls to Action through four main strategies: (1) collective learning opportunities in anti-racist and anti-colonial pedagogy; (2) formation of a community of practice for peer mentorship and support; (3) opportunities to develop anti-racist facilitation skills; and (4) development of a communication plan to ensure the activities of the network are highly visible and accessible within the faculty. Specific activities that will be offered through this project are monthly peer mentorship meetings, quarterly anti-racism workshops, and annual intensive summer institutes that focus on incorporating anti-racist and Indigenous perspectives in curricula and teaching within health education. Through the establishment of this network and the activities it supports, the expectation is that RFHS learners will have enhanced opportunities to learn the principles and skills of anti-racist practice that they will be equipped to apply in their professional lives post-graduation, and that this ultimately benefits the Indigenous communities within Manitoba.

$30,000

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Rady Faculty of Health Sciences – Ongomiizwin – Medical School Entrance Interview Workshop: Development of a Workshop Guide / Handbook

Melinda Fowler, Director of Ongomiizwin Education, Assistant Clinical Professor, Community Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences; Noreen Wichart, Acting Area Director, lnstuctor II Access and Aboriginal Focus Programs, Extended Education; Ms. Kimberly Hart, Senior Lead, Indigenous Health Student Affairs, Ongomiizwin Education, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

The Medical School Entrance Interview Workshop (MSEI) saw its fifth offering in February of 2020. The 3-day Workshop was originally developed and piloted by the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC) in 2012 and further developed by Dr. Melinda Fowler. The MSEI workshop is designed to support Indigenous applicants who have been granted an interview with medicine. Because of workshop's tremendous growth since its inception, funds are being sought to hire a workshop coordinator who will coordinate the 2021 MSEI workshop and through research and experience with the workshop, will develop a step-by-step manual/guide which will allow faculty/staff to replicate and deliver the workshop year after year. The manual could potentially be shared with other areas of the university engaged in similar interview processes and/or published for sale to be utilized in other medical schools across Canada.

$30,000

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Faculty of Science – Re-envisioning Discover Days as a student led event held in Indigenous communities and schools in collaboration with Manitoba First Nation Resource Center Schools

Seema Goel, STEAM Programmer and Outreach Coordinator, Dean's Office, Faculty of Science

STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Math) is the inclusion of the Arts into STEM teaching. We facilitate Discover Days (DD) and Science Rendezvous (SR) each May, the largest science outreach initiatives hosted at the U of M. Our recent consultation with the K-12 school teachers of the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre schools expressed their difficulty in accessing our Winnipeg based programming. Despite our added provisions for transport and meals for MFNERC schools, the primary barrier is distance. In response to the teachers' requests and with their support, we propose a two year pilot project in which our university students mentor and collaborate with the high-school students of one community to develop their own version of Discover Days programming for their local elementary schools and community. Our hope is to create a mentorship structure which can support other high-schools in Indigenous communities interested in improving their local science literacy through this program.

$15,000

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Student Affairs Enrollment Services – Indigenous Focused Open House Proposal

Desiree Morrisseau Keesick - Lead Indigenous Student Recruitment Officer, Student Recruitment - Student Affairs; Lisa Kachulak-Babey - Director of Student Recruitment, Student Recruitment - Student Affairs; Jeff Adams - Executive Director of Enrollment Services

At the University of Manitoba, dedicated staff and faculty work hard to ensure that academic, social and spiritual supports for Indigenous students are accessible, culturally affirming, and innovative. These supports, along with a vibrant and welcoming Indigenous community, are essential to the success of a student during their academic journey. Without experiencing our community first-hand, it can be difficult to articulate the network of supports and sense of community to prospective Indigenous students. In addition, there are many barriers that prospective Indigenous students face, not the least of which is experiencing a post-secondary campus first-hand, understanding the daily life of a post-secondary student, along with the exciting journey of discovery that higher education can provide. In order to provide these experiences to prospective students, and to give them a glimpse into life on campus, we are proposing an annual Indigenous recruitment specific event on the Fort Garry campus to enhance the Indigenous student recruitment team's current compliment of recruitment strategies.

$15,000

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Student Affairs Engagement & Success – Developing a framework for early engagement of Indigenous students with a focus on the development of competencies for effective learning and work transitions in a rapidly changing labour market

Gail Langlais, Director of Career Services

The project will develop a framework for future career development programming by connecting with Indigenous stakeholders, opening dialogue to create partnerships based on an understanding of needs, exploring how we can create programming that meets Indigenous students where they are at and that supports bridging to occupational goals. As we work to foster K-12 Indigenous student participation in post-secondary, having an increased understanding of opportunities and challenges they face in transitioning to post-secondary and to the labour market is imperative. This initiative will look at how the University is currently engaging with Indigenous stakeholders to support the career development needs of Indigenous students and to build on those existing relationships, where possible. We will identify current Indigenous students and their programs of study so we can consult and start to address their immediate needs through tailored career development programming while building for the future. Career Services will look at how we can maximize Indigenous stakeholder, organizational/group collaborations and employer partnerships to tailor and enhance career development services and experiential learning opportunities. The initiative will also explore access to resources outside the University and how we can work with federal, provincial and private partners to enhance connections to meaningful occupational pathways and the labour market.

$35.821

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Student Affairs Student Support – Building Connections between Indigenous students and Student Support

Heather Morris, Director, Student Advocacy and Case Management, Student Support/Student Affairs

Student Support (a division of Student Affairs) provides a range of services for students on campus. "Building Connections between Indigenous Students and Student Support" are regular lunch sessions held throughout the academic year in which staff from various Student Support units on campus will meet with Indigenous students, as well as staff who work with Indigenous students. These gatherings will offer information-sharing in terms of the services that are available from each unit, as well as opportunity to hear from Indigenous staff and students about their needs and ways that the Student Support units can better support Indigenous students. We welcome the opportunity to meet with students and staff in a casual environment, to get to know each other better and build connections in which students can feel comfortable to reach out for support, and staff can refer students when needed.

$4,040

Fostering relationships with First Nation communities: An online road map for undergraduate and graduate students in agriculture, engineering, environment and science

Dr. Kyle Bobiwash, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Dr. Annemieke Farenhorst, (Acting) Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Randy Herrmann P.Eng., Director Engineering Access Program, Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Krystyna Koczanski, Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Science, and Dr. Stephane McLachlan, Professor, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources

This collaborative project will develop a centralized online tool to introduce more Indigenous knowledge and perspectives to undergraduate and graduate students in the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources, and the Faculties of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Engineering and Science. The goal is to encourage more Indigenous students to consider natural sciences and engineering courses, programs and employment opportunities, and to provide all our students with opportunities to learn about pathways to Indigenous achievement.

$50,000

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Development and First Implementation of an Engineering–Architecture–Shoal Lake Community Summer Design & Build Studio Course

Shawn Bailey, M.Arch., Assistant Professor & Indigenous Scholar, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, and cross-appointed as Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Engineering, Carlos Rueda, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Head, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, and Marcia Friesen, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Director, Centre for Engineering Professional Practice & Engineering Education, Faculty of Engineering

This initiative will develop and implement an interdisciplinary summer design & build studio course, in which undergraduate students from the Faculties of Architecture and Engineering will work together with faculty members and with community members of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation to design and build a pavilion at Shoal Lake 40 to be used for community feasts. The shelter will be integrated as part of future Pow Wow grounds situated along the northern shore of Shoal Lake within the Manitoba border.

$49,452

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Indigenous Languages Elders in Residence Program

Dr. Heidi Marx, Associate Dean, Faculty of Arts, and Dr. Cary Miller, Associate Professor, Head, Native Studies Department

As the University of Manitoba seeks to build a training program for teachers certified in Indigenous languages, this program seeks to maintain connections with community first language speaking Elders whose incredible knowledge of vocabulary, word roots, and stories and cultural traditions is often not transmitted by second language speakers who have attained the needed degrees to teach at the University level. Students and community have raised concerns that while their young people may become fluent through the usual methods of University instruction, there may yet be cultural loss if first language speakers are not included in a complete language program. This project will address this gap by hiring language Elders-in-residence in each of the languages that are taught at the University of Manitoba, who will each be available to work with students telling stories and imparting cultural teachings in Anishinaabemowin, Cree or Dakota. While this will most specifically benefit students enrolled in language courses, the door will be open to anyone in the campus community who wants to improve their language skills.

$35,000

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Seeing Through an Indigenous Lens: Enhancing Engineering Education with Indigenous Cultures, Pedagogies, Knowledges, Perspectives, and Design Principles

Dr. Jillian Seniuk Cicek, Assistant Professor, Centre for Engineering Professional Practice and Engineering Education, Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Afua Mante, EIT, Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for Engineering Professional Practice and Engineering Education, Faculty of Engineering, Randy Herrmann, P.Eng., Director, Engineering Access Program (ENGAP) for Indigenous Students, Faculty of Engineering, and Dr. Marcia Friesen, P. Eng., Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Design Education), Faculty of Engineering & Director, Centre for Engineering Professional Practice and Engineering Education, NSERC Design Chair

The Faculty of Engineering will offer a 12-month part-time position for an Indigenous Elder and/or Knowledge-Keeper, a series of workshops for faculty and instructors, and leadership opportunities for Engineering Access Program (ENGAP)/ Indigenous engineering students to learn how to incorporate Indigenous perspectives in engineering courses in significant and culturally sensitive ways to enhance engineering education.

$22,200

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Indigenizing Curriculum, Pedagogy and Spaces in Teacher Education

Nadine Bartlett - Assistant Professor, Educational Administration, Foundations & Psychology, Faculty of Education, Charlotte Enns - Professor, Educational Administration, Foundations & Psychology, Faculty of Education, Zana Lutfiyya - Professor, Educational Administration, Foundations & Psychology, Faculty of Education, and Rick Freeze - Professor, Educational Administration, Foundations & Psychology, Faculty of Education

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 10 addresses the need to develop culturally appropriate curriculum, and for respecting and honouring the treaty relationships. Call to Action 63 advocates building capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect and identifying teacher-training needs related to Indigenous education issues. The objectives of this proposed project are to:

1. Review and revise course curricula and pedagogy in the area of Inclusive/Special Education to incorporate Indigenous knowledge, pedagogy and worldviews;
2. Actively engage Indigenous community partners in the process of course review, revision and innovation to ensure Indigenous voices and perspectives are reflected;
3. Create a culturally rich, safe and supportive learning environment in which an increased number of Indigenous teachers succeed; and
4. Build intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect among all teachers about   Indigenous issues and their role in the process of reconciliation.

$36,050

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Indigenous Storytelling: An Alternative Path to Understanding and Reconciliation

Wanbdi Wakita, Grandfather-in-Residence, Access Programs, Extended Education

The stories told by our Grandmothers and Grandfathers are crucial to reclaiming the narrative of Indigenous Canadian society. This storytelling project, led by respected Dakota Grandfather Wanbdi Wakita, a Dakota Spiritual Leader and Sundance Chief, will bring to our campus storytellers from six Nations: Cree, Ojibway, Oji-Cree, Michif, Dakota, and Inuktitut. The strength of family and community, as revealed in these stories, offers the listener opportunities to understand and to resist the dominant colonial narratives inherent in daily life here in Manitoba and Canada and reveals pathways to cultural, historical, and political renewal for our University of Manitoba community, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.

$29,490

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Indigenous ways of knowing: Developing Indigenous competencies to inform undergraduate midwifery and nursing curricula

Dr. Kellie Thiessen, Director Midwifery Program, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Audrey Richard, M.Ed., Aboriginal Nursing Cohort Initiative (ANCI) Student Advisor/Counsellor, College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. Sue Mcclement, Professor & Associate Dean Research, College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Suzanne Lennon, PhD (c), Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and Trina Arnold, MSc. Instructor II, College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

The purpose of our project is to identify places in both the midwifery and nursing undergraduate academic curricula in the College of Nursing, where Indigenous knowledge will be threaded as learning outcomes for all students. This work will occur through collaborative interprofessional stakeholders. This project will focus on embedding Indigenous ways of knowing, including the incorporation of Indigenous core competencies, into the midwifery and nursing curricula. As an interprofessional team, our cognitive map will be guided by an Indigenous paradigm, whereby a fundamental belief is that all knowledge is relational and shared with all of creation; because all knowledge is shared, it thus cannot be owned or discovered.

$50,000

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Increasing the number of Indigenous occupational, physical and respiratory therapists and preparing culturally safe practitioners in the College of Rehabilitation Sciences

Debra Beach Ducharme, Director of Indigenous Integration, Ongomiizwin - Education, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and Leanne Leclair, Department Head and Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

Through a review of our admissions processes for Indigenous students, we hope to determine, in consultation with Indigenous partners, how the process can be enhanced to recruit and admit an increased number of Indigenous students into our programs. Additionally, we will identify the supports needed to retain Indigenous students in their respective programs.

Within the College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CoRS) we have worked to develop an understanding of how we incorporate Indigenous knowledge and practices into our curricula. We are now in a position to collaborate with Indigenous partners to establish a process and plan for integrating new Indigenous knowledge and teachings into our curricula in an effort to better prepare our students as culturally safe practitioners. As part of this process, we will ensure that we have access to the resources needed to support this integration and establish methods for determining that students are prepared to provide culturally safe services as future health care practitioners. We will work with CoRS faculty and Ongomiizwin Education to identify resource needs related to the integration of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives within our programs.

$49,262

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Ta Minogin Kii Mashkiki Minaan (Our Medicines Will Grow Well)

Dr. Melina Fowler, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Elder Margaret Lavallee, Elder-in-Residence, Ongomiizwin Education, Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, and Kathy Bird, Traditional Healer/Medicine Woman, Aboriginal Traditional Wellness Clinic at the Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, MB

This project will provide an opportunity to further develop the on-site Traditional Medicine Garden at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Bannatyne Campus. Revitalization of the medicine garden will include on-site and video vignette teachings on our traditional medicines and their uses. Ta Minogin Kii Mashkiki Minaan will provide opportunities to strengthen knowledge around traditional medicines, will allow medicines to grow and be harvested, and will allow for the proper care of the medicines throughout all of the seasons. Care and harvesting of the medicines must be done at the appropriate times and in the appropriate way under the direction of our Elder/Healer. This will be accompanied by the appropriate teachings.

$40,000

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Meskanaw Kamamawi Pimitisamak ~ the road that we walk together: Building on Strengths of Indigenous Land Based Education in Manitoba through Asset and Curricular Mapping of Land Based Educational Outcomes across the Life Cycle.

Dr. Daniel Henhawk, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology and Recreation Management, and Dr. Brian Rice, Associate Professor, Kinesiology and Recreation Management

Scholars from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management (FKRM) will engage in curriculum discussions with the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre (MFNERC), Elders and Indigenous Land-Based Educators and Knowledge Keepers (llBE/KK) from diverse Indigenous communities to develop a land-based curricular framework that will provide the foundation for the development of FKRM academic courses to be delivered in the faculty's undergraduate program. This project will build upon MFNERC's ILBE curriculum development by co-hosting a two-day summit focussed on asset and curricular mapping with ILBE/KK to identify learning activities and outcomes.

$50,000

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Our Path to Reconciliation

Valerie Williams, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Facilitator, Learning & Organizational Development, Human Resources, and Ry Moran, Director, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

This project addresses the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 57, through the creation of two online videos to use as a resource with the outcomes-based criteria:
•    Promote cultural competence
•    Open people up to other ways of knowing
•    Build respect, empathy and understanding
•    Foster cultural safety
•    Strengthen Reconciliation

The videos will allow Faculty and Staff to gain understanding of the intergenerational impacts of colonization, build relationships with one another and commit to truth and reconciliation with a sense of personal responsibility. In the words of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, "reconciliation is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in this country."

$30,000

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Path2Math Academy for First-Year Indigenous Undergraduate Students

Darja Barr, Instructor II, Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, and Emily McKinnon, Science Education Specialist, Access & Aboriginal Focus Programs

The Path2Math Academy for Indigenous undergraduate students is designed to improve the outcomes of Indigenous students in mathematics and science courses and increase representation of First Nations, Métis and Inuit students in science courses and programs at the University of Manitoba. Currently, Indigenous students are underrepresented in the sciences relative to non-Indigenous students, reducing their success not only in these programs but also for future applications to professional health programs.

The week-long, pre-fall semester program addresses this specific deficiency by having students participate in 9 hours of skill-building math sessions, 6 hours of hands-on, interactive and team-building science and math activities in the afternoons. We also provide 4 hours of Indigenous-themed reading and writing work, to balance the math and science activities and provide a diversity of experiences for these students. Throughout the program students experience one-on-one interactions with math and science instructors, upper-year Indigenous undergraduate peer-mentors, and Indigenous supports on campus.

$33,000

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Indigenizing the Bachelor of Social Work, Faculty of Social Work

Dr. Cathy Rocke, Associate Professor & Associate Dean (Undergraduate) - Faculty of Social Work,  and Deana Halonen, Senior Instructor - Faculty of Social Work

The Faculty of Social Work (FSW) is the only accredited social work degree program in the province of Manitoba and admits over 200 students into the BSW program yearly across 4 delivery sites. Currently, the Faculty of Social Work is embarking on a revision of the BSW program with a primary goal to integrate Indigenous Knowledge throughout the BSW curriculum to better prepare graduates for working with Indigenous peoples.

Unfortunately, the field of social work has often been complicit in social policies that have had a devastating impact on Indigenous communities most clearly demonstrated by the residential school system and 60’s scoop. The need to change the way that social work is both taught and practiced was recently highlighted in the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action (Child Welfare 1[iii] and [iv]). The TRC also highlighted the need for Indigenous Knowledges (IK) to be integrated into the classroom. (Education 62 [ii]). This project seeks to develop programs that are "strengthened by Indigenous Knowledge and perspectives" and the FSW priority to "ensure Indigenous content across programs and courses."

$49,700

Bridging the Gap between Knowledge and Practice - Supporting UM Faculty in the Journey to Integrate Indigenous Knowledge/Methods into Teaching

Dr. Amy De Jaeger - Team Lead, Research, Evaluation and Innovation and Ms. Colleen Webb, Team Lead, Educational Development and Consultation, The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning

The primary goal of this project is to empower faculty/instructors to utilize resources for integrating Indigenous perspectives into teaching and learning in ways that are respectful for all students. A Community of Practice approach will be used to foster support from, and between, Indigenous and non-Indigenous faculty within the University of Manitoba. This new initiative will expand upon the existing supports offered by The Centre and promote sustained uptake of existing resources.

$35,000

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Supporting the medical learners through faculty development: An innovative teaching module focusing on the delivery of culturally safe, anti-racist healthcare provision in rural/remote First Nations communities

Dr. Barry Lavallee, Director, Ongomiizwin - Education, Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and Dr. Adrienne Morrow, Department of Community Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

The primary objective of this project is to develop a teaching module that is built upon the principles of decolonizing anti-racist pedagogy that will prepare family medicine physician preceptors in rural/remote training sites to support medical learners in their delivery of culturally safe care when working with Indigenous patients. The eight-week training module will be developed in the Norway House training site, with the full engagement of the Norway House Cree Nation community at all stages of the curriculum development, delivery and evaluation. It is anticipated that the development and evaluation of the training module will serve as a foundation for the training of physician preceptors in other rural/remote sites and other medical specialties across Manitoba. Ultimately, the implementation of this faculty development training will provide a more comprehensive learning support system for medical students as they learn to work safely and effectively with Indigenous patients and communities.

$27,680

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Gaa wii ji'i diyaang: Building Capacity as we walk together, helping each other towards Indigenous Achievement at the University of Manitoba

Dr. Derek Kornelson, Assistant Professor, Ongomiizwin Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Ms. Brenda Lafreniere, Access and Aboriginal Focus Programs and Dr. Joannie Halas, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management

Gaa wii ji'i diyaang is comprised of Indigenous and non-Indigenous faculty, staff and students working together and advocating for Indigenous Achievement at the University of Manitoba. With financial support from the Indigenous Initiatives Fund, Gaa wii ji'i diyaang council will develop and coordinate a two-part education workshop and membership drive that will be used to expand the council's membership over the coming years. The workshops focus on "truth" (Indigenous people's history, colonization) and "reconciliation," leading to concrete action.

$33,300

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Indigenous Summer Student Internship Program

Ms. Darlene Smith, Director, Human Resources Client Services

The Indigenous Summer Student Internship Program was developed to help increase awareness of the wide range of meaningful employment opportunities at the University of Manitoba for our Indigenous university students and to position the U of M as a great place to work, where Indigenous students can build a career after graduation. The program provides meaningful, career specific, summer employment for our Indigenous students and also provides opportunities for connecting with the broader university Indigenous community.

$38,000

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A Purposeful Pause: Creating a Culture of Change that Promotes Indigenous Knowledge, Education and Scholarship Achievement at the College of Pharmacy

Dr. Dana Turcotte, Clinical Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy, Ms. Sarah Olson, College of Pharmacy & the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

The College of Pharmacy is embarking on a journey to pause and reflect on current Indigenous curricular content and environmental barriers in order to facilitate change towards the advancement of Indigenous achievement. The project will evaluate faculty, staff and students in the College of Pharmacy regarding the understanding, beliefs and attitudes towards Indigenous peoples through a baseline analysis of Indigenous knowledge and cultural competency. Additionally, a comprehensive review will be conducted regarding research, curriculum and course development requirements. We hope to guide future programming, curricular changes, faculty development and resource utilization integral to the advancement of Indigenous knowledge, education and scholarship within the College of Pharmacy as we move forward with further development and implementation of the PharmD program.

$40,200

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Indigenous Sport and Recreation Engagement Plan

Ms. Heather McRae, Community Scholar, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management and Mr. Mike Sirant, Bison Men's Hockey Coach

Over the past year, members of FKRM's Indigenous Achievement and Community Engagement (IACE) working group identified strategic priorities within Bison Sports and Active Living programming to support the long-term development of Indigenous coaches and athletes and enhance the delivery of culturally affirming and barrier-free health and wellness programming for Indigenous students, staff and community members. Over the next year, FKRM will hire an Engagement Team to conduct community consultations, pilot outreach activities and create a five-year Indigenous Sport and Wellness Strategy (ISWS).

Anticipated benefits of the ISWS include: building community capacity of Indigenous coaches and sport leaders to enhance the success of Indigenous sport teams in their community and at local and national events; supporting the ongoing efforts of local Indigenous sport organizations to increase the number of Indigenous coaches and officials in Manitoba, enhancing the academic and athletic success of Indigenous Bison athletes via a culturally affirming recruitment, retention and mentorship strategy; creating culturally affirming sport spaces, coaching and leadership practices that enhance sport experiences for all coaches and athletes; and ensuring all Indigenous students, staff and community members have equitable access to Active Living and Bison Sports programming or events either by removing barriers to existing services or providing alternate, cost-effective health and wellness service or programs.

$50,000

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Co-operative and Experiential Education Opportunities for Indigenous Students in Agriculture and Food Sciences

Dr. Jared Carlberg, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences

This initiative will help improve the co-operative and experiential education opportunities available to Indigenous students in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences as well as provide leadership training and professional development for Indigenous students in our faculty. Specific components of this initiative will include an Industry Exposure, Leadership & Professional Development Program along with a Co-operative and Experiential Education Opportunities for Indigenous Students in Agricultural and Food Sciences Program.

$27,000

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Working in good ways: A decolonizing framework and resources for Indigenous community engagement and service-learning

Ms. Anny Chen, Mr. Gerardo Villagran and Ms. Nicki Ferland, Community Service-Learning

The decolonizing framework and resources, developed in collaboration with Indigenous community partners, Elders and university colleagues, will help service-learning practitioners and students work in better, more holistic and community-led ways with Indigenous partners - from engagement and relationship-building to program closure and evaluation. CSL is committed to using the framework and resources to decolonize their own community engagement and service-learning philosophy, practices, pedagogies and systems, and hopes that they will also be useful to other service-learning practitioners, students and Indigenous communities who want to work together in a good way.

$43,200

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Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre Afternoon Science Club

The College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and Dr. James Gilchrist, Professor and Acting Head, Department of Oral Biology

Through the Indigenous Initiatives Fund, the BYP established a weekly after-school science enrichment program for 16 grade 7/8 children registered with the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre. At the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, young participants engaged in a wide range of Biomedical Science hands-on activities guided by university undergrad and graduate students. Through a mechanistic vision of youth inspiring youth, we hope to nurture a curiosity about the world around us, shrink horizons and bring the future into clearer view.

$28,000

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Inuit Education Connections Program: Building Inuit Student Recruitment and Retention Success through Mentorship and Connection to Culture

Dr. Marcia Anderson, Executive Director, Indigenous Academic Affairs, Ongomiizwin Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and Ms. Kimberly Hart, Senior Lead, Indigenous Student Affairs

In response to the under-representation of self-identified Inuit students and faculty within the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, we will implement mentorship and cultural connection workshops towards the recruitment and retention of Inuit students, in partnership with the Manitoba Inuit Association. This program aims to identify the supports necessary for Inuit students studying in Manitoba to succeed in their educational objectives, increase graduation rates for Inuit in post-secondary education and ultimately increase Inuit participation in the economy.

$49,858

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Building Indigenous Leadership in Northern Manitoba: A Feasability Study for a MSW-IK Cohort

The Faculty of Social Work, Marlyn Bennett, Director, MSW-IK Program and Mr. Colin Bonnycastle, Director, Northern Social Work Program (Thompson, MB)

Human service agencies across Northern Manitoba, most of which are operated by Indigenous governments, have been requesting for many years that the Faculty of Social Work offer a Master of Social Work program in the north. This project will develop a working model for the delivery of the MSW based on Indigenous Knowledges (MSW-IK) to a cohort of BSW graduates spread across multiple communities in Northern Manitoba. The plan is for students to follow a blended learning approach. As well, the study will look at the feasibility of doing this in partnership with University College of the North.

$50,000

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Community Outreach Initiative: The Health Career Quest Summer Camp

Ms. Noreen Wichart, Associate Area Director, Instructor II, Access and Aboriginal Focus Programs, Extended Education and Mr. Wayne Heide, Lecturer, Department of Family Medicine and Administrative Director, Manitoba's Office of Rural and Northern Health

The Health Career Quest Summer Camp is a 10-day experience in Health Careers offered to Manitoba's Northern Indigenous grade 11 students. Camp participants live in residence at the Fort Garry Campus and travel to the Bannatyne Campus daily for hands-on experiences with the Biomedical Youth Camp in health career areas such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and medical rehabilitation. The camp also offers academic assessment and activities in math and sciences. An exciting and active evening/weekend program is also offered which includes life skills and recreational activities.

$25,000

A Collaboratory Indigenous Curriculum and Teaching Practice in Western Canadian Universities

Dr. Lori Wilkinson and Dr. Amy De Jaeger, Faculty of Arts

Canadian research primarily focuses factors that explain Indigenous students' success or their failures in university. This type of research does little to inform processes for Indigenizing the university curriculum. This project will create a collaboratory of experts from across Western Canada to act as a resource and start a meaningful conversation and sharing of best practices in Indigenizing university curricula with the hope of establishing a more holistic and welcoming university for all students.

$33,774

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Starting the Discussion - Faculty Development and Indigenous Knowledges at the University of Manitoba

Ms. Colleen Webb and Dr. Amy De Jaeger, Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning

Allowing Indigenous students to explore and affirm aspects of their identity while engaging with course material promotes a deeper understanding of course content and leads to academic success. Few resources are available to guide faculty interest in integrating Indigenous knowledges into teaching in a relevant way. The goal of this project is to develop a series of resources that will help faculty integrate Indigenous perspectives into their courses in a culturally sensitive and relevant way.

$35,200

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Indigenous Recruitment, Selection and Retention Strategy Designed to Increase the Representation of Indigenous Faculty and Staff at the University of Manitoba

Mr. Mark O'Riley, Ms. Valerie Williams and Ms. Darlene Smith, Human Resources

This project will analyze historical recruitment data in order to enhance the U of M's ability to attract, hire and retain Indigenous employees and to identify any potential barriers. Based on the data analysis and feedback, we will work towards a comprehensive recruitment, selection and retention strategy and create a framework for how we engage Indigenous communities, attract more Indigenous applicants and increase our hiring and retention rates. We will also develop an Indigenous Staff Mentorship Program.

$34,800

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Developing a Framework for Community-Based Indigenous Programs

Dr. Charlotte Enns and Dr. Melanie Janzen, Faculty of Education

The TRC has declared that education is the key to reconciliation. The Commissioners have called on us to better prepare Indigenous educators and educators working with Indigenous students. With the help of Indigenous communities and teachers, the Faculty of Education will meet this challenge by creating a framework to infuse all of our professional development and graduate programs with Indigenous perspectives and practices, enabling us to better serve educators and students alike.

$35,500

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Indigenous-Centred Business Planning Competition

Dr. Michael Benarroch, Asper School of Business

Case competitions are a regular experiential learning component for many business students. Universities host competitions with themes such as sustainability, innovation, globalization, finance, non-profit and other areas. No competitions emphasize Indigenous business issues, which are becoming increasingly important as the Indigenous population grows. In March 2018, the Asper School of Business, in partnership with Aboriginal Business Education Partners (ABEP), will host an Indigenous-focused business competition. This pilot project will expose Indigenous high school students and Asper faculty and students to Indigenous business issues.

$29,440

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A Collaborative Learning Network for First Nation Land Use Planning

Dr. Janice Barry, Faculty of Architecture

This project builds on over five years of service-learning partnerships between several Manitoba First Nations, City Planning faculty and students. Students involved in this work have prepared land use planning case studies and factsheets that could be used by other Indigenous groups. This work will now be curated into an online resource. Funding received from the Indigenous Initiative Fund will also expand the geographic scope of this collaborative learning network by supporting a partnership with a northern First Nation.

$46,550

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Indigenous Designer-in-Residence Program

Mr. Daniel S. McCafferty, School of Art

The School of Art will offer a six-month position for an Indigenous Designer in Residence. Our residency will emphasize a multi-layered exchange of culture, ideas, creative practices and knowledge on campus, in the Winnipeg arts community, and amongst Manitoba indigenous communities. The Designer in Residence will work and interact closely with students and faculty as she/he works in their capacity as an active and engaged interdisciplinary designer. The resident will produce a body of new creative work and research that extends our relationship to, and understanding of, design and visual communication.

$50,000

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The Road to Reconciliation: Indigenous Re-imaginings of Sport, Recreation, and Land-Based Learning

Dr. Doug Brown, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management

The TRC Report includes five Calls to Action that identify sport as a cultural practice that can potentially foster reconciliation.  A three-day event is planned to initiate a conversation with Community Elders, Indigenous and non-Indigenous sport leaders, policy makers, academics and students.  We aim to share knowledge and experiences about sport within the Residential School System and honour the resilience and strength of survivors.  We will examine the Calls to Action in relationship to existing sport policies and practices, sport organizations and community stakeholders.  Our aim is to develop recommendations that will link the TRC’s Calls to Action with policies and actions in the areas of sport, recreation and land-based education.

$49,625

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Proposal from the Section of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Health

Dr. Marcia Anderson DeCoteau and Ms. Debra Beach Ducharme, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

The Indigenous Initiatives Fund will build on the past and current initiatives to recruit and retain Indigenous health professional learners and to better equip all health care providers to respond to pimatisiwin for Indigenous peoples. Four identified priorities will assist in the development of policies/practices of a sustainable program for both Indigenous learners and other health professionals preparing to work in communities with high Indigenous populations. These priorities will be addressed thorough community engagement strategies planned for 2017-2018.  They are: Honoring Traditional Knowledge Systems and Practices; Developing Longitudinal Health-career Based Math and Science Curriculum; Community-informed re-examination of FHS Admissions Policies and Processes; and Urban Indigenous Health Research Pathways.

$35,000

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The Decolonizing Lens and Film Discussion Series

Jocelyn Thorpe, Faculty of Arts, and Kaila Johnston, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

The Decolonizing Lens is a monthly film and discussion series that features the work and words of Indigenous filmmakers living in Winnipeg and beyond. Each month, different filmmakers screen their work, once during the day on the Fort Garry campus and once in the evening downtown. Following the screenings, the filmmakers discuss with audiences the films and the filmmakers’ creation processes. All Decolonizing Lens events are free and open to everyone.

$35,000

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Nihtâmâmawâyâwin (“being together”) Nanda-gikendan ("seek to learn")

Dr. Eveline Milliken, Yvonne Pompana and Debra Diubaldo, Faculty of Social Work

In shaping, describing, and evaluating a model based on Indigenous frameworks, values and knowledges we will: 1) create a community-based holistic student selection process, which honours those who apply; 2) identify support strategies for applicants in our selection process that can be adapted and implemented in other settings; and 3) create an orientation process which helps those students admitted to university to build in strategies for success, support and balance throughout their university studies.

$26,550

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Indigenous Youth Initiative for Training in Water and Wastewater Management

Dr. Qiuyan Yuan, Faculty of Engineering

This initiative is a collaboration between the U of M and the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute to develop a pilot project that aims to inspire Indigenous youth from First Nations communities in Manitoba to take action in the pursuit of a career in the Water and Wastewater Industry. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to develop an Indigenous Water and Wastewater Training program that will address the critical need for Indigenous people to be trained to manage their water and wastewater systems.

$36,650

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Ceremonial Structures

Ms. Christine Cyr, Indigenous Student Centre

A Sweatlodge is a sacred and traditional ceremony that has been used for thousands of years to bring physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing. It is a place for people to be reconnected to the earth and themselves. Teepees are used as teaching tools, as community-building activities (as in setting up the teepee), and as a gathering space for sacred fires and full moon ceremonies (among other activities). ISC will put up a new Sweatlodge and a new teepee at the Fort Garry campus and will offer ceremonies to students and the university community throughout the year.

$26,000

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College of Rehabilitation Sciences: Developing Meaningful Relations Between CoRS and Currently Underserved First Nations Communities in Manitoba - A Demonstration Project

Dr. Reg Urbanowski, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

The College of Rehabilitation Sciences DEMONSTRATION project creates relationships with First Nation communities in Manitoba where there is no presence of occupational, physical or respiratory therapy.  The project will:

1. Develop faculty liaisons with each community;
2. Develop experiential and online learning opportunities for Gr 6-12 students interested in learning more about the therapy programs offered at the College;
3. Develop a clinical services model where appropriate;
4. Develop fieldwork/ clinical placements.

 
$48,250

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Faculty of Science Workshop Series

Dr. David Herbert, Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science is hosting a series of events for faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the Indigenous community in Manitoba, built around two key foundational areas: (1) Community Building and (2) Resource Building.

$26,000

Details of the events are available on the FoS website.

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Indigenous Land-Based Learning Proposal

Ms. Leanne Shewchuk and Ms. Tamara Thomson, Office of Sustainability

In keeping with the University’s Sustainability Strategy 2016-2018, the Office of Sustainability will be undertaking a Vegetation and Biodiversity Assessment of campus lands in the Spring 2017. A key component of this study will be to incorporate Indigenous knowledge through consultations with community members, Elders, traditional knowledge holders and land-based expert(s). With the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into the assessment, pathways to further understanding of Indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditions with the broader University community will be identified.

$50,000

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A new course in Indigenous Peoples, Oral History, and the Law

Dr. Bryan Schwartz, Robson Hall Faculty of Law

The Faculty of law will establish a new course in Oral History, Indigenous People and the Law. Resources will be used to prepare course materials, build the library collection, and obtain expert assistance in researching course content and delivering it, including building relationships with members of Indigenous communities.

$35,000

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Development of AGRI 3030 Indigenous Issues in Food and Agriculture and Related Learning Tools/Course Modules

Dr. Jared Carlberg, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences

The dual objectives of the project are to (1) develop a new course focusing on Indigenous issues in Agriculture and Food, and (2) create a set of learning tools/course modules to help Indigenize the curriculum in Agricultural and Food Sciences. A majority of these tools/modules will be used in the new course, but there will be opportunities for synergies in developing materials for courses in our specific Agricultural and Food Sciences disciplines (Agribusiness, Human Nutritional Sciences, Agronomy, Animal Systems, Food Science, etc.).

$25,000

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Catholicism and Indigenous Communities: Dialogues, Languages and Reconciliations

Dr. Daniel MacLeod, St. Paul's College

The project “Catholicism and Indigenous Communities: Dialogues, Languages and Reconciliations” is formed in two parts. The first includes offering a course on interactions between Catholicism and Indigenous Peoples in the global community, as well as consultation by the course instructor regarding Indigenous content in Catholic Studies’ introductory course. The second part involves hosting two public lectures and housing an exhibition of Indigenous language texts and artifacts associated with early Jesuit missions in Canada, including grammars and dictionaries, from Archive of the Jesuits in Canada in Montreal.

$26,750

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Métis Inclusion

Ms. Christine Cyr, Indigenous Student Centre

The goal of this project is to increase the level of knowledge, connection, pride and success for Métis students and to increase awareness and understanding of the uniqueness and importance of Métis cultures for the entire U of M community. A part-time coordinator will be hired to work on the enhancement, creation, and delivery of activities and events that would focus on the support and celebration of Métis students.

$25,000

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Department of Psychiatry: Training for Naugaat - Learning from Naujaat

Dr. Polina Anang, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

This project will bring Mrs. Elizabeth Haqpi, a respected Naujaat Elder, who has over 30 years of experience working as Interpreter at the Naujaat Health Centre, to Winnipeg to receive training in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. In exchange, Mrs. Haqpi will teach learners and staff members at the Department of Psychiatry about Inuit way of life, personal narratives and resilience in a remote isolated community of Naujaat, Nunavut.

$35,000

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Campus Bike Kiosk and Indigenous Design

Ms. Rejeanne Dupuis, Campus Planning Office

The campus bike kiosk is a retrofitted shipping container facility at the Fort Garry campus. It will be a hub for bicycle repair, education, and social gathering, emphasizing sustainable and active transportation. So far, the project has progressed under the guidance of the University’s Indigenous Planning and Design Principles. The Indigenous Initiatives Fund will enable the Indigenous design of this project to continue through artistic and language elements, contributing to the Indigenization of the campus environment through unique cultural placemaking.

$46,000