Truth and Reconciliation

Centre for Indigenous Studies

Faculty of Arts & Science

First Nations House

St. George

Subheadline

The new building will bring together the Centre for Indigenous Studies, First Nations House Indigenous Student Services and the Office of Indigenous Initiatives

A new Indigenous hub is planned for the University of Toronto’s St. George campus – an idea that has been a longstanding vision of Indigenous community members at the university.

The project, which now has a confirmed site near the intersection of St. George and Bloor Streets, will be a new home for Indigenous academic, administrative and student supports in a thoughtfully designed space that reflects Indigenous values.

Shannon Simpson (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“While we’ve made progress in recognizing Indigenous presence and contributions across the university, a dedicated space – what we often refer to as a home or a hub – has been something we’ve dreamed of for a long time,” says Shannon Simpson, senior director of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. “It’s not just about a physical space – it will be a place of belonging, visibility and connection.”

The new hub will bring together three foundational pillars of Indigeneity at U of T’s St. George campus: the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Centre for Indigenous Studies (CIS), which fosters Indigenous scholarship through interdisciplinary research and teaching grounded in Indigenous knowledge, histories and lived experiences; First Nations House Indigenous Student Services (ISS), that has provided academic advising, cultural programming and community for Indigenous students since 1992; and the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, which leads university-wide efforts toward truth, reconciliation and decolonization and supports Indigenous students, faculty, staff and librarians while guiding institutional change through education and training, policy and relationship-building.

Susan Hill (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“This space will enable us to enhance and expand exceptional Indigenous research and teaching on campus,” says Associate Professor Susan Hill, director of CIS. “It will also foster a stronger sense of belonging for students and create space for more integrated collaboration and Indigenous knowledge-sharing across our community and beyond.”

With the site now confirmed, the university is moving ahead with the planning necessary to select a design team, which will then work closely with Indigenous partners to shape a space grounded in Indigenous values. This approach aligns with a key recommendation from Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin, U of T’s 2017 response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action: that new Indigenous spaces be not only more visible and accessible, but also created through meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities.

Sandy Welsh, U of T’s vice provost, students, says that while the university has made significant strides toward truth and reconciliation – including the hiring of Indigenous faculty and staff across the three campuses and the creation of Ziibiing, an Indigenous landscape, in the heart of the St. George campus – more work is needed to create spaces that fully reflect and support Indigenous experiences.

“There is more to consider with this building project,” Welsh says. “Our intention is to honour our responsibilities, past, present and future, to ensure Indigenous leadership and knowledge are fully supported and visible within our institution, and also to elevate the student experience by developing more inclusive spaces.”

Simpson notes that while Wecheehetowin formalized U of T’s commitment in 2017, the call for a central, dedicated Indigenous space stretches back much further. Hence, the planned hub is not simply a response to institutional recommendations – it results from decades of advocacy by U of T’s Indigenous community.

“This space has been a long time coming,” Simpson says. “It reflects the efforts and voices of those who have pushed for change over many years, and it marks a turning point – one that not only honours the past but helps shape a future where all facets of Indigeneity are included and celebrated.”

U of T de-recognizes Duncan Campbell Scott for role in the Indigenous residential school system

lanthierj — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 18:05:56 +0000

U of T de-recognizes Duncan Campbell Scott for role in the Indigenous residential school system

lanthierj Thu, 02/27/2025 - 13:05

Cutline

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Subheadline

Poet was honoured in 1921 for contributions to literature

The University of Toronto is de-recognizing the late Duncan Campbell Scott, who was awarded an honorary degree in 1921, following the submission of a formal petition.

In 2023, U of T established the Standing Committee on Recognition to review requests to re-assess the honours and distinctions conferred by the university. Once the committee reaches a recommendation, it is advanced to the president and provost and, if they agree, to governance via the Committee for Honorary Degrees.

The standing committee unanimously recommended that Scott be de-recognized through a process identified under its principles and processes as “contextualization” – illuminating the contentious or problematic legacy of the honoree. It further recommended that the university acknowledge its own complicity in awarding the honorary degree in 1921.

“We are grateful to the faculty, students, staff and alumni – including Indigenous and legal scholars – who serve on the standing committee for their careful research, diligent deliberations and thoughtful advice,” said Meric Gertler, U of T president. “Taking this step acknowledges the horrific impact of residential schools, the individual role of Scott and the collective failures of the university, the federal government and Canadian society.”

Scott received an honorary doctor of literature degree in recognition of his contributions to Canadian literature as part of a group of English-language poets known as the “poets of Confederation.” However, he also served in the federal Department of Indian Affairs from 1879 to 1932.

“Scott served 19 years as the highest unelected official in the department: deputy superintendent general,” said Shannon Simpson, senior director of U of T’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives and a member representing administrative staff on the Committee for Honorary Degrees. “In that role, he was responsible for the expansion and entrenchment of the Indian residential school system.”

In making its recommendation, Simpson said the standing committee relied heavily on its own research examining source material as well as the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and the content of the petition.

As part of the de-recognition, a statement contextualizing Scott’s legacy was read into the record at U of T’s Governing Council meeting on Feb. 27. It has been added to the records of the Governing Council Secretariat and the public record of honorary degree recipients:

Duncan Campbell Scott’s legacy is fundamentally at odds with the University’s mission and values, in particular its commitment to human rights, equity and justice. His life’s work is inextricably intertwined with the devastating history of Canada’s residential schools. He presided over the expansion of the residential school system, authorizing the use of coercion and force in defiance of both legal opinion and court ruling. Despite the clear evidence of the terrible conditions and ‘startling death rolls’ in the schools, Scott and others in the government took insufficient measures to protect the health and wellbeing of the children in their care.

These actions reveal an abhorrent disregard on the part of Scott (and Canada) for the fundamental human rights of Indigenous populations, and especially Indigenous children. In awarding Scott an honorary degree, the University of Toronto also failed to respect the human rights of Indigenous peoples and was complicit in the harms inflicted upon them. The University acknowledges and profoundly regrets its complicity. The University also recognizes that the effects of this odious history are still being felt today and it recommits to reconciliation.

“Acknowledging the brutality of Scott’s legacy and the collective institutional failures on the part of the federal government and the university is necessary to uphold the university’s commitment to its fundamental mission and values,” President Gertler said. “This aligns with the university’s commitments to reconciliation and follows the university’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Answering the Call, Wecheehetowin.”

On the recommendation of the standing committee, de-recognition will consist of contextualizing Scott’s honorary degree rather than rescinding it. The approach calls attention to the horrific history of residential schools and acknowledges the university’s complicity in the harm they created.

“The university will establish a working group by spring 2025 that will carry out several educational initiatives about this de-recognition, such as an archival or artistic exhibition, a conference or symposium, and a student scholarship. This is an opportunity for reflection and action – and this work will be carried out in collaboration with U of T’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives,” said Trevor Young, U of T vice-president and provost.

“De-recognition is a significant measure,” said Wes Hall, U of T chancellor and chair of the Committee for Honorary Degrees. “Individuals who receive honorary degrees from U of T are meant to inspire our graduates, and their legacy should be one of honour and distinction to the university, without having caused harm. This decision reflects our commitment to reconciliation and upholding the values that define our institution.”

Murray Sinclair, who led Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, dies at age 73

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 19:25:01 +0000

Murray Sinclair, who led Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, dies at age 73

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 11/04/2024 - 14:25

Cutline

(photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Topic

Subheadline

Sinclair received an honorary degree from U of T in 2017 in recognition of his advocacy for Indigenous Peoples

Murray Sinclair, the Anishinaabe senator and lawyer who served as chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), has died at 73.

A member of Peguis First Nation, Sinclair grew up in Selkirk, Man., and went on to become a successful lawyer and the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba in 1988, The Globe & Mail reported, eventually being named the commissioner of the TRC in 2009.

Under his leadership, the TRC visited hundreds of communities and spoke to thousands of Indigenous Peoples over a six-year period, before concluding that Canada had committed “cultural genocide” against Indigenous Peoples, and that its residential schools were a key element of its policy to destroy Indigenous cultures, said CBC News.

In recognition of his lifelong advocacy for Indigenous People, Sinclair was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Toronto in 2017. He accepted the honour less than a year after the release of Wecheehetowin, the final report of the Steering Committee for the University of Toronto Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The report contained 34 calls to action for the university to pursue to advance the cause of reconciliation.

In his address at Convocation Hall on Nov. 6, 2017, Sinclair urged graduating students to keep an open mind and a strong social conscience as they navigated their careers.

“Not everything you have been told is right, and not everything that you have learned is all you have to know. You now have to begin to live life,” Sinclair said. “You now have to begin to put in practice some of those things that you know inherently is the right thing to do, using the information that you have gathered. That is your challenge.”

Sinclair's family said a sacred fire has been lit outside the Manitoba Legislative Building to mark his passing, according to APTN News.

Read the Globe and Mail story

Read the CBC News story

Read the APTN News story

Read the U of T News story about Murray Sinclair’s honorary degree

In photos: U of T marks opening of Indigenous landscape project at Hart House Green

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:34:50 +0000

In photos: U of T marks opening of Indigenous landscape project at Hart House Green

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 09/27/2024 - 09:34

Cutline

The pathway that extends along the east side of Ziibiing follows the trail of Taddle Creek, a buried stream running under the St. George campus that once served as a gathering place for Indigenous Peoples (photo by Polina Teif)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Ziibiing

John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture

Landmark

Subheadline

The Ziibiing space includes a central pavilion, amphitheatre and plantings of medicinal trees and shrubs

The University of Toronto commemorated the official opening of Ziibiing, an Indigenous landscape project that uses architecture, horticulture and storytelling to honour Indigenous cultures and provide a space for community members to gather, learn and host ceremonies on the St. George campus.

The opening celebration for Ziibiing, held Monday Sept. 23, included a traditional Elder’s opening, a welcome song and the burning of a sacred fire – the first fire to be lit in Ziibiing’s pavilion and one of several Indigenous ceremonial practices that are welcome on all three U of T campuses.

Here’s how the event unfolded through the lens of U of T photographers:

(photo by Polina Teif)

Michael White, director of First Nations House, tends to the sacred fire in the Ziibiing pavilion as Jenny Blackbird, resource centre and programs co-ordinator at First Nations House, looks on.

Ceremonial fires, smudging and pipe ceremonies are among the important Indigenous practices that take place on U of T’s three campuses.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Blackbird performs a traditional song to welcome U of T community members to the celebration.

(photo by Polina Teif)

The vision for Ziibiing was developed by an Indigenous Advisory Committee in collaboration with the Indigenous Design Studio at Brook McIlroy, who in turn consulted with Indigenous students, faculty, staff, the Council of Indigenous Initiatives Elders' Circle and representatives of local First Nations.

The project was born out of Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin, the final report of the Steering Committee for the University of Toronto Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which outlined the need for dedicated Indigenous spaces on campus.

From left: James Bird and Shannon Simpson (photos by Polina Teif)(photo by Polina Teif)

Several members of the U of T community spoke at the event.

“Our voices, traditions and histories are woven into the fabric of this new landscape, sending a clear signal that we are seen, that we matter and that we belong,” said Shannon Simpson, senior director of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and a member of the Mississaugas of Alderville First Nation, in her remarks at the ceremony.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Ziibiing is named for the Anishinaabemowin word for “river,” a reference to the Taddle Creek waterway that once flowed through the area and served as a gathering place for Indigenous Peoples.

It’s an example of how Indigenous design and Western architectural disciplines can come together to assist in placemaking, according to James Bird, a Knowledge Keeper from the Nehiyawak and Dene Nation and PhD candidate in the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

“In the practice of architecture, there are ways one can approach the creation of space and its activation through design," said Bird. “This alternative viewpoint assigns agency to the metaphysical aspects that exist within Indigenous cultures and in turn allows metaphysical relationships to be made into physical form.”

(photo by Polina Teif)

In her remarks to the event’s attendees, Kelly Hannah-Moffat, U of T’s vice-president, people strategy, equity and culture, said that, in addition to serving a vital role as a teaching and ceremonial space for Indigenous students, employees and Elders, Ziibiing will encourage the entire U of T community to “find innovative ways to Indigenize this institution.”

She noted the space has already hosted a recent land-based learning workshop that invited members of the U of T community to deepen their understanding of Indigenous world views, teachings and connections to the land. The workshop was organized by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, with future sessions scheduled for Oct. 22 and Nov. 19.

(photo by Polina Teif)

The Ziibiing pavilion is supported by 13 columns that symbolize the 13 moons of the year. They circle a fire pit where ceremonial fires may be lit and maintained by Indigenous firekeepers.

(photo by David Lee)

The creation of Ziibiing took place alongside the Landmark Project, which aimed to revitalize the historic core of the St. George campus.

Scott Mabury, U of T’s vice-president, operations and real estate partnerships, said U of T community members have already embraced Ziibiing, as well as the other new spaces, as evidenced by their increased use of the reimagined landscapes.

“We didn’t know what we didn’t have before,” he said.

A lifelong advocate for Indigenous Peoples, Wilton Littlechild receives U of T honorary degree

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 20:04:17 +0000

A lifelong advocate for Indigenous Peoples, Wilton Littlechild receives U of T honorary degree Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 06/06/2024 - 16:04

Cutline

(photo by Steve Frost)

Scott Anderson

Topic

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Convocation 2024

Faculty of Information

Honorary Degree

As a youth, Wilton Littlechild, like so many Indigenous children, was removed from his home and sent to a nearby residential school. Since then, he has devoted much of his life to helping others overcome the legacy of this experience and promoting respect and justice for Indigenous Peoples in Canada and around the world.

Today, in recognition of his inspirational and transformative advocacy for Indigenous rights and human rights, Littlechild will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the University of Toronto.

Born in Hobbema, Alta. (now Maskwacis) in 1944, Littlechild was initially raised by his grandparents in the Ermineskin Cree Nation and taught the traditional ways of the Cree people. At the age of six, he was taken from his family and placed at a nearby residential school; he later attended others. In an interview with Cultural Survival, he recalled the physical abuse he experienced at the schools and the trauma of being separated from family.

“Your family bond, if not broken, is really stretched to the limit,” he said.

At school, he wasn’t allowed to speak his own language or practise his own culture. “They were outlawed completely,” he said. Nor was he permitted to see his siblings, even though they attended the same school.

To escape this grim reality, he started jogging – several kilometres around the school compound – every night. “I didn’t know why I was doing it and often times I’d break down and cry, but after I finished the run, I would feel better,” he said at an event last year at U of T’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education. “Sport became my escape and my salvation … it gave me an opportunity to go to university and play, to compete and travel the world.”

(photo by Steve Frost)

Littlechild came to believe so strongly in the power of sport for personal advancement that he founded and coached the first all-Indigenous junior hockey team in Alberta, and helped establish the North American Indigenous Games and, later, the World Indigenous Games. “Finding that balance between looking after your physical health and your mental health, and being proud of who you are culturally, provides a wholesome foundation for life,” he said.

Littlechild excelled at hockey, swimming and baseball. At the University of Alberta, he swam competitively and played on the hockey team, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1967. He went on to get a master’s in the subject and then enrolled at law school, becoming the first status Indian from Alberta ever to earn a degree in law in 1976.

After graduating, Littlechild established a law practice on Ermineskin reserve and in 1977 was invited to be part of the Indigenous delegation that contributed to the writing of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

That experience marked the beginning of a lifetime of advocacy for Indigenous rights in Canada and around the world. In 1981, he appeared before British courts to make a case against patriating the Canadian constitution until it included guarantees of Indigenous rights.

He decided to run for federal office, and in 1988 was elected as a Progressive Conservative in the riding of Wetaskiwin, Alta, becoming the first MP ever to hold Treaty Indian status. Years later, in Saskatchewan, he chaired a commission to investigate and make recommendations about the treatment of First Nations and Métis people by that province’s police and justice system. Its final report, issued in 2004, made more than 100 recommendations to address systemic racism against Indigenous people.

Not long after, Littlechild was named a commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Its final report, released in 2015, argued that the residential school program had resulted in cultural genocide. It made 94 Calls to Action. At the time, he told Cultural Survival that he saw the role as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute to building a better Canada – one that is inclusive of everyone.”

In the Cree language, “reconciliation” is called Miyowahkotowin, which translates as “having good relations.” Sometimes, Littlechild said in the same interview, that means letting go of a bad experience and practising forgiveness. “There needs to be the truth, an apology, forgiveness and a sense of justice. Then we can talk about true reconciliation.”

For his advocacy for Indigenous rights and the advancement of Indigenous peoples, Littlechild has received numerous awards. He was made a member of the Order of Canada in 1998 and was promoted to companion in 2023. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and an Indspire Award for law and justice. In 2018, he was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

‘We belong here’: Indigenous beaded stole to be introduced at U of T’s spring convocation ceremonies

mattimar — Thu, 30 May 2024 14:18:50 +0000

‘We belong here’: Indigenous beaded stole to be introduced at U of T’s spring convocation ceremonies

mattimar Thu, 05/30/2024 - 10:18

Cutline

An Indigenous stole, created by artist Katie Longboat and inspired by nature around campus, will be introduced to this spring’s U of T convocation ceremonies as a symbol of the university’s enduring partnership with Indigenous Peoples (photo by Polina Teif)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Convocation 2024

Convocation Hall

Artist Katie Longboat hopes the beadwork she created for an Indigenous stole to be worn during the University of Toronto’s convocation ceremonies sparks a conversation about reconciliation within the education system.

The stole will be unveiled on June 3 – worn by the Eagle Feather Bearer who leads the chancellor’s procession into Convocation Hall.

The incorporation of the Eagle Feather, Eagle Feather Bearer and beaded stole into U of T’s official convocation ceremonies symbolizes the university’s enduring partnership with Indigenous Peoples and grew out of a recent review of U of T’s convocation.

Katie Longboat (photo by Polina Teif)

“I think actions like this – incorporating beadwork on a stole and including Indigenous culture and arts – highlight the diversity of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people, and says, ‘Yes, we belong here. I belong here and have a space in post-secondary education,’” says Longboat, a Mohawk and Cree bead artist and educator based in Toronto.

“I hope the message cycles down to the younger generations – the youth who are now entering post-secondary education – and they can feel that they have a place here, too.”

Originally from Six Nations of the Grand River, Longboat began beading when she was 14 years old in an effort to connect with her community. Her design for the stole was inspired by the nature she saw when she walked around the university.

“Some of the elements include oak leaves, acorns – there are pine needles all around the beaded piece,” she says. “The central flower, blue poppy flower and then the trillium flower at the top. There’s a beaver at the bottom of the beadwork, which is representative of the University of Toronto symbols.

“Another element in the beadwork is the waterways. If you look closely, there are what look like streams flowing from the top to the bottom of the work and that represents the waterways in Toronto that are connected to the area.”

The stole's design was inspired by the nature Longboat observed at U of T (photo by Polina Teif)

Shannon Simpson, senior director of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, met with Indigenous leaders from the three campuses to discuss potential themes for the stole. U of T’s Council of Indigenous Initiatives was also involved in the process.

“We wanted something that represents all three campuses and something that signifies the land U of T sits on,” Simpson says. “[But] we didn’t want to get in the way of the creative process.”

Shannon Simpson (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Using two different techniques, Longboat created two separate pieces for convocation – the beadwork for the stole and a beaded stem to hold the Eagle Feather. She used flat-stitch beading for the stole and peyote-stitch bead weaving for the stem of the feather.

In 2017, the Steering Committee for the University of Toronto Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released its final report, Wecheehetowin. It called on the university to act in six key areas to engage in the ongoing process of reconciliation. A Convocation Advisory Review Committee was subsequently formed with a mandate that included reviewing ceremony elements with a goal to preserve U of T’s traditions while incorporating Indigenous cultures.

Simpson emphasizes the importance of inclusion and notes that Indigenous students previously felt under-represented.

“I think for a lot of our students, many of them have said they’re the first person in their family to attend a post-secondary institution, or that they feel like they’re the only Indigenous student in many of their classes,” she says.

“By the time they get their degree, they had a lot of firsts in their journey. To see these elements in their convocation, to see the recognition – I think that makes them feel like Indigenous students matter at U of T and that their experience has been valued.”

Originally from Six Nations of the Grand River, Longboat began beading when she was 14 years old (photo by Polina Teif)

Simpson says she is excited to have Longboat’s work featured in U of T’s convocation ceremonies.

“Katie does beautiful work and she’s a member of one of our host nations,” she says. “So, that was really important to us as well – to have someone from one of our local communities really be involved in this way.”

The addition of the beaded stole, Eagle Feather and Eagle Feather Bearer are among several initiatives that seek to make convocation more inclusive for Indigenous students. Others include a land acknowledgment and a protocol where Indigenous graduands can choose to wear traditional regalia with academic hood in lieu of an academic gown to their ceremonies.

Simpson says the university’s journey to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples still requires much work and relationship-building – but that the recent changes are steps in the right direction.

Longboat, meanwhile, hopes the stole’s wearers feel a sense of pride and that Indigenous students receive its intended message: “We belong here.”

U of T astronomers and Kâpapâmahchakwêw – Wandering Spirit School collaborate on science programming for Indigenous students

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 14 May 2024 18:23:37 +0000

U of T astronomers and Kâpapâmahchakwêw – Wandering Spirit School collaborate on science programming for Indigenous students

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 05/14/2024 - 14:23

Cutline

Students, teachers and caregivers from Kâpapâmahchakwêw – Wandering Spirit School gather with U of T astronomers to watch the April 8 total solar eclipse at Chiefswood Park on Six Nations of the Grand River (photo by Suresh Sivanandam)

Michael Pereira

Topic

Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Faculty of Arts & Science

Subheadline

The groundwork is currently being laid for a coding club and mentoring programs, among other initiatives

A group of astronomers from the University of Toronto and students, teachers and caregivers from Toronto’s Kâpapâmahchakwêw – Wandering Spirit School recently shared a once-in-a-lifetime experience: witnessing a total solar eclipse.

The April 8 gathering, which took place in Chiefswood Park on Six Nations of the Grand River, saw the astronomers bring telescopes with solar filters that allowed viewers to observe sunspots and watch as the moon slowly eclipsed the sun. The event also served as a forum for young learners and community members to share traditional knowledge and ask plenty of questions.

It was one of many engagements planned as part of a partnership between U of T’s Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics and the Kâpapâmahchakwêw – Wandering Spirit School, which was founded in 1977 and gives students from kindergarten to Grade 12 the opportunity to learn about Anishinaabe cultural traditions.

Totality at Chiefswood Park (photo by Kara Manovich)

In the future, there are also plans for a coding club, mentoring and tutoring programs, and training for teachers.

“Kâpapâmahchakwêw – Wandering Spirit School is grateful for the growing partnership with Dunlap because it provides an opportunity to practise reciprocity in knowledge sharing,” said Elise Twyford, the school’s principal. “The students and community learned about – and experienced – astrophysics and astronomy, and also had the opportunity to build their skills in sharing traditional knowledge and world views.

“I appreciate the care and thoughtfulness of the Dunlap and University of Toronto team in collaborating with Kâpapâmahchakwêw students as partners in learning.”

The roots of the partnership stretch back to 2022 when Emma Stromberg, Indigenous partnership adviser at the Faculty of Arts & Science, and Associate Professor Susan Hill, director of the Centre for Indigenous Studies, approached Dunlap with an opportunity to work with teachers and students from Kâpapâmahchakwêw.

A close-up photo of the moon totally eclipsing the sun on April 8 above Chiefswood Park (photo by Suresh Sivanandam)

“We wanted to see if we could match up the needs and interests of the school to resources at U of T, to build something that can be sustained,” Stromberg says. “Consistent with U of T’s commitments to reconciliation, it is incumbent on all of us to think of ways to redress, in small and big ways, the impacts of settler colonialism and push resources into the community wherever possible.”

Some 20 members of the Dunlap community have since volunteered to help, with many of them recently participating in a workshop with John Croutch from the Office of Indigenous Initiatives to learn about the continued impacts of settler colonialism and what it means to be an ally to Indigenous Peoples.

The U of T astronomers said the opportunity to share a total solar eclipse was a memorable moment for everyone involved.

“You could hear lots of kids screaming in excitement and people gasping in awe at seeing totality,” said Associate Professor Suresh Sivanandam, interim director of the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics in the Faculty of Arts & Science. “When I walked out of there, I thought, ‘These are the moments in my job where I feel completely fulfilled because I helped other people experience the joy of astronomy.’”

Students recreate the total solar eclipse with paint and pastels on black paper (photo by Emma Stromberg)

Professor Roberto Abraham, chair of the faculty’s David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics, said he was the same age as some of the students when he first saw a total solar eclipse.

“It was magic,” he said. “Once you see a total solar eclipse, you won’t be the same person afterwards.”

Earlier this year, Sivanandam and Abraham visited the school to meet students, teachers and staff and hear about how astronomers at U of T can best support them.

For Twyford, the relationship with U of T immerses Kâpapâmahchakwêw students in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics in ways that wouldn’t be possible in the classroom.

“I know that many students now see the wonder and possibility of these sciences and are even more motivated to continue their learning,” Twyford said. “It also helps to complement the traditional and cultural.”

More than 10,000 U of T community members take part in Indigenous cultural competency training

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 21:05:10 +0000

More than 10,000 U of T community members take part in Indigenous cultural competency training

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 04/12/2024 - 17:05

Cutline

John Croutch, Indigenous training co-ordinator and a member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation, says he hopes participants walk away from his sessions with a greater understanding of the impacts of settler colonialism and its focus on the erasure of Indigenous Peoples (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

Subheadline

In response to high demand, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives at U of T has hired a second training co-ordinator to deliver four-part learning series

The University of Toronto’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives has hit a milestone in its educational efforts: providing Indigenous cultural competency training to more than 10,000 students, staff, faculty and librarians across the university.

John Croutch, Indigenous training co-ordinator and a member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation, leads the four-part learning series, which explores Canada’s hidden history of Indigenous-settler relations, the impact of state decisions and policies, the role of land acknowledgments, and the nature of allyship.

“Reconciliation is about building a relationship between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Peoples so that we can see that we are not so different,” says Croutch, who joined the Office of Indigenous Initiatives in 2018.

“As you start to build those relationships, you start to feel more comfortable around Indigenous Peoples because you know what we've been through.”

Given high demand for the sessions, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives recently hired a second Indigenous training co-ordinator, Andrea Johns, to support the delivery of programming and create more opportunities for engagement.

Croutch says he hopes participants walk away from his sessions with a greater understanding of the impacts of settler colonialism and its focus on the erasure of Indigenous Peoples.

“I hope it will help them understand some of the socioeconomic conditions that Indigenous Peoples live with and the fact that we were segregated in schools, hospitals and on reserves … in the past, the average Canadian could never build a relationship with us,” he says. “But that’s beginning to change.”

While the training sessions touch on uncomfortable truths that can be difficult for many Canadians to hear, Croutch’s expansive knowledge, strong facilitation skills and willingness to share lived experiences allow him to connect deeply with learners.

“John is a talented trainer who is able to deliver complex and challenging content in a way that informs the participant without placing blame and offers solutions and a path forward in reconciliation efforts,” says Shannon Simpson, senior director of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. “He has been able to reach community members who may not otherwise have considered this important and, in doing so, has shifted views and opinions.”

Participants’ feedback echo these sentiments. They describe Croutch as “a deeply engaged and passionate expert” who “challenges us with uncomfortable truths in a way that inspires further reflection and learning.”

Another participant described the sessions as “the history lesson we should have gotten in school.”

While Croutch says he still encounters some individuals who want to debate the history or challenge his teachings, he’s seen a shift in how people react to the training over the years.

“I have noticed a definite upswing in awareness and less resistance than I did in 2019,” he says. “I believe that the university is doing much more to facilitate that awareness of Indigenous presence and futurity … for example, Indigenous land acknowledgments, the accommodation of smudging, the Ziibiing landscape project, the Maanjiwe nendamowinan building at the Mississauga campus, Feather Bearers at convocation, and the Indigenous Tuition Initiative to name a few.

“There is also less resistance to the trainings, I believe, because as more people train, the resisters are beginning to become the outliers.”

Joe’s Basketball Diaries Season 2, Ep. 2: Sport and Reconciliation

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 15:34:53 +0000

Joe’s Basketball Diaries Season 2, Ep. 2: Sport and Reconciliation Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 12/13/2023 - 10:34

Topic

City & Culture

Joe's Basketball Diaries

Sports

In the second episode of Season Two of Joe’s Basketball Diaries, host Joseph Wong sits down with retired Canadian basketball player Michael Linklater to reflect on his career and the impact basketball has had on his life.

A member of Thunderchild First Nation, part of Treaty 6 Territory, Linklater has become an advocate in the Truth and Reconciliation process in Canada and a role model for Indigenous youth.

“I think the first time I got asked to speak in front of an audience, to my peers, I was 16 years old,” says Linklater, who played with the Saskatchewan Rattlers in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (and went out on top after his team won the inaugural championship following his final game of professional basketball in 2019).

“I was tasked with the responsibility of being a role model. It wasn’t something I had asked for, but it was something I took very seriously.”

The conversation between Linklater and Wong – U of T’s vice-president, international and a professor in the department of political science and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy in the Faculty of Arts & Science – also explores the intersection of sports and reconciliation.

Linklater was named an ambassador for Nike N7, the company’s program to get kids in First Nations communities in North America more involved in sports, and was invited to the White House for the first ever Native American Heritage Month reception in 2022.

“I wouldn’t call it pressure …,” he says, “but there is a responsibility for me in terms of respecting and honouring my ancestors who were here before me and what they went through in order for me to be here today.”

Watch Joe’s Basketball Diaries S2, Ep. 2

Acknowledging the land: Showcasing Indigenous artists, voices and experiences

lanthierj — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 19:54:37 +0000

Acknowledging the land: Showcasing Indigenous artists, voices and experiences

lanthierj Tue, 12/12/2023 - 14:54

Cutline

Chancellor Rose Patten looks at the new art pieces inside U of T’s Simcoe Hall (all photos by Polina Teif)

Mariam Matti

Topic

City & Culture

UTogether

Office of the President

Art Museum

President Meric Gertler