U of C Indigenous strategy aims to bring First Nations culture onto campus

Students, faculty and community members gathered Friday to discuss how to better bring First Nations culture into the classroom.

About 200 people took part in the day-long event, the second of three sessions organized by the university's Indigenous Strategy Task Force and aimed at developing a strategy by June 2017.

LowaBeebe, a member of the Blackfoot/Nez Perce from Piikani Nation, said when she was a post-secondary student in Lethbridge in the 1990s, it felt like her culture was left on the fringes.

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"There was no inclusion, there was no understanding of our people," she said.

Blackfoot elder Reg Crowshoeteaches in the U of C's Indigenous Studies program, but believes all departments can embrace traditional methods of instruction.

"Using our traditional models of education, sitting in a circle, using the smudge instead of the bell or buzzer to start the class," he said.

"We've got tolook at more of visiting the community, or going outside the classroom to the environment. I think those are practices that we need to engage right away in a practical context to start developing that link between the two systems of learning."

Crowshoe has already implemented some of the changes into his courses, including the smudge and circle.

"We're also bringing in traditional knowledge-keepers and paralleling the two education systems and using the odd First Nation word in classrooms."

U of C isn't the only institution looking to better incorporate Indigenous culture onto campus.

Mount Royal University has been developing an Indigenous strategy since 2013.

Beebe said she's grateful schools are changing.

"I'm really happy that my son, who's 14, actually can take advantage of the supports that will be there when he gets [to university]," she said.

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