Red Cultural Model

ii' taa'poh'to'p Implementation Structure

The University of Calgary’s journey towards reconciliation is supported by four advisory circles and seven working circles. As a campus community, together with the Office of Indigenous Engagement, we can ensure continued progress on our collective path of transformation and renewal.

Elders

Circle of Advisors

The Circle of Advisors provides oversight for the Indigenous Strategy, bringing Traditional Knowledge Keepers together with University of Calgary Senior Leadership in a shared space to guide, inform, and uphold the principles of ii’ taa’poh’to’p.

Advisory Circles

Advisory circles bring together students, staff, faculty, and leadership to provide guidance and support for the university’s on-going journey towards truth and reconciliation. 

The Guiding Circle brings together the working circles’ co-chairs and representatives from faculties and departments across the university to guide and give direction to activities that advance the recommendations outlined in ii’ taa’poh’to’p.

Guiding Circle Members

The ii’ taa’poh’to’p Student Advisory Circle is a space for students to provide advice, input, and insight on the campus-wide implementation of the ii’ taa’poh’to’p Indigenous Strategy, particularly as it relates to the overall experiences and inclusion of Indigenous students at the university. 

The ii’ taa’poh’to’p Circle of Indigenous Scholars invites Indigenous faculty from across the campus community to share, connect, collaborate, and provide input and insight into the implementation of the     ii’ taa’poh’to’p recommendations.

Working Circles

The twenty-seven recommendations set out in the ii’ taa’poh’to’p Indigenous Strategy provide a roadmap for realizing the University of Calgary’s institution-wide responsibility for truth and reconciliation. Each working circle is responsible for supporting momentum on the strategy recommendations that align with the circle’s specific area of focus.

Inclusivity and the Student Experience provides support for institutional efforts towards ensuring that student-related processes at the university are responsive, supportive, and inclusive with opportunities for Indigenous students to provide input and insight into how the university can continue building a transformative education experience.

 

Focused ii' taa'poh'to'p Recommendations

  1. Ways of Doing 3

    Work with Indigenous communities, governments and external partners to strengthen financial supports available to Indigenous students.

  2. Ways of Doing 5

    Examine student appeals processes and determine ways to incorporate Indigenous perspectives.

  3. Ways of Being 2

    Create a more inclusive campus by increasing Indigenous representation in teaching, learning, and leadership through recruitment and retention of students, staff and academic staff. (This recommendation is shared in partnership with Working Circle 2 - Faculty and Staff Experience)

  4. Ways of Being 2d

    Review and enhance recruitment, support, and mentoring activities for Indigenous learners so that they feel a sense of belonging and experience success at the University of Calgary.

  5. Ways of Being 4

    Create an Indigenous Student Advisory Circle to provide advice, input, and insight into improving the overall student experience at the University of Calgary. 

Faculty and Staff Experience concentrates on supporting the systemic and systematic transformation of wise practice employment strategies for the intentional inclusion and representation, recruitment, and retention of Indigenous staff and faculty.   


Focused ii' taa'poh'to'p Recommendations

  1. Ways of Knowing 1

    Pursue Indigenous Research Chairs, post-doctoral positions and graduate student opportunities for the University of Calgary.

  2. Ways of Knowing 2

    Strategically identify, recruit, hire and support emerging Indigenous scholars at the University of Calgary.

  3. Ways of Being 2

    Create a more inclusive campus by increasing Indigenous representation in teaching, learning, and leadership through recruitment and retention of students, staff and academic staff. (This recommendation is shared in partnership with Working Circle 1 - Inclusivity and the Student Experience)

  4. Ways of Being 2a

    Develop and implement a wise practice employment recruitment strategy to attract and retain Indigenous people in MaPS and AUPE positions in all faculties and units, and academic staff positions in all faculties through incentives, reviews, and the development of a welcome and respectful workplace environment.

  5. Ways of Being 2c

    Increase representation of Indigenous academic staff, with tenure, in all faculties. This will require concomitant creation of supportive pathways to tenure-track positions for Indigenous scholars and amendments to tenure criteria that recognize Indigenous ways of knowing and being, including obligation to community and recognition of research methodologies.

Inter-cultural Capacity Building supports initiatives that build opportunities for experiential and professional learning to focus the intentional inclusion and representation of Indigenous peoples, perspectives, and cultural practices within the university community.

 

Focused ii' taa'poh'to'p Recommendations

  1. Ways of Knowing 3

    Develop and implement additional professional learning opportunities, training and mentorship in Indigenous ways of knowing, including methodologies and pedagogies, ceremony and cultural protocols.

  2. Ways of Knowing 9

    Resource opportunities to routinely include Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Keepers in the university’s learning processes. Ensure that appropriate cultural protocols are understood and practiced during these teaching processes.

  3. Ways of Being 1

    Increase inter-cultural capacity, competency, and knowledge at the University of Calgary, with respect to Indigenous peoples’ histories, cultures, and ways of knowing.

  4. Ways of Being 1a

    Develop campus wide inter-cultural capacity through integrated professional development for members of the Board of Governors, Senate, senior university leaders, faculty, and staff.

  5. Ways of Being 1c

    Create experiential opportunities for all members of the University of Calgary to learn about Indigenous histories, epistemologies, philosophies, and methodologies.

Academic Programs collaborates across faculties and departments to support the strategy recommendations promoting transformative education through programs and integrated curricula that include historical and contemporary Indigenous worldviews and epistemologies.

 

Focused ii' taa'poh'to'p Recommendations

  1. Ways of Knowing 6

    Create a Centre for Oral Traditions and Languages as a platform for research and learning, and to ensure that all students have opportunities to preserve the traditional Indigenous languages.

  2. Ways of Knowing 7

    For relevant professional schools (i.e., Education, Social Work, Medicine, and Law), complete specific responses to the Calls to Action articulated by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 

  3. Ways of Knowing 10

    Expand educational opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students through innovative programming such as Indigenous exchange programs within Canada and land-based learning.

  4. Ways of Doing 4

    Engage with Indigenous communities and post-secondary institutions as key partners in the development of strong Indigenous educational programs and pathways to further education. 

  5. Ways of Being 1b

    Develop campus-wide inter-cultural capacity for students through integrated curricula that weaves Indigenous histories, epistemologies, philosophies, and methodologies into all credit programs.

  6. Ways of Being 1d

    Conduct a review of all programs relating to Indigenous peoples, communities, histories and contemporary realities, to ensure that program content and pedagogies do not perpetuate stereotypes and are respectful and inclusive of Indigenous perspectives.

Community Engagement/Places and Spaces supports the strategy recommendations focusing on the university’s commitment to developing and sustaining respectful, reciprocal partnerships with the land and territories on which the university is sited, and with the people and communities with whom we do this work.

 

Focused ii' taa'poh'to'p Recommendations

  1. Ways of Doing 2

    Develop physical acknowledgements and recognition of Indigenous people’s history and relationship to the land, including plaques that tell the history of Treaty 7 and Métis peoples, inclusion of Indigenous art and architecture, outdoor ceremonial spaces, and landscaping / traditional gardens.

  2. Ways of Doing 6

    Develop procedures and standards to appropriately reflect Indigenous inclusion and representation in University of Calgary communications, marketing, and promotional materials.

  3. Ways of Connecting 1

    Design and construct a new building dedicated to Indigenous Peoples’ knowledges and education. This space would house Indigenous programs, promote Indigenous knowledges in learning, teaching and research, and provide ceremonial space that welcomes Indigenous and non-Indigenous academic staff, staff, students and guests; and, house the Centre for Oral Traditions and Languages, promoting this work across disciplines.

  4. Ways of Connecting 4

    Engage Indigenous alumni and develop a specific alumni mentorship program for Indigenous students.

Policies, Procedures, and Practice supports the creation of spaces for Indigenous worldviews and epistemologies to be considered and acknowledged in university policies, procedures and practices, developed and renewed in a trust- and relationship-building process with Indigenous students, staff, faculty, and communities.

 

Focused ii' taa'poh'to'p Recommendations

  1. Ways of Knowing 4

    Develop policies and procedures that incorporate guidance from Traditional Knowledge Keepers and Indigenous ethics organizations for research ethics approval involving Indigenous communities to ensure appropriate application of protocols.

  2. Ways of Knowing 5

    Review and update criteria for merit and promotion for researchers involved in community-driven research to better support Indigenous ways of sharing and transferring knowledge, recognizing the time and trust it takes to engage in community-based research, and the effect that this has on annual performance reviews.

  3. Ways of Knowing 8

    For graduate degrees, broaden thesis procedures and guidelines to better incorporate Indigenous languages, oral traditions, pedagogies and research methodologies and methods.

  4. Ways of Doing 1

    Review and enhance university business procedures and practices, to both minimize barriers to Indigenous community and student engagement and acknowledge cultural protocols in teaching, learning, research, and event planning.

  5. Ways of Doing 7

    Review convocation procedures to ensure we are inclusive of Indigenous perspectives. 

Renewal and Community Reporting supports recommendations focusing on the sustainability and renewal of the ii’ taa’poh’to’p Indigenous Strategy so that it remains a current and dynamic agent for transformation in the university’s journey towards reconciliation.

 

Focused ii' taa'poh'to'p Recommendations

  1. Ways of Connecting 3

    Continue the “Gathering Stories” community dialogues series and further develop a sustainable and ongoing plan for community engagement, an important aspect to the mark progress, set and check direction, and monitor the evolution of the strategy.

  2. Ways of Connecting 5

    Provide annual progress reports regarding strategy progress to the General Faculties Council and the Board of Governors.

  3. Ways of Connecting 6

    Commit to a full circle community dialogue at least once every four years to assess the progress on the recommendations of the Indigenous Strategy.

  4. Ways of Being 2b

    Ensure representation of Indigenous peoples in the governing structures of the university.

  5. Ways of Being 3

    Create a Traditional Knowledge Keepers’ Advisory Circle that brings Indigenous spiritual and cultural leaders together with senior university leadership in an ethical space that allows for ongoing dialogue about decolonization and Indigenization at the University of Calgary.