With Fall in full swing, we have seen the arrival of shorter days, cooler temperatures, and rain... so much rain! For those of you who are fans of wetter weather, break out those rubber boots and enjoy the puddles. For everyone else, it's the perfect excuse to slip into a sweater and get cozy inside with a cup of tea. We know it's a very busy time for the UBC community, but we hope to see you at some of our upcoming events!

To help guide implementation of the Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP), the Office of Indigenous Strategic Initiatives (OISI) developed a set of tools which both academic and operational units can use to help situate themselves in relation to Indigenous engagement and create a plan that aligns their work with the ISP’s eight goals and 43 actions.

Many units, teams, and departments have begun working with the ISP toolkit over the past two years. This panel is an opportunity to learn from their experiences and ask questions that will help you move forward with the ISP toolkit.

Date: October 24, 2023
Time: 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Location: Zoom

Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning (A-RTL) offers programming for staff and faculty to cultivate teaching and facilitation practices that support anti-racist solidarity. With the aim of creating equitable learning environments and caring classroom spaces where learners who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour can thrive, A-RTL provides opportunities for educators to deepen their understanding of anti-racism and anti-racist practices at an individual, community, and institutional level. 

A-RTL is excited to announce the roll-out of a new website!

For more updates about work the team has done over the past months please read the full blog post. 

Are you wondering how to support new learners to Indigenous topics? Are you a new learner yourself?

in/relation is an educational resource for UBC’s teaching and learning community who are interested in exploring Indigenous histories and contexts at UBC with others who are new to these topic s and are non-experts on Indigenous topics themselves. 

Date: November 23, 2023
Time: 12:30pm - 4:00pm
Location: Multi-Access [Zoom or Irving K Barber, CTLT, Seminar Room 2.22 (1961 E Mall) ]

This presentation will begin by taking a foundational look at the impacts of colonial erasure on gender and sexual diversity within Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. We‘ll then shift to explore some of the radical healing and activist work being led by Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer kin, holding up the work of community leaders and movements across time. 

Date: November 29, 2023
Time: 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Location: In-person [Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Peña Room 301 (1961 E Mall)]

Do you have questions about how to thoughtfully integrate Indigenous content and representation into your course work? Curious about how to offer meaningful land acknowledgements in online meetings or events at UBC? Indigenous Initiatives‘ Virtual Coffee Drop-ins are great place to explore these topics, connect with others on the same learning path, or just get to know our team.

The Office of Indigenous Strategic Initiatives (OISI) will discuss information about the Indigenous Strategic Initiatives (ISI) Fund. This information session will discuss Stream 1: Innovative Projects, Stream 2: Transformative Projects and Stream 3: Student-led Projects. The ISI Fund is open to UBC-Vancouver and UBC-Okanagan faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students. To find out more about the ISI Fund in advance of the session, please visit the ISI Fund section on the Indigenous Strategic Plan website. Participants are encouraged to submit their questions ahead of time HERE. 

For Students!
Do you have an idea of how to use up to $50,000 to bring the Indigenous Strategic Plan to action? Are you looking for a supportive space to explore this opportunity further? Regardless of where you may be at in the proposal writing process, please join us for an informal opportunity for to connect and get some support and guidance with your ISI proposal.  

What to expect: A dedicated space for you to share your ideas and/or questions and to receive support from your peers and staff at UBC. 

Date: November 21, 2023
Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Zoom

The Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning Team (A-RTL) will be delivering 3 workshops this fall to support staff and faculty in cultivating teaching and facilitation practices that support anti-racist solidarity. Please register for the workshops below or email us at Nathalie.lozano-neira@ubc.ca or shannon.robinson@ubc.ca if you have any questions.

October 26, 2023 
10:00am - 12:00pm
Online 

This workshop recognizes that emotions are part of the classroom climate. Instructors are tasked with the complex role of navigating their own emotions in the classroom, while also recognizing the emotions of their students and determining the best way to support them. The significance of this role is particularly prevalent when discussing topics surrounding race, racialization, and racism. This session will explore how race and power dynamics have emotional impacts in the classroom environment (both for students and educators). The intention is for participants to leave with an increased capacity to interact with emotional responses as points of pedagogical and relational engagement. 

Join the First Nations House of Learning for Natural Dye and Cedar Weaving Workshops with a Musqueam cultural teacher, Rita Kompst. Make your own basket and learn how to use natural dye! The workshops are open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous UBC staff.

The Natural Dye Workshop (October 21) costs a $35 fee per person. The Cedar Weaving Workshop (November 8) costs a $50 fee per person.

When: October 21 from 10:00am to 3:30pm and November 8 from 5:00pm to 8:30pm
Where: First Nations Longhouse

This resource highlights various supports and opportunities available at UBC and in Vancouver to support Indigenous students. The Faculty of Science has collected key resources in one place as it can be overwhelming to navigate all available resources and easy-to-miss opportunities.