With dates for final exams, projects, and papers fast approaching the II Team would like to send our best wishes for your last few weeks of the term. This time of year has been difficult for so many in our communities and we encourage everyone to learn more about the support available to students, faculty and staff at UBC:  

• For Indigenous Students: Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing Program  
• For Students: Student Services Health and Wellbeing
• For Faculty & Staff: UBC HR  
• For Faculty & Staff Supporting Students: UBC Wellbeing 

On October 24th the Office of Indigenous Strategic Initiatives (OISI) and the Indigenous Initiatives (II) Team at CTLT hosted the ISP Toolkit in Action Panel: An Opportunity to Learn from Colleagues. The Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP) Toolkit was developed by OISI to help both academic and operational units create a plan that aligns their work with the ISP‘s eight goals and 43 actions. Four panelists were invited: Emma Davy (Chemistry UBC-V), Jannik Eikenaar (Engineering UBC-O), Annabel Lyon (Creative Writing UBC-V) and Nicole Balsdon (Beaty Biodiversity Museum UBC-V). The event was moderated by Janelle Kasperski, an educational consultant from the Indigenous Initiatives team. Throughout the panel we saw that each unit represented identified similar learnings even if their pathway to those learnings may have been different. We hope that hearing their experiences may help others who are at various stages in their ISP engagement across UBC. 

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

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: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
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)]

How would you include Indigenous knowledges and anti-colonial approaches to science in an undergraduate science course? The Making Connections project is a collaboration between student co-developers, the Beaty Biodiversity Museum and faculty from Forestry, Botany, Zoology, and Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences that seeks to design a new biology course focused on natural history collections and biodiversity science. Join the Making Connections team for a discussion on course design, inter-faculty collaboration, and the process of designing a course that centers Indigenous knowledge, approaches, and expertise in science and museum studies.

Date: December 7, 2023
Time: 11:30am - 1:00pm
Location: In-person [Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Dodson Room 302 (1961 E Mall)]

Incorporating Indigenous topics and voices into university classrooms is essential. But where do you begin? Educational institutions have historically excluded Indigenous knowledges and privileged others. Not only is this an important pedagogical shift, but it is also a needed shift to create safer classrooms for Indigenous students. Understanding the foundations is essential for growing confidence and capacity to hold the complexities of meaningful conversations. 

Date: January 24, 2024
Time: 10:00am - 11:30am
Location: In-person [Irving K Barber Learning Centre, Room 2.22 Room 302 (1961 E Mall)]

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Date: February 22, 2024
Time: 10:00am - 11:30am
Location: Zoom

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. 

On November 1, 1984, Musqueam won Guerin v. The Queen, the landmark Supreme Court of Canada case regarding the Shaughnessy Golf Course lease. The case, lead by Musqueam Chief Delbert Guerin, fundamentally changed Canadian law. Every year, Musqueam leadership and administration acknowledges November 1 as Musqueam Day. 

The Faculty of Medicine is hosting an ongoing speakers series focusing on "Truth and Reconciliation: Our Plan for Change". There are a number of upcoming workshops in November and December as well as recordings of past sessions.