Faculty Initiatives

Yellowhead Institute (external link)  is an Indigenous-led research and education centre based in the Faculty of Arts. The Institute privileges Indigenous philosophy and amplifies Indigenous voices that provide alternatives to settler colonialism in Canada today. Rooted in community networks, Yellowhead offers critical and accessible resources to support the reclamation of Indigenous land and life. This includes regular publications through The Yellowhead Brief (external link) , Special Reports (external link) , and Red Papers (external link) , as well as educational initiatives mobilized through the Yellowhead School. (external link) 

The Faculty of Arts in collaboration with the Yellowhead Institute administers one Indigenous Research Grant (IRG) each academic year to support scholarly, research and creative activities relating to Indigenous research. In addition, the faculty offers an Indigenous Education Curriculum Redevelopment Grant to address the general absence of Indigenous content in Arts programming and curriculum. 

In a groundbreaking partnership with the First Nations Technical Institute (external link) , First Nations students are able to earn a Level 1 certificate, a Level 2 certificate and a Bachelor of Arts (honours) in Public Administration and Governance in the Department of Politics and Public Administration.

In 2019, the Faculty of Community Services developed the position of Strategic Lead, Indigenous Resurgence to action the faculty’s and university’s commitment to equity and inclusion and to supporting Indigenous students, staff and faculty. 

Indigenous Resurgence at the Faculty of Community Services offers community-facing activities and support to Indigenous community members such as recruitment, support for Indigenous students, events and resources.

The Midwifery Education Program (MEP) is committed to supporting the growth of Indigenous midwifery in Ontario. As such, they have developed the Indigenous Admissions Process (IAP) to counter some of the systemic disadvantages that may make it harder for Indigenous applicants to access the MEP. The IBPOC Mentorship Program also provides mentorship for MEP students who self-identify as Indigenous, Black and People of Colour.

Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology PhD Momentum Fellowships

The Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (FEAS) is part of a collective partnership called the Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology PhD Project (external link)  (IBET). As part of this partnership, FEAS offers the IBET Momentum Fellowship on an annual basis, which is open to students beginning their PhD journey at FEAS who identify as Indigenous or Black. Working with IBET’s 15 academic partners, FEAS aims to support underrepresented researchers and foster an equitable and safe academic environment for students, researchers and professors in STEM subjects.

FEAS Teaching and Outreach activities 

The FEAS Teaching and Outreach team actively partners with schools and youth-oriented initiatives to empower youth to pursue a career in a STEM field. As part of these ongoing efforts, the outreach team has worked with the Kapapamahchakwew - Wandering Spirit School to run engineering workshops with Indigenous youth, ranging from Grades 4 to 9. Led by FEAS’ Indigenous Outreach Lead, the workshop’s curriculum combined engineering design principles with the knowledge students have learned through Indigenous Ways of Knowing.  

The outreach team participates in other forms of education, such as TMU’s Indigenous Education Week, where the team ran an event that showcases Indigenous Ways of Knowing and its intersections with engineering through birchbark canoes.

In 2022, the Faculty of Science introduced the role of Advisor to the Dean, Indigenous Education. This role aims to advance initiatives for Indigenous perspectives in STEM and advise on Indigenous education pedagogies and research methodologies to increase accessibility to STEM for Indigenous students. Initiatives include a faculty workshop series on cultivating inclusive learning environments for Indigenous youth in science education and incorporating Indigenous content into their curriculum.

Within SciXchange, the Office for Outreach and Community Engagement at the Faculty of Science, Stoodis Science is a public outreach, engagement and science communication initiative focused on Indigenous outreach for youth, post-secondary students at TMU, and members of the general public. Stoodis Science provides spaces for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to learn about Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, and being and how they relate to science, technology, engineering, mathematics and arts (STEAM) concepts.

The Lincoln Alexander School of Law is committed to diversity, inclusion and access to justice. The law school has made it a priority to build relationships with and serve Indigenous communities and have embedded this commitment as a core value in their Academic Plan.  

Key initiatives include the establishment of the Indigenous Legal Education Committee (ILEC) to respond to and implement the TRC’s Calls to Action 27, 28 and 50, a mandatory course in Indigenous law for all first-year students, and a mentorship program for Indigenous students. Additionally, the Indigenous Law Students’ Association is committed to providing a strong social support network for Indigenous students and to bringing awareness to legal issues affecting Indigenous communities through events, visiting speakers and other forms of knowledge sharing.

The Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM) aims to respond to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Call to Action #92 (external link) , by committing to meaningful partnerships with Indigenous communities to promote economic empowerment and well-being. 

TRSM is dedicated to making management education accessible, and has adopted a holistic approach aimed at making the space, curriculum and community more inclusive for Indigenous students. Ensuring that Indigenous Peoples have equitable access to training and education opportunities reinforces our commitment to the economic development and sustainable growth of Indigenous communities. Indigenous resurgence initiatives at the Ted Rogers School include an Indigenous student welcome initiative, an Indigenous healing garden, the Reconciliation in Business Conference,  Indigenous art installations and an Indigenous advisor.

The TMU School of Medicine will be the first medical school in Canada founded and intentionally built upon the foundations of social accountability, equity, diversity and inclusion, and Reconciliation. The school is committed to creating leadership roles in Indigenous health and to advancing Indigenous health research and learning. The school is also conducting ongoing consultations with Indigenous communities on how they would prefer to partner and be engaged, such as through the Indigenous Communities Council. Foundational to this work is ensuring that there are appropriate supports in place for Indigenous clinical faculty and staff.

The school of medicine’s Indigenous Health Lead and Special Advisor to the Dean on Indigenous Resurgence, Dr. Jamaica Cass, provides guidance on all aspects of work at the School of Medicine including working with the executive committee to develop an Indigenous admissions policy, pursue Indigenous community engagement and develop an Indigenous Health curriculum.

Saagajiwe is The Creative School’s home for participation, action, and research in Indigenous creative practice. Saagajiwe was founded in 2017 with the mission of facilitating Indigenous creativity, thought and culture and challenging Indigenous creative practitioners to put the theory of Indigenous Knowledge into practice and invent an Indigenous future. Saagajiwe supports Indigenous creative expression, curriculum development, the preservation of Indigenous language and the creation of safe spaces on campus. 

In 2022, Saagajiwe launched SIKOSE, the first open-source encyclopedia for Indigenous culture, history and language of its kind. SIKOSE is a robust collection of audio, visual, textual, graphic, performance, and experiential learning resources focusing on Indigenous Studies. SIKOSE supports a collaborative network committed to the continued development and collection of resources for Indigenous learning, teaching and research.

Other initiatives include Fashioning Reconciliation, a project through the School of Fashion that aims to share truths about the role of clothing in colonization and mobilize Indigenous resurgence with fashion design.

The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education offers a number of Indigenous courses and a certificate program in Indigenous Knowledges and Experiences. They also administer the Indigenous Foundations Program, a partnership between Gdoo-maawnjidimi Mompii Indigenous Student Services and Spanning the Gaps – Access to Post-Secondary Education, which is designed for Indigenous community members who seek to broaden their opportunities towards academic success.

The Yeates School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (YSGPS) is committed to Indigenizing its offerings and creating specific supports for Indigenous students. In 2020, YSGPS developed  (PDF file) A Framework for Truth & Reconciliation to provide guidance and create safer spaces for Indigenous graduate students. YSGPS also highlights the research and scholarship of Indigenous graduate students and alumni across disciplines and offers a number of scholarships and awards for Indigenous graduate students. YSGPS will also be hiring an Indigenous advisor to advise on issues related to graduate and postdoctoral matters.