Understanding, compassion and knowledge: U of C unveils Indigenous strategy

To learn more about Indigenous history, culture, attachment to land and different ways of knowing is the goal of the University of Calgary's now-completed Indigenous Strategy, introduced Thursday.

Shawna Cunningham, the school's strategy director, says it's about post-secondary students developing a richer understanding of First Nation culture.

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"To ensure we have a campus community that is more aware of Indigenous ways of knowing and doing, is more aware of Indigenous people's history, culture and social-cultural context," Cunningham told The Homestretch on Thursday.

"The goal is also to create a sense of compassion. Anti-racist education I think is really important."

Cunningham says the two-year strategy development included four stages:

• Setting out or the calling to order, calling together.
• Community engagement, gathering stories.
• Bringing the stories home, compiling all the narrative data.
• Empowering the spirit of Indigenization

Part of the strategy includes credit and non-credit courses, but none are mandatory.

"They are also looking at asking faculties to review current courses to ensure there are Indigenous perspectives embedded throughout the curricula," she said.

Cunningham says post-secondary is a good place to start with a strategy like this.

"Institutions of higher learning are where we are training Canadian citizens, whether they are Indigenous or non- Indigenous, to work in different fields," she said.

"Having a sense of understanding and compassion and knowledge about our population is important for all Canadians, especially with regards to reconciliation."

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With files from The Homestretch