Drafting of Cultural Safety In Post-Secondary Recommendations

Indigenous students in post-secondary often face the same discrimination, micro-aggressions and barriers as Indigenous people face in daily life. This is compunded by learning to study and exist in colonial, institutional spaces which can have overt and hidden structures, processess and interactions that mimic racism, stereotyping, biases and the devaluation of Indigenous knowledge, practices, wisdom and needs.

To this point, the AU Indigenous Student Alliance has drafted a Cultural Safety in Post-Secondary document. This is based on personal experiences, research, initiatives in other university and institutional settings and the ongoing work of decolonization and reconciliation.

It is a living document, meaning that it will continue to grow or adjust based on new information and the needs of Indigenous students. It is meant to be a beginning guide for those wondering what a culturally safe post-secondary environment could look like, as well as offer additonal resources for learning.

Cultural Safety in Post-Secondary DRAFT.pdf

Download PDF • 143KB

This document is shared in good faith, with the hope that it will inspire, call to action and inform both students, staff, decision makers and the general public. While it is downloadable, please respect the ethical use of this knowledge and if altering it, provide citation credit and acknowledgement to our student alliance.

We hope this will serve as a starting place, a foundation to build upon and are exploring the option of using it as a guide for a mini-series!

If you find it helpful or have suggestions for improvements, please reach out!

Truth and Reconciliation and Indigenous History Month - Two Podcast Episodes voiced by Indigenous students

Up on Apple podcasts, join some of the former members of the Indigenous Circle who discussed numerous important topics, including tips for studying at AU, and the experiences of diverse students.

Episode 89: Reflecting on Indigenous History Month

Members of AUSU's former Indigenous Circle along with Robyn Soulier-Ritchot, an Indigenous entrepreneur, take the time to discuss Indigenous History Month along with some tips and tricks for navigating Athabasca University as an Indigenous student.

Episode 92: Talking about Truth and Reconcilation at AU

In this powerful episode, former Indigenous Circle members Lexis Roy and Molly Salter open up about their experiences at Athabasca University, highlighting the importance of community and cultural connection. As we observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Lexis and Molly share their thoughts on how we can collectively work towards a more inclusive future. Don't miss their book and movie recommendations that showcase Indigenous excellence and resilience.

Take a listen and if you feel you need support as an Indigenous student at AU, feel free to reach out to our group!

Residential School Web - Donna Langhorne

Métis Week -previously posted blog

In November of 2024, some of the members of the Indigenous Circle wrote and published a blog for Métis Week. The blog was lost when the AUSU newspaper was shut down, therefore we have reposted it here!

Members of Métis ancestry were asked, what being Métis meant to them, alongside their visions, dreams and suggestions of Métis based events that were happening at the time (those have been removed or edited as the time has passed to join them).

Art by Leah Dorion

Lexis Roy she/her

What it means to me to be Métis

Tansi! To me, being Métis is embodying being unique, resilient, and full of vibrancy! Growing up in a heritage that combined two totally different ways of life, the First Nations and European culture and bringing those together. But because of those differences, it brought hardship from not fitting in, feeling lost in between worlds, but the Métis ancestors fought this battle; they learned how to adapt, they learned how to create a middle between two adjacents, a new way of life, and that’s where our resiliency comes from, is from them and our connection the land and those around us. In the midst of their resiliency, they provided a beautiful mix of the musical, visual and auditorial world with jigging, fiddling and song, and then the incredible energy of vibrancy was created alongisde the notes and moving feet. They provided a new language, Michif, produced from French nouns and Cree verbs, and iconic symbols, the Métis Sash and the Red River Cart. Our ability to connect to the land, to the animals, to the rivers and lakes, is unmatched. If you come across a Métis community or group, you will be able to recognize that they are a proud people, and proud of their heritage and ability to come together. Having the opportunity and honour to uphold these values that my ancestors have worked so hard for in the past, is what makes me proud to say that I am Métis, and to live like they have in the present, and in the future.

How it inspires me

What inspires me the most, is seeing other Métis citizens share their same pride in different ways, and sharing the fulfillment of who we are as a nation. I have met many talented artists, such as those who bead the intricate patterns of floral work, those who sew ribbon into clothes creating a mosaic of connection and identity, those who can move their hands in such a way they create incredible tunes on the fiddle, and those who can tap their feet in such a beautiful motion, you’re almost mesmorized by it. I have felt the impacts of Métischangemakers and scholars, advocating for Metis rights and freedoms. I have been in awe of Métis land users that know their way around the bush left and right, and how they share their knowledge and traditions onto the younger generations, to ensure the culture lives on. When I look around and see Métis people and their contributions, big or small, in any genre, I get reminded of how hard our ancestors fought for us, and their own contributions. They showed us the blueprints on how to be courageous, to show determination, resiliency, and most importantly, to never give up. That further inspires me to continue to work hard in my studies, to work hard for a future, and other areas of my life, and to engage in my culture. Viva la Métis!

Final Thoughts

Wherever you may be located, I encourage you to check out your local incoming events for Métis Week, November 10th-16th, with the events highlighting the history, land and recognition of the Métis people. If you are not able to physically attend events, or if there are no events close by, you can online search “Métis Week”, and that will showcase functions being held across the nation. Physical or over the web, there is something for everybody! Finally, I would like to thank you (maarsii), if you have read this far into my article, as well as the other Indigenous Circle members personal articles. As a young Métis woman, I am ecstatic to share my culture with those around me, near and far, in person and online. I hope you take care, and I give my well-wishes to your current and future endeavors. Here’s to Métis Week 2024!

Ashley Reimer she/they

What it means to me to be Métis

For me it is a bridging and blending of identities, cultures and experiences. Many people of mixed-race have a sense of being in between worlds, and this is how I have felt most of my life. It can be difficult, but it also brings a different perspective to life, connections and identity. As I learn more about my ancestors, on both sides of my family, I see how diverse they are, and how on both sides they struggled with colonization, loss of their homelands and prosecution. At the same time, they are grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers, farmers, musicians, social workers and kitchen workers. They navigated this world and their own intersecting identities and tried to survive and thrive the best they could. It is inspiring to learn about the Nêhiyaw-Askiy (Plains Cree), (Siksikaitsitapi) Blackfoot, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and Métis relatives in my lineage, alongside the French and German ones.

Ultimately learning about how I am part of the dream of my ancestors and the culmination of their stories.

How it inspires me

While I am still waiting for my Métis citizenship application to go through, I have been getting more informed on what the Métis Nation, Otipemisiwak offers and shares with everyone. When I went to the Otipemisiwak citizenship gathering this year I was inspired by the assembly of hundreds of people from every age and from communities all over Alberta. It was great to walk through and talk to different people about the work they do, their businesses, their art, and to hear about the projects and initiatives the government has been working on with everyone. Including the Askiy Berry Health monitoring project.

The Métis people created the first democratic government in what we now call Canada, and there is a long, generational history of organized government, land stewardship and strong community collaboration that is well alive and strong to this day!

Final Thought

Whether you can make it to an event or not it is always good, regardless of if it is Métis week, Indigenous Peoples Day or any other marked date, to reflect on the land we live on, where our homes are built, where we work, where we shop and where we walk in our neighborhoods. Each of these places were once forests, bodies of water, plains and rich lands that taught the people about how to live in relation with the world and with each other. When I walk around where I live, I look at the trees and plants that are alive now, the birds, insects and other living creatures and ask myself how I can be a steward, how I can care for this land now, how I can acknowledge the First People that lived here and what my role and responsibility is in being informed and reciprocal in this landscape.

We are all a part of this place now, and it is our responsibility to know who was here, what they experienced and what the reality is now, while also developing daily respect and relationship with this place we call home.

-Ash