Kwey Kwey, Boozhoo, Sek:on,
Dear Carleton Community Members,
Our hearts are full as we are now able to share with you the new Centre for Indigenous Initiatives website. The launch of our website coincides with the establishment of the Centre for Indigenous Initiatives as an independent unit, distinct from the Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities (EIC). Both represent the fulfilment of two Calls to Action included in the Kinàmàgawin Final Report released in May.
Twenty years ago EIC, which was then known as Equity Services, established the first Indigenous-specific position at Carleton in order to support Indigenous students. Over time, additional staff and student positions were introduced, with the goal of serving students and broadening the awareness of Indigenous cultures on campus. With the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report in 2015, many universities and colleges began a process of institutional self-reflection to determine what more could be done to support Indigenous learners and bring Indigenous histories and perspectives into the classroom.
In the past three years, Carleton has invested greatly in this process of self-reflection, and has increased the number of Indigenous-specific positions to support the needs of students, staff and faculty. In this time, the Centre for Indigenous Initiatives team has grown and has expanded the services offered to the Carleton community. Together, we are committed to building community among Indigenous students, staff and faculty, and among those within the university who are actively practising allyship.
The foundation of our work is relational, and our team at the Centre for Indigenous Initiatives believes that nurturing positive and mutually respectful relationships is the critical element in improving the learning experience of all students at Carleton.
We would like to say miigwetch (thank you) to our colleagues in the Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities for all of their support over the past year. We are setting out on this new journey with a deeper sense of compassion for having been a part of your team.
We would also like to encourage everyone in the Carleton community to visit our newly launched Centre for Indigenous Initiatives website at carleton.ca/indigenous, and we look forward to working with many of you in the coming year,
Benny Michaud
Director, Centre for Indigenous Initiatives
Staci Loiselle
Indigenous Cultural Counsellor
Theresa Hendricks
Special Projects and Administrative Coordinator
Vanessa Cyr
Indigenous Programs Officer