“we are all relations” - university of winnipeg...“we are all relations”: indigenous course...

Positive Experiences •  Moststudentssaid the ICRhadexpandedtheir

learning in a good and empathetic way, andincreased their understanding of Indigenousissues. Many applauded the University andwished they could have learned these things alongtimeago.

•  Faculty had been concerned about a potentialbacklashfromstudentsbutourfindingsshowedagenerallypositivelearningexperience.

•  Emergent themes were the importance ofrelationships, respect, and safety; eagerness tolearn with and from Indigenous peoples; thedesire to work together for a better, moreinclusiveeducationsystemandsociety.

“We are All Relations”: Indigenous Course Requirement (ICR)

Dr. Helen Lepp Friesen Tyler Andrade Department of Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications

ReferencesAxworthy,L.,&Kinew,W.(2013,January11).Canada’sfuture:Let’sbedividednomore.InTheGlobeandMail.RetrievedonMay22,2017fromhttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/canadas-future-lets-be-divided-no-more/article7199421/GraffitiatUniversityofWinnipegtargetsFirstNations.(2013,March).InCBCNews.RetrievedonNovember28,2017fromhttp://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/graffiti-at-university-of-winnipeg-targets-first-nations-1.1350599Koblun,J.(2016).ConversationsinCulturalFluency:TheTwoRowWampum.TwoRowTimes.RetrievedonAugust2,2017fromhttps://tworowtimes.com/news/conversations-in-cultural-fluency-the-two-row-wampum/IndigenousContentRequirement.(2017).LakeheadUniversity.RetrievedonMay24,2017fromhttps://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/departments/services/ai/icrIndigenousCourseRequirement.(2016).TheUniversityofWinnipeg.RetrievedonMay18,2017fromhttp://uwinnipeg.ca/indigenous-course-requirement/Macdonald,N.(2015,January).WelcometoWinnipeg:WhereCanada’sracismproblemisatitsworst.InMaclean’s.RetrievedonApril19,2017fromhttp://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/welcome-to-winnipeg-where-canadas-racism-problem-isat-its-worst/TwoRowWampumBelt.RetrievedonNovember22,2017fromhttp://mohawknationnews.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/two-row-old.jpgTruthandReconciliationCommissionofCanada.(2015,December).CallstoAction.RetrievedonMay9,2017fromhttp://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdfUWinnipegFastFacts(2017).InAboutUWinnipeg.UniversityofWinnipeg.Winnipeg,Canada.Retrievedfromhttps://uwinnipeg.ca/about/fast-facts/index.htmlThankyoutoCatherinevanReenenforposterdesignassistance.

Abstract This mixed-methods study consulted with students,faculty, and staff to develop insight into theirexperiencesoftheIndigenousCourseRequirement(ICR)in its initial implementation in the 2016/17 academicyear at TheUniversity ofWinnipeg. Although studentsand instructors had suggestions for how to improvecourse content, development, delivery, and support,there were far more positive reactions to the ICRexperiencethannegative.

Description of Initiative •  UWSAproposed an IndigenousCourseRequirement

(ICR)totheUniversity’sSenatein2014.•  The ICRwasapprovedbySenate inNovember2015

andimplementedinthefallof2016forall incomingundergraduate students (Indigenous CourseRequirement,2016).

•  In2016/2017,27courseswithatotalof46sectionswereofferedacross9departments.

Methods & Sample Multimodal data were collected during the winter of2017fromthefollowing:•  10 faculty and staff from six departments who

participated via 30-minute voice recordedinterviews.

•  164studentsrespondedtoasurveyinvitationsentto 1,230 students who had taken an ICR (13%responserate).

•  19 students who participated in one of three60-90-minutefocusgroupdiscussions.

Challenges Mostfaculty,staff,andstudentsagreedthatracismandlackofknowledgeexistandthateducationandrelationshipsarekeytochangingstereotypes. Keychallengesincluded:•  thepressureon Indigenousstudents to takeon

the roleof tokenauthorityon“the” Indigenousexperience;

•  how to sensitively support students and staffwhentalkingaboutatraumatichistory;

•  howtomanagecontentiousdiscussionsinclass.

SharingCircleClassroom OverallStudentICRExperience AboriginalStudentServicesCentre

Recommendations

Personalexperiencestories

Circlemethod

Eldersintheclassroom

ClearinformationabouttheICR

Supportservicesforfaculty,staff,

&students

Hands-onlearning&fullimmersion

Manywaysofcommunicating&evaluating

Artandoralteaching

Storytellingaspedagogy

Learninglanguages

MoreIndigenoushires

SciencecoursesforSciencestudents

“I thought it was going to be just another requirementthat Iwas not going to enjoy asmuch, that the contentwasgoing tobedryorboring. I really liked thecourse; Ilearnedmuchmore than I expected to (thinking I knewenough information about the Indigenous of NorthAmerica).”

“The ICR course has taught me to be careful ofstereotypes. Learn the history and the people beforemaking general assumptions or agreeing with others oncareless and uneducated thoughts and comments... WeareonTreatyland,andweshouldberespectfulofthat.”

Highlights