Office of Indigenous Initiatives
The Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII) at UTM works to mobilize University of Toronto’s commitments to Truth and Reconciliation as outlined in Answering the Call – Wecheehetowin. Following the recommendations of the report, the OII guides the University of Toronto Mississauga's efforts in amplifying Indigenous voices and Indigenous placekeeping on campus.
In addition to weaving Indigenous life and thought into the fabric of UTM, the OII serves as a resource to campus faculty and staff, who may consult the OII for help in integrating Indigeneity into student life, physical spaces, course curriculums, faculty research, and recruitment initiatives.
Consultations
The OII provides guidance to UTM staff, faculty, and librarians on how to advance Indigenous strategic initiatives.
Consult with the Office of Indigenous Initiatives
Placekeeping
UTM has dramatically expanded Indigenous spaces on campus. Many, like UTM's Tipi and Teaching Lodge, are available for booking.
Learn more about UTM's Indigenous spaces
All Nations Powwow
Every year OII connects with neighbouring First Nations to organize a Powwow at UTM's campus.
Media Inquiries
Our office looks forward to sharing more about our mandates and initiatives.
UTM Indigenous Centre
The UTM Indigenous Centre (IC) provides service delivery, programming, and support to Indigenous faculty, students, staff, and librarians. The IC works to build lasting and meaningful relationships with surrounding Indigenous communities. The IC also hosts gatherings and cultural programming for UTM's Indigenous members and provides a welcoming and inclusive space for future Indigenous students.
Presentations and Collaborations
Our staff is available to present on Indigenous themes, collaborate on projects, and take part in special events on campus
Connect with IC
Indigenous Student Support Specialist
Indigenous students can book a one-on-one session with our support specialist.
Book with the Indigenous Support Specialist
Events Calendar
All members of the UTM community are welcome to attend Indigenous-focused events across the university's three campuses.
See our Upcoming Events
Our centre very active on Instagram and would love for you to follow us!
Go to UTM_Indigenous Instagram
Upcoming Events
Spring Speaker series
Louis Busch - Kwayask Ayamiwin Kaki Nitaskākon (Good Words are Medicine): Articulating a Nēhîthâwâk Theory of Helping Work
Wednesday, Mar 19, 2025 | 12–1 PM EST | ZOOM | Register HERE!
About this Student Talk:
Indigenous helping work is deeply rooted in relational, wholistic, and culturally-grounded practices that have been systematically marginalized through colonial structures, limiting their accessibility and recognition within mainstream mental health frameworks. This presentation explores Indigenous helping work through the lens of Nēhîthâwâk (Woodlands Cree) knowledge, centering the dialogue of Cree helpers to articulate a culturally grounded framework for Indigenous counselling. Drawing on an integration of Indigenous epistemologies, relational frame theory, and systems science, this research examines the role of language in helping relationships. Preliminary findings suggest practical applications for culturally congruent mental health interventions.
Register on Eventbrite here. Registrants will receive the Zoom link to the talk.
The Office of the Dean of Students at Victoria University is pleased to invite you to our Ninth Annual Campus (Re)Conciliations: Indigenous Issues in Higher Education Conference on Thursday, March 20, 2025 in Alumni Hall, Victoria College Building (91 Charles Street West).
The theme this year is Truth and Reconciliation Committee Recommendations Ten Years Out: Where are we now on Canadian Campuses?
Speakers this year will include Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann, President, First Nations University of Canada and Jean Becker, AVP Indigenous Relations, University of Waterloo.
Since 2017, this innovative gathering has brought together scholars, educators, artists, activists, students, and community members to consider indigenous experiences and the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission within the academic landscape.
Attendees will engage in thought-provoking discussions, workshops, and presentations and enjoy food and challenging conversations together.
Register at the following link (you can join for the whole day or just part of it!): https://forms.office.com/r/Bpm70nPtCz
Come craft with us! While crafting, engage in career chats to learn about specific programs, services, resource and work opportunities available for Indigenous students.
First Nations House, Event Space
Friday March 21, 2025 from 1PM-3PM
Craft: Dreamcatchers
Guests: Career Exploration and Work Place Learning - Work Study
- Explore how to align your Work Study job search with your unique identity and values
- Take tangible actions toward finding roles that resonate with your personal and cultural identity while learning more about the Work Study Program
This event hopes to connect Indigenous students and recent graduates with Indigenous entrepreneurs and community partners, offering a space for meaningful connections and casual career exploration conversations over food.
First Nations House, Event Space
Wednesday March 26, 2025
5PM-6:30PM
Guests:
· Caitlin Wemigwans - Founder of Pre&Peri
· Deanne Hupfield - Speaker, Educator, Powwow Dance Teacher
· Ken Costello - Founder of Miigwetch Cookies
· Andrea Brockie - Manager of Social Enterprise at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto
· Ignacio Mongrell - Assistant Director at ICUBE UTM
Spring Speaker series
Dr. Andrew B. Campbell - My Journey to Self-Decolonization: Emancipatory Pedagogy & Freedom Dreaming in Education
Wednesday, Mar 26, 2025 | 12–1 PM EST | ZOOM | Register HERE!
About this Faculty Talk:
This presentation invites a profound exploration of identity and self-discovery in the context of colonial histories and their pervasive impact on personal and collective consciousness. As I embark on a journey into self-knowing, I grapple with the question that confront the very essence of my being. How have the narratives shaped by colonization and colonial logic have impacted, influenced, disrupted, stolen, and murdered my understanding of self, belonging, and heritage? This question allows us to examine the ways in which colonization has not only shaped external perceptions but has also infiltrated our internal narratives, affecting our self-worth, identity, and aspirations. This introspective inquiry is what I regard as self-emancipatory work for me to show up as my whole self.
Register on Eventbrite here. Registrants will receive the Zoom link to the talk.
Spring Speaker series
Dr. Aedan Alderson - Post-Secondary Education as a Vehicle for Global Indigenous Co-Learning: Reflections from 2024 Indigenous Worldview Exchange Program
Wednesday, Mar 26, 2025 | 12–1 PM EST | ZOOM | Register HERE!
About this Guest Talk:
What happens when post-secondary institutions support global exchange programs that are designed for and by Indigenous peoples, with the explicit goal of using education as a vehicle for connecting Indigenous nations around the world? This talk explores insights from one such project: George Brown College and The Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology’s Indigenous World View Exchange Program, that hosted local Indigenous learners from Southern Ontario and Māori learners from Te Tauihu (The top of the South Island) Aotearoa in an immersive community-based field course in both regions.
Register on Eventbrite here. Registrants will receive the Zoom link to the talk.
Spring Speaker series
Dr. Rishi Krishnamoorthy - Caste, Queerness, Indigeneity, and South Indian Learning Spaces
Wednesday, Apr 9, 2025 | 12–1 PM EST | ZOOM | Register HERE!
About this Faculty Talk:
Hindu-nationalism has pervaded the Indian political domain for over a decade, with Hindu-nationalist (Hindutva) ideologies infiltrating the social and cultural milieu since the country won independence against colonial rule in 1947. Central to the Hindutva ideology, is a claim to India as an originally Hindu land, with Hindu ways of knowing and being as ‘Indigenous’ to the people. This movement not only makes invisible the histories of minoritized peoples living in the sub-continent but also co-opts decolonial movements towards (majoritarian) religious nationalist aims. In this talk, I examine the ways in which Hindutva ideologies pervaded everyday seemingly neutral interactions in a rural school in South India. I will share the ways in which the cultural practices of caste-privileged and straight Hindu Indian teachers were privileged in and shaped learning spaces. In doing so, I offer a space to collectively think thorough the nuances of engaging in decolonial movements in education when arriving at this work from a queer South Indian positionality.
Register on Eventbrite here. Registrants will receive the Zoom link to the talk.
Resources
Smudging on Campus
Consult UTM's smudging policy when planning an event where smudging may take place.
Land Acknowledgements
Learn more about the intentionality behind the University of Toronto's land acknowledgement and how to thoughtfully integrate it into planned activities.
Orange Shirt Day
Resources to help the UTM community honour the children who went to residential schools. The event takes place every year on September 30.
"Without truth, justice, and healing, there can be no genuine reconciliation. Reconciliation is not about closing a sad chapter of Canada’s past, but about opening new healing pathways of reconciliation that are forged in truth and justice."
—Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, Volume 6: Reconciliation, page 7