Centre for Indigenous Studies

U of T hosts global scholars for NAISA conference on Indigenous Studies

siddiq22 — Thu, 11 May 2023 20:57:30 +0000

U of T hosts global scholars for NAISA conference on Indigenous Studies

siddiq22 Thu, 05/11/2023 - 16:57

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The 14th-annual Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) conference, which is expected to draw 1,000 attendees from around the world, kicks off in Convocation Hall on U of T's St. George campus (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Tabassum Siddiqui

Topic

Global Lens

Indigenous Studies

Conference

Indigenous Initiatives

Centre for Indigenous Studies

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Research

Women and Gender Studies

The University of Toronto will welcome Indigenous scholars and researchers from around the world this week for the 14th annual Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) conference.

The conference, which is expected to draw 1,000 attendees, will be held on U of T’s St. George campus from May 11 to 13.

Susan Hill and Karyn Recollet (photos supplied)

NAISA is an interdisciplinary professional organization that brings together faculty and students from post-secondary institutions (including several U of T scholars); community-based scholars, artists and Elders; and independent professionals working in the field of Indigenous Studies.

“NAISA came about in order to create a place where Indigenous Studies scholars could meet and work on the broad themes that tie us together, and to advance a broader understanding of the importance of Indigenous Studies to academia. Strengthening Indigenous Studies positions us to better support Indigenous communities and Nations,” said conference co-chair Susan Hill, director of U of T’s Centre for Indigenous Studies and an associate professor of Indigenous Studies and history in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

With sessions planned on everything from food sovereignty to language revitalization and contemporary Indigenous cinema, the 2023 event is the first in-person NAISA conference since 2019, when it was hosted by the University of Waikato in New Zealand. U of T had planned to host the 2020 conference, which was cancelled due to the pandemic and rescheduled for this year.

The conference will highlight how Toronto – which originates from the Mohawk word “Tkaronto,” meaning “where the trees stand in the water” – has been home to the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe Peoples and part of the original homelands of the Wendat People.

U of T News spoke with Hill and fellow conference co-chair Karyn Recollet, assistant professor in the Women & Gender Studies Institute in the Faculty of Arts & Science, about what to expect at NAISA 2023 – which will include panel and roundtable discussions, presentations of research papers, film screenings, performances and more.

Hundreds of attendees are coming from around the world – what will they experience at this year’s NAISA conference?

Hill: One of the things that we committed to as the local host committee was to take the lead in terms of our own cultural values that we bring from our specific communities – and also honouring the practices that are common in the Toronto Indigenous community.

One of those key pieces was about ethical care and doing our best to provide spaces that would meet people’s needs – so we were very purposeful in choosing locations that were close together.

It was also important for us to feed our guests – that’s a key value that’s embodied in the communities all around us. When you come to somebody’s home, they will offer you a meal or a beverage. That’s such an important part of hospitality, and in inviting our friends and colleagues from around the world, we want to make sure we’re treating them as if they were coming into our home.

We’re particularly excited about the fact that we've partnered with local Indigenous chefs to help make that happen and to provide our guests with the foods that come from the land and the waters of the territory.

In academia, sometimes we take food for granted and think, “Oh, it's just fuel for the body.” But in Indigenous cultures, we're taught that it's food for our mind, our body and our souls. And so we've tried to make that as fruitful as possible in this gathering, and also in everything we do in nourishing people’s minds, bodies and spirits in the work we’re doing together.

Through NAISA’s call for papers and in your planning, did any themes for the conference emerge?

(photo by Tabassum Siddiqui)

Recollet: In reaching out to our various partners – including U of T Mississauga – when we were starting to imagine what this conference would look like, some very interesting interconnections and webs started to develop, which helped the planning process quite a bit.

We knew that to determine the shape of our gathering, we wanted to focus on Black and Indigenous relationships, on queer and Two-Spirit thought and thinking, and to acknowledge that Toronto is a very special place that has a unique relationship to water. That helped us to think through some of the main ideas and offerings we might be able to have. Drawing on our relationships with the land – and with each other – helped in mapping things out.

What will be some of the highlights at this year’s conference?

Hill: One of the goals that NAISA has always tried to embody with their conferences is recognizing that the papers that get proposed and accepted are going to come from all over the place, but also making sure that there's time and space for both the people coming from other places, as well as the people from the local area, to have the opportunity to learn more about the host area.

Here in in Toronto, we've tried to be really thoughtful about the ways that we curate those particular opportunities – for example, we’ll have walking tours of our campus, OCAD University, Toronto Metropolitan University, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum. So, the folks who are coming to our campus from all over the world have a chance to learn about some of the things that are happening here on the ground in our city, at our universities and arts organizations.

Recollet: Another special moment we’ve envisioned is offering opportunities for graduate-student mentorship, where the students can sit and share a meal together and talk to each other about their work and knowledge transmission.

We’ve also curated spaces called “CARE Hubs” in both the buildings that are hosting the sessions, because sometimes conferences can be draining – you might need a quiet space to centre and just enjoy solitude. So those will have cots, medicines, soothing music, some magazines – spaces to relax and enjoy.

The welcome ceremony at Convocation Hall will feature singers and drummers, and we encourage everyone to visit the book fair and market hall at the Howard Ferguson Dining Hall, where more than 30 publishers and academic institutions will be set up.

What do you hope attendees take away from the conference?

Hill: We hope that all our visitors will have the opportunity to engage with some amazing people who are connected within this global network and are able to walk away with a deeper understanding about the vitality and rigour of Indigenous studies.

A lot of times people think it’s just about culture, but it’s important to understand the deep knowledge that goes into the revitalization and the celebration of the cultures from which we come – and the hard work being put into creating vibrant futures for the generations to come.

Non-Indigenous learners taking up Indigenous languages to support revitalization: CBC Radio

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 17:41:38 +0000

Non-Indigenous learners taking up Indigenous languages to support revitalization: CBC Radio

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 03/29/2023 - 13:41

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Ninaatig Staats Pangowish, an assistant professor at the Centre for Indigenous Studies, says people of all backgrounds have a role to play in revitalizing Anishinaabemowin and other endangered Indigenous languages (photo courtesy of Duncan McCue/CBC)

Topic

Our Community

Indigenous Studies

Academics

Centre for Indigenous Studies

Indigenous

A growing number of non-Indigenous students are taking up Indigenous languages through courses such as those offered at the University of Toronto, CBC Radio reports.

Ninaatig Staats Pangowish, an assistant professor at the Centre for Indigenous Studies, says he welcomes non-Indigenous learners into his classes because people of all backgrounds have a role to play in revitalizing Anishinaabemowin and other endangered Indigenous languages.

“If I want my language to be a national [or] regional language in Canada, it can't just be Anishinaabeg who speak it,” Staats Pangowish tells reporter Duncan McCue on The Current.

Sara McDowell, a master’s student at U of T, has interviewed language teachers and elders for her thesis on how non-Indigenous people can best support the revitalization of First Nations languages.

"When we learn Indigenous languages, it's a way of saying, 'We recognize that you're here, we respect you, we think your languages are important and so are you. And we want to work together to change things,’” says McDowell, a self-described Canadian settler who has studied Anishinaabemowin for about 12 years.

Listen to the documentary on CBC Radio’s The Current

Relations on the Land project to strengthen ties with Indigenous partners

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 17:44:54 +0000

Relations on the Land project to strengthen ties with Indigenous partners

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 01/17/2023 - 12:44

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From left to right: Pamela Klassen, Cara Krmpotich, Mikinaak Migwans, Alan Ojiig Corbiere, Bradley Clements and James Migwans at Manitou Rapids, Rainy River First Nations (photo courtesy of GRASAC)

David Goldberg

Topic

Our Community

Centre for Indigenous Studies

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Information

Indigenous

Religion

Research & Innovation

Woodsworth College

A leading American philanthropic organization, the Henry Luce Foundation, is collaborating with the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts & Science to build a stronger network of support and knowledge with Indigenous partners.

The foundation has lent its support to Relations on the Land, which brings together outstanding researchers and community knowledge holders from four established U of T projects.

The hub will foster stronger relationships with Indigenous communities and gather knowledge on how the university can be a better partner to these communities.

Pamela Klassen

“We are so excited the Luce Foundation is supporting this work,” says project leader Pamela Klassen, professor in the department for the study of religion, says of the foundation’s $75,000 grant.

"This is a unique opportunity to bring together university researchers and Indigenous partners as we think through what our relationships and responsibilities to the land and waters should be in the 21st century.”

With community-engaged research about spirituality, land and material culture, Relations on the Land is supported jointly by the Luce Foundation’s programs in Indigenous Knowledge and religion and theology.

“We are pleased to support this innovative, exploratory project, the latest in a series of initiatives funded at the intersection of the Luce Foundation’s growing work with Indigenous communities and its efforts to cultivate deeper public understanding of religion and spirituality,” says Jonathan VanAntwerpen, the Luce Foundation’s program director for religion and theology.

“Home to the largest religious studies department in Canada, the University of Toronto is well-situated to play an important role in recalibrating the way that university-based scholars of religion collaborate with and support Indigenous partners, and we will follow the results of this project with great interest.”

Henry R. Luce, renowned entrepreneur and co-founder of Time magazine, established the foundation in 1936. Since its inception, the foundation has contributed more than $1 billion in grants toward initiatives that promote innovative scholarship and foster international understanding.

“This grant gives us the space and time to have the necessary conversations to think about how our work could influence each other in mutually productive ways,” says Jon Johnson, assistant professor, teaching stream, at Woodsworth College and a member of the First Story Toronto project, which is participating in Relations on the Land.

“It offers resources to Indigenous partners to do this research and to contribute knowledge on their own terms. It also transcends academia, helping us think about the needs of Indigenous communities and nations across the Great Lakes,” he says.

First Story Toronto researches and shares Toronto’s Indigenous presence through digital and experiential initiatives, including virtual and in-person storytelling walks. Among First Story’s guides are Johnson, Assistant Professor Jill Carter who is Anishinaabe-Ashkenaziand, and Indigenous storytellers such as Teagan de Laronde, who is Métis and a citizen of Red Sky Métis Independent Nation.

Relations on the Land Project Manager Teagan De Laronde and U of T Professor Jon Johnson lead a First Story Toronto tour (photo by Ayeshwini Lama)

De Laronde, who serves as project manager for the Relations on the Land initiative, is optimistic about the support this will offer Indigenous youth to develop a range of powerful activations and experiences that present Indigenous stories and geographies of Toronto’s past, present and future.

“We don’t often think of cities like Toronto as a very Indigenous space, but the fact that it is such a large city is because of Indigenous design,” says de Laronde. “There are many interesting perspectives and biases to explore, and it’s a great way to educate people.”

The grant will also facilitate storytelling circles as a means of repatriating Haudenosaunee creation narratives and other archived collections of community stories recorded by settler ethnographers and academics in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Assistant Professor Kevin White, cross-appointed to the department for the study of religion and the Centre for Indigenous Studies, is an Indigenous scholar and Mohawk from Akwesasne with family from Tonawanda Band of Seneca. He is working with Elders, Knowledge Keepers and community scholars from Six Nations of the Grand River to generate a new dialogue about Indigenous cultures.

“I'm trying to identify what I consider more Western ideals, language and standards, and remove them to get at the core scholarly knowledge and value system that I think is the essence of Haudenosaunee thought and philosophy,” says White.

“We're using selected stories to retell and have each person redo the story in their language, so we'll have a story that's told in the six different languages of the Haudenosaunee.”

Another part of Relations on the Land is the Mounds Research Collective, which partners with Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung Historical Centre to connect Indigenous and settler researchers, students and museum curators to convey the ongoing significance of ancient mounds and earthworks, including through digital storytelling.

For Assistant Professor Krista Barclay, support from the Luce Foundation will help cultivate greater awareness and respect for these ancient sites and sacred spaces, which, in some cases, have been desecrated by golf courses and other settler developments.

“Disputes and conflict about these sites really tell us a lot about the history of Indigenous-settler relations, and how we think about land and borders and jurisdictions,” says Barclay.

“So, the question we’re trying to answer is: How do we protect these sites? This project brings together scholars who are looking at this from all kinds of angles.”

The Luce Foundation grant will also help the Great Lakes Research Alliance for the Study of Aboriginal Arts & Cultures, which is building a knowledge sharing database and distributing mobile community research kits.

Cara Krmpotich, associate professor at the Faculty of Information and director of the Museum Studies Program, says these kits contain rugged laptops for field research, 360-degree cameras like the ones used to capture content for Google Street View and even VR headsets – all to aid the creation of Indigenous content.

“These tools and the possibility for creativity shouldn't just be in downtown Toronto. These are research partners and that means making sure that they have the same access to equipment and possibilities that we in the university do.”

Krmpotich praised the partnership with the Luce Foundation, saying we’re finally in a situation for far more responsible research that takes questions seriously about sustainability and environmental care.

"Whether we are settler scholars or Indigenous scholars in the territory, it’s our responsibility to think about the ways our research directly impacts the land and so this is something I'm very hopeful about.”

‘The longest-lasting injury’: U of T marks Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 18:12:08 +0000

‘The longest-lasting injury’: U of T marks Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 09/30/2022 - 14:12

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Brenda Wastasecoot, an assistant professor at the Centre for Indigenous Studies, delivers a keynote address to mark Orange Shirt Day and the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at a tri-campus event (photo by Polina Teif)

Topic

Indigenous Initiatives

Kelly Hannah-Moffat

Centre for Indigenous Studies

Faculty of Arts & Science

Hart House

Indigenous

St. George

Truth and Reconciliation

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

The University of Toronto community gathered in-person and virtually Friday to commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – and to reflect on Canada’s treatment of Indigenous Peoples and the lasting impact of the residential school system on Indigenous communities.

As many as 100 people – most wearing orange shirts – attended a ceremony at Hart House on the St. George campus that was streamed live over YouTube, where hundreds more watched.

Keynote speaker Brenda Wastasecoot, an assistant professor at the Centre for Indigenous Studies who is Cree from Churchill, Man, reflected on the trauma residential schools inflicted on her family.

“Residential schools, taking kids away from their families … that’s the longest-lasting injury,” she said. “There are many of us who didn’t go to residential schools, but we saw off our siblings.”

She shared personal details of her story through a visual presentation of her doctoral dissertation titled, “The Nikis Story is the Story of Canada: Reflecting on the Impacts of the Indian Residential Schools.”

The youngest of 11, Wastasecoot recalled seeing each of her siblings be taken away to residential schools. But she said she was spared because residential schools were no longer compulsory in Manitoba when she became school-aged – the result of the federal government handing over control to the provinces.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Her daughter, Dayle Wastasecoot, sat in the audience. She said she originally planned to stay home but decided to come to be with the Indigenous community instead.

“I grew up learning these stories and I feel like it’s important to share with the community,” said Dayle, who is in the transitional year program at U of T.

“It’s such an important day, but it’s also a lot of grief. It’s the day of grieving and mourning,” she said. “I want people to know that Indigenous people are still affected today.”

The event also included remarks from Kelly Hannah-Moffat, vice-president of people strategy, equity and culture, and Alexandra Gillespie, U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to work on this land, in Toronto, Scarborough and Mississauga, which stems from relationships formed in Treaties 13 and 13A,” Gillespie said during a land acknowledgement. “I know that that opportunity carries responsibilities embedded in the living history of this place.”

From left: Jaime Kearns, president of the Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students, Brenda Wastasecoot, assistant professor, Centre for Indigenous Studies and Alexandra Gillespie, U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga (photo by Polina Teif)

Hannah-Moffat acknowledged the presence of the Eagle Feather on stage, which was gifted to the Office of the President by Elders at the 2017 entrustment ceremony for the U of T Truth and Reconciliation Steering Committee’s Report, “Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin.”

“The Eagle Feather symbolizes such qualities as respect, strength, courage and wisdom,” she said. “All of that was absent in the decision to establish residential schools across Canada and to sustain this horrific system until the late 1990s.

“Yet those qualities are top of mind today as we reflect upon and honour the generations of children who attended residential schools, the many who were lost and those who survived.”

The commemoration at Hart House was just one of many ways U of T sought to honour Indigenous Peoples.

Across all three U of T campuses, flags were flown at half-mast to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and to honour residential school survivors, their families and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process. Earlier this month, the Every Child Matters Flag was raised over Varsity Stadium.

U of T Scarborough commemorated Orange Shirt Day and the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation with events throughout the week, while the Indigenous Centre at U of T Mississauga made tickets available for virtual tour of the Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, Ont.

The Office of Indigenous Initiatives worked with the U of T Bookstore to bring orange Every Child Matters T-shirts to the bookstores on all three campuses for the first time. All were sold out.

Evelyn Bolton, a second-year student in the department of political science in the Faculty of Arts & Science who attended the Hart House event, said generations of her family were forced to go to residential schools.

“It’s a history that’s impacted my family for decades and it still impacts my family today,” she said. “My grandma never talks about it but being here today makes me realize that it is something we need to talk about.”

Bolton recalls high school classmates and teachers not being familiar with the history of Indigenous Peoples. Originally from Beausoleil First Nation, she said she is on a journey to reconnect with her roots and her community.

“I’m planning to speak to different Elders and be more involved in different ceremonies.”

Giselle Del Valle, a second-year psychological health sciences student at U of T Scarborough, is on a similar journey to reconnect to her community.

“It’s been extremely hard. There’s a lot of trauma when it comes to that side of my identity,” said Del Valle, who is originally from Upper Mohawk First Nation at the Grand River Six Nations Reserve.

“I’m doing it on my own, but having First Nations House and being able to speak with Elders through the university has been a major help.”

Del Valle said she was grateful for the opportunity to introduce Wastasecoot at the event.

“It was another opportunity to get to know the Indigenous community and hear another knowledgeable and experienced voice.”

Giselle Del Valle, a second-year psychological health sciences student at U of T Scarborough, introduced keynote speaker Brenda Wastasecoot (photo by Polina Teif)

After the Hart House event, Indigenous students, staff and faculty and librarians were invited to a fire at Kahontake Kitigan Garden, the Indigenous Students’ Association medicine garden, outside Hart House.

They are also invited to a U of T Indigenous Community Gathering on Oct. 3 at Hart House Farm, which is being organized and supported by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, Hart House, the Faculty of Arts & Science, the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, Woodsworth College, U of T Mississauga Indigenous Centre and First Nations House.

Del Valle said she wants people to remember that “this is not just a one-day thing.”

“Indigenous folks have to live with this reality every second of their lives. It’s stuck with you and it’s impossible to get away from,” she said.

“So, it’s not just September 30. In order to make progress and make a better future for everyone – not just Indigenous folks – we need to keep pushing forward.”

Members of the Indigenous U of T community in need of support can reach out to:

The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line (1-866-925-4419)

Students:

U of T My Student Support Program (My SSP) can be accessed 24/7 by phone or via the My SSP app.

Other mental health resources, programs and supports are available through the student mental health resource page.

Staff and faculty:

Employee and Family Assistance Program (1-800-663-1142)

Every Child Matters Flag raised at U of T's Varsity Stadium in advance of Sept. 30

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 18:38:55 +0000

Every Child Matters Flag raised at U of T's Varsity Stadium in advance of Sept. 30

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 09/20/2022 - 14:38

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The Every Child Matters Flag flies at Varsity Stadium in advance of Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, which will be marked by events across the university (photo by Makeda Marc-Ali)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Our Community

Orange Shirt Day

Centre for Indigenous Studies

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

First Nations House

Hart House

Indigenous

Truth and Reconciliation

The Every Child Matters flag was raised at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Stadium this week in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples across Canada.

The orange flag will be flown alongside the university’s and Varsity Blues’ flags until Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, when all flags across the three campuses will be lowered to half-mast in memory of all the Indigenous children who perished in residential schools and those who survived.

Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of the U of T Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE), said the raising of the Every Child Matters flag was an important sign of support for Indigenous communities.

“Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of the Indian residential school system is a vital component of the reconciliation process,” said Kerr. “It’s both an opportunity to honour the intergenerational survivors and to commemorate those who didn’t return home.

“It’s also a time for settlers to reflect on taking action to strengthen relationships with Indigenous Peoples and build a better future together. I encourage all students, staff and faculty members of KPE to attend Truth and Reconciliation events where their schedule permits and to spend some time reflecting on their own efforts towards reconciliation.”

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day will be commemorated on Sept. 30 across U of T’s three campuses.

Hart House will host a university-wide event open to all students, librarians, faculty librarians and staff across the three campuses. The keynote speaker will be Brenda Wastasecoot, an assistant professor at the Centre for Indigenous Studies.

The tri-campus event, which can be attended in-person in Hart House’s Great Hall or viewed via livestream, will also include remarks from Kelly Hannah-Moffat, vice-president of people strategy, equity and culture, and Alexandra Gillespie, U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga. Varsity Stadium also plans to livestream the event under the concourse. Members of the U of T community will be asked to present their T-card at the doors.

At U of T Scarborough, there are several events planned for the lead-up to Sept. 30. They include a Sept. 26 workshop called “Walking the Talk” that will use an Indigenous framework to unpack short examples around answering the Calls to Action on campus and a Sept. 29 screening of Rumble: the Indians Who Rocked the World, which is co-presented by the department of arts, culture and media and the Indigenous Outreach Program.

The Indigenous Centre at U of T Mississauga, meanwhile, has a limited number of tickets for a public virtual tour of the Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, Ont. The centre has also compiled a list of resources to help the U of T Mississauga community prepare for Orange Shirt Day.

All members of the U of T community – and Canadians nationwide – are encouraged to wear an orange shirt on Sept. 30 to affirm that “Every Child Matters.” The U of T Bookstore, in partnership with the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, will have a limited supply of Orange Shirt Day shirts available for purchase. All proceeds from the sales of the shirts are being directed to Indigenous community organizations.

U of T community members are also invited to use the Orange Shirt Day icon as their profile photo and use the virtual backdrop on Teams or Zoom calls the week of Sept. 26.

On Oct. 3, Hart House farm will host the U of T Indigenous Community Gathering for Indigenous students, staff, faculty and librarians. The event is organized and supported by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, Hart House, the Faculty of Arts & Science, the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, Woodsworth College, U of T Mississauga Indigenous Centre and First Nations House.

Learn more about upcoming events at Indigenous U of T

'A transformative experience': Indigenous Holistic Health course provides students with new perspectives

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 13:27:59 +0000

'A transformative experience': Indigenous Holistic Health course provides students with new perspectives

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 08/08/2022 - 09:27

Cutline

Lisa Owl, a student at U of T's Woodsworth College, and Melanie Jeffrey, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies, plant crookneck squash (photo by Meagan Hamilton)

Sean McNeely

Topic

City & Culture

Centre for Indigenous Studies

Faculty of Arts & Science

Indigenous

St. Michael's College

Undergraduate Students

Woodsworth College

In the Anishinaabe tradition, the Seven Grandfather Teachings include humility, bravery, honesty, wisdom, truth, respect and love.

Melanie Jeffrey, an assistant professor in the University of Toronto's Centre for Indigenous Studies, says she hopes her students absorbed elements of the teachings during the second-year human biology course she created, designed and taught for the first time this summer.

Called Indigenous Holistic Health, the course gives students the opportunity to understand how Indigenous practices and philosophies of holistic health can inform and complement mainstream health care and healing.

“So many students have questions about Indigenous health,” says Jeffrey, who is cross-appointed to the Faculty of Arts & Science's human biology program. “They want to learn, but they don't know where to start.”

Jeffrey, who identifies as a settler of English, Irish and Scottish heritage, has a PhD in pharmacology and toxicology from U of T, and says working with Indigenous Peoples and allies has guided her teaching and research. Her research interests include land-based healing, determinants of health and bridging Indigenous knowledge systems and Western health and ecological sciences. She has also worked with Indigenous Peoples with spinal cord injuries, and has investigated the cancer burden in Indigenous communities in northern Ontario.

Her new course examines relationships between Western biomedical science and Indigenous holistic health, exploring how the two models intersect. Students looked at Western scientific themes through the lens of Indigenous science, using the four aspects of the medicine wheel: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

For Jeffrey, it was a course she always wanted to teach. She loved its small size, enabling students to engage in a dialogue about the course materials and to get to know each other. “It’s so important for students to have a chance to be in a small class early in their degree,” she says. “For many students, it’s a completely different experience than they're used to. Most of their intro courses are some of the largest at the university.”

The course relied heavily on guest speakers – faculty members, Indigenous Elders, Traditional Knowledge Keepers and others. Examples included Joe Pitawanakwat, an Anishinaabe plant medicine teacher from Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, who spoke to the class about plants as teachers and medicines.

Brenda Wastasecoot, an assistant professor at the Centre for Indigenous Studies, spoke about the importance of ceremony and culture as they relate to mental health. And Sylvia Plain, the owner and operator of the Great Lakes Canoe Journey Education Program from Aamjiwnaang First Nation, spoke about the role of traditional practices and physical activity in wellness.

Students in the Indigenous Holistic Health course plant rows of corn and crookneck squash (photo by Terrylynn Brant)

“We heard from a new guest speaker every week, exposing us to a multitude of perspectives, ideologies and issues faced by Indigenous people in health care,” says Allana Nakashook-Zettler, a third-year chemical engineering student who enrolled in the course to explore her own Inuit heritage.

“Their knowledge is invaluable – and to see the cultural competency and awareness demonstrated by the speakers, and Professor Jeffrey was amazing.”

The course’s grading system didn't include tests. “Tests are very culturally centric, and they really don't work for some people,” Jeffrey explains. “So I really focused on the assignment design. In a final assignment, I asked them to critically reflect on, ‘How has this learning affected you? What changed or surprised you about this learning journey? How will this inform your future self?’”

Much of that reflection came from a three-day field trip to a cultural teaching and learning facility run by Six Nations of the Grand River called Chiefswoods Park.

There, the students learned from Indigenous teachers about Indigenous history, plant ecology, medicinal plants and agriculture. The class also took part in traditional games including stickball, a precursor to lacrosse. According to World Lacrosse, stickball games were once major events that took place over several days, involving 100 to 100,000 players.

“It was welcome relief from some of the heavier material, and it was hilarious,” Jeffrey says about playing the sport.

Another highlight was a tour of Seedkeeper’s Garden, owned and operated by the Mohawk writer, Terrylynn Brant. She mentors on food security, growing and preserving the heritage seeds of her people and revitalizing Indigenous agricultural ways.

“As a group, we prepared the soil for seedings by outlining the rows, hoeing and laying soil,” Nakashook-Zettler says. “Then we planted corn seedlings of a type of corn she is working to revitalize, which was really impactful to me because it shows how resilient and hard at work Indigenous people are at maintaining cultural practices.”

Sruthy Balakumar, a second-year life sciences student and member of St Michael's College, says the field trip and the course will have a lasting impact.

“I will remember and use the skills I learned in this course through all aspects of my life,” says Balakumar, who is studying human biology and cell and molecular biology, working towards a specialist in global health.

Through the course, she learned to look at medical issues through an Indigenous lens, she says. “As a global health major, this course has given me a better understanding of a variety of relevant topics to my field including neuroscience, research ethics, nutrition and mental health.”

Jeffrey says teaching the course was a joy.

“To hear from Indigenous people in their own words, to take students out on the land for land-based education – we need to do more of that,” she says.

“Seeing the student engagement, I was just so happy that it worked for them. And it worked for me. It was a transformative experience for all of us and that's exactly what education should be.”

In photos: Graduating students celebrate – in-person – at U of T's spring convocation

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 20:34:43 +0000

In photos: Graduating students celebrate – in-person – at U of T's spring convocation

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 06/29/2022 - 16:34

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(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

Our Community

Convocation 2022

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Convocation Hall

Centre for Indigenous Studies

Cheryl Regehr

Faculty of Arts & Science

Undergraduate Students

Victoria College

The University of Toronto campus was the site of smiles, selfies and cheers as graduating students celebrated convocation in person for the first time since 2019.

More than 15,500 graduates crossed the stage at Convocation Hall to receive their degrees, continuing a tradition that has gone on more than a century. And a new element was introduced to the ceremonies this year: an Eagle Feather Bearer who symbolizes U of T's commitment to reconciliation.

The 32 ceremonies, held throughout the month of June, even drew camera crews to campus – not to mention leading figures such as Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri, one of several honorary degree recipients.

When U of T Scarborough students graduated on June 10, CBC was there to chronicle the moment.

“Given the state of the pandemic and the guidance that we have from public health agencies, we believe this is a safe time to do it – and we know that our students really want to get back in person,” U of T President Meric Gertler told the broadcaster earlier in the month.

Toronto Life magazine also interviewed graduates about how they felt walking across the stage at convocation. Meanwhile, U of T Mississauga's class valedictorian Aishwarya Nair, who came to U of T from India on a prestigious Lester B. Pearson Scholarship, spoke to CBC's Metro Morning about her path to graduation, as did a grad from U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering who fled the civil war in Syria.

There was even a mariachi band, which U of T Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr shared on her Instagram account.

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A post shared by Cheryl Regehr (@uoftprovost)

U of T photographers were also on hand at convocation to document graduates’ much-anticipated return to campus as they marked the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another. Here are some of their favourite shots:

(Photo by David Lee)

After more than a year of remote learning, U of T students make their way into Convocation Hall for one of 32 in-person convocation ceremonies.

(Photo by Steve Frost)

U of T alumna Lindsey Fechtig, manager of the Office of Indigenous Health in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and a member of Curve Lake First Nation near Peterborough, Ont., was the university's first-ever Eagle Feather Bearer.

“To be in this position of privilege and just having the faculty honour this, and the institution honour our ways of knowing and doing, and our culture – the significance of this is huge,” she said.

(Photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

William Robins, president of Victoria University in the University of Toronto and a professor of English and Medieval Studies, snaps a photo outside of Convocation Hall.

(Photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Jim Cuddy, a founding member of Blue Rodeo and an acclaimed solo artist and philanthropist, regaled graduates with a performance of his song, “Good News.” He was awarded a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, for his charitable work and contributions to Canadian music.

(Photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

While graduates celebrated their achievements inside Convocation Hall, the ceremonies were also livestreamed online and can be re-watched on U of T’s YouTube channel (which tens of thousands of people did).

(Photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Jenny Blackbird, a Nehiyaw and Finnish-Canadian artist and musician who is Indigenous Student Life co-ordinator at U of T, performed an honour song at the ceremony in which Métis and Blackfoot award-winning architect Douglas Cardinal received a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.

(Photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

A graduate’s loved ones show their pride inside Convocation Hall. After the ceremony, students, their families and friends streamed onto Galbraith Road to celebrate and take pictures.

(Photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

A big fan of convocation, this U of T grad found an original way to cool off at the ceremony.

(Photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Audience members captured photos and videos of graduates as they cross the stage in Convocation Hall.

(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

With degrees in hand, graduates connect with friends and family following their ceremonies.

Writer, teacher, ‘knowledge carrier’: U of T joins country in remembering Lee Maracle

geoff.vendeville — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 17:38:39 +0000

Writer, teacher, ‘knowledge carrier’: U of T joins country in remembering Lee Maracle

geoff.vendeville Sat, 12/11/2021 - 12:38

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(Photo by University of Toronto)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

Our Community

Kelly Hannah-Moffat

Centre for Indigenous Studies

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Truth and Reconciliation

Lee Maracle, the celebrated writer, is being remembered by the University of Toronto as an inspirational instructor, adviser, activist and mentor to students – and as someone whose pen helped draw attention to the need for decolonization in Canada.

A member of the Stó:lō Nation, Maracle – who died Thursday at age 71 – was one of the first Indigenous fiction authors to be published in Canada in the mid-1970s. Known for her innovative, genre-defying style of storytelling that blends autobiography, poetry and fiction, she was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2018 for launching “a dialogue that has been instrumental in promoting social justice in Canada.”

In a recent interview with CBC, Maracle reflected on her four-decade literary career and the impact of Indigenous writing on Canadian politics.

“Native writers generally have influenced Canadians to start building the bridge toward us and some of the new Canadian attitude is to make sure the street crosses both ways, instead of constantly pillaging Native lands and Native territory and not giving something back and seeing us as parasites,” she said.

At U of T, Maracle was a member of the university’s Elders Circle, a former traditional teacher-in-residence at Indigenous Student Services and a former instructor at U of T’s Centre for Indigenous Studies and Transitional Year Programme. She advised the university’s Truth and Reconciliation Steering Committee, which released its recommendations in early 2017. The same year she helped Indigenous studies students at the university organize the first pow wow at U of T in decades and was honoured with a Bonham Centre Award for her contributions to the public’s understanding of sexual diversity in Canada.

Upon learning that Maracle had fallen ill, U of T’s Indigenous community, supported by First Nations House, said it would burn a ceremonial fire in the writer’s honour from sunrise to sunset on Thursday.

The university, meanwhile, is planning to lower its flags across the three campuses to half-mast on Nov. 15.

“Lee’s words are among her greatest legacies, not only to the University of Toronto community, but also to this world,” Kelly Hannah-Moffat, U of T’s vice-president, people strategy, equity and culture, s aid in a statement Thursday. “Her words alternately prompt our conscience, open our imaginations, leave us breathless with their impact, and make us accountable to each other as human beings.

“On behalf of the University of Toronto, I extend my deepest sympathies to Lee’s family, friends, and community, and hope that all of us will continue to listen to – and act upon – the words she has left us.

U of T President Meric Gertler was quoted in the statement saying the following: “Lee Maracle was a remarkable and much-loved member of our community. Her warmth and humour were infectious. Her achievements as an author and poet were justly celebrated. Her commitment to making the University of Toronto a more inclusive and welcoming place for Indigenous students, staff, faculty and librarians was unwavering. She leaves a lasting impact for the better, and her loss will be acutely felt. Our deepest sympathies go out to her loved ones and the many friends and colleagues affected by her passing.”

Maracle was known on campus for being an approachable teacher who was keen to offer guidance.

“She was very much the grandmother, the auntie that a lot of us didn’t have access to,” said Jennifer Sylvester, a PhD student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

As an undergraduate student in Indigenous studies, Sylvester says Maracle’s classes influenced the way she understood teaching and encouraged her to pursue a career in education.

Sylvester said Maracle tended to personalize her lectures, pulling from her experiences to bring her lessons to life.

“It was a very storytelling way of teaching and that really struck with me,” Sylvester said. “She taught me how to be an effective professor or teacher – a knowledge carrier.”

Maracle was born on July 2, 1950 in Vancouver, the daughter of a Métis mother and Salish father. She was also granddaughter to Chief Dan George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, a writer, musician and actor.

Maracle’s first book, Bobbi Lee, Indian Rebel, was an autobiographical narrative exploring racism and sexism facing Indigenous women in Canada that was first published in 1975. In My Conversations with Canadians (2017), Maracle recalled how foreign the publishing world felt to her in her early years as a writer. “Book writing and publishing is definitely a Canadian cultural phenomenon,” she said. “My editor told me I would have to ‘tour the book.’ ‘And do what?’ I asked. ‘Read from it.’ ‘Do you really think that people who cannot read are going to buy a book?’ I asked. ‘No,’ he answered, chuckling, ‘they can all read.’ ‘Then they can read it their own damn selves,’ I snipped.”

After Bobbi Lee was re-released in the 1990s, Maracle said she gained an appreciation for its significance. “At the time, I didn’t know what the book had done,” she told the Globe and Mail in 1991. “Now I've met so many young people who had a tattered copy of it, and they read it and they say it inspired them. Not only to become writers, but to pursue education.”

Maracle is the author of more than a dozen books, including I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism, Ravensong and Celia’s Song, which was a finalist for the 2020 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, which is nicknamed “the American Nobel.”

Yet, despite her many accolades, Maracle told the Globe that awards weren’t high on her list of priorities. “I don’t know if I write for awards so much as for what I want changed,” she said, in 2019.

Maracle’s most recent book, Hope Matters, is a poetry collection that was released in 2019 and was written with her daughters Columpa Bobb and Tania Carter. “Hope frees, hope relieves; hope moves us,” they wrote. “Artists move people from inspiration to action and direct hope toward a new reality that can be shared by everyone.”

Fellow writers paid their respects to Maracle on social media Thursday.

Alicia Elliot tweeted that Maracle “bulldozed space for NDN women,” while Tanya Talaga noted in a tweet that Maracle “spoke pure power” at the recent Margaret Laurence Lecture, an annual event commissioned by the Writers’ Trust of Canada.

Anishinaabe writer and journalist Waubgeshig Rice described Maracle as a passionate advocate for Indigenous stories and voices. “Today there is a wave of revolutionary Indigenous literature because of the splash Lee Maracle created decades ago,” he tweeted. “I am forever thankful for her writing, guidance, and friendship.”

Similarily, Jesse Wente, an Ojibway journalist, activist and public speaker, called Maracle an inspiring leader and mentor. “She was always there for a reassuring word or wise correction and guidance,” he wrote on Twitter. “I will miss you Lee. Chi miigwetch.”

Shannon Simpson, U of T’s director of Indigenous Initiatives, said Maracle will leave a lasting legacy at U of T and across Canada.

“Lee was a legend,” Simpson said. “She inspired and supported so many in the U of T community and well beyond. My sadness runs deep but I am forever grateful for the decades we were able to work together and she will continue to inspire us to do better and continue the work that is ahead of us.”

Experts explore ‘power of place’ at Higher Education World Academic Summit co-hosted by U of T

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 18:03:03 +0000

Experts explore ‘power of place’ at Higher Education World Academic Summit co-hosted by U of T

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 09/10/2021 - 14:03

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Clockwise from top left: U of T's Meric Gertler, Susan McCahan, Susan Hill, Joseph Wong, Karen Chapple, Richard Florida, Simon Pratt, Dan Breznitz, David Estok and Geoffrey Hinton.

Topic

Artificial Intelligence

Centre for Indigenous Studies

Faculty of Arts & Science

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Rotman School of Management

Times Higher Education

How are universities shaped by their surrounding regions, and how do they contribute to the economies and societies of their host cities? How has the COVID-19 pandemic transformed our use of physical and digital spaces? How do global networks complement local success?

These were some of the questions explored at the 2021 World Academic Summit hosted by Times Higher Education in partnership with the University of Toronto. Held Sept. 1-3, the virtual summit saw university presidents, researchers, lawmakers and industry leaders from across the world participate in an array of keynotes and panel discussions under the summit’s overarching theme: “How powerful is place?”

The conference – which drew roughly 700 participants, including nearly 100 university presidents, vice-chancellors and rectors – also explored several sub-themes, including the role of post-secondary institutions in advancing reconciliation with Indigenous communities and why the humanities and social sciences are needed to guide the development of new technologies.

President Meric Gertler said U of T was honoured to host the 2021 World Academic Summit, noting that the university and its partners at Times Higher Education had planned and prepared for the event for more than two years.

“There is no other event on the annual calendar that gathers together a broader or more impressive array of academic and industry leaders from around the world to discuss shared concerns and themes that span our sector,” President Gertler said.

“After more than two years in the making, our theme for the summit has only grown in importance and timeliness – ‘How powerful is place?’ The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged many of our long-held beliefs about the nature of place and the importance of physical proximity. It has also highlighted some difficult questions for higher education.”

The conference also featured release of the prestigious Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022, which saw U of T ranked first in Canada and 18th in the world for the third straight year. Among North American public universities, U of T was the second highest-ranked school.

In remarks to kick off the summit, Toronto Mayor John Tory said the city and its institutions of higher education have long enjoyed a “strong and collaborative” relationship.

“A strong university – or better yet, a strong university system – helps build a strong urban region and vice-versa, and a strong country for that matter as well,” Tory said. “These excellent institutions, plus an inclusive and enviable quality of life, see our city ranked among the most liveable in the world.

“Make no mistake, the universities and the education system – its accessibility, its excellence – contribute to that.”

Tory added that the pandemic had produced powerful innovation and dialogue, and that he’s “delighted that Toronto and the University of Toronto are hosting the World Academic Summit to explore some very important questions and topics.”

Addressing inequality and geographic division

President Meric Gertler said improving access to education is key to tackling challenges such as poverty, exclusion and disenfranchisement, which have been magnified by COVID-19.

The summit’s first panel discussion saw President Gertler join counterparts from Johns Hopkins University, the University of Oxford and the University of Cape Town to discuss how world-leading universities can address inequalities and ensure they don’t contribute to the perpetuation of social divisions.

President Gertler said that improving access to education is crucial to tackle challenges such as poverty, exclusion and disenfranchisement, which he noted have only been magnified by the pandemic.

“Higher education is a vitally important driver of social mobility and prosperity. It’s one of the primary mechanisms by which those who come from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds become full participants in our society,” he said, calling education “the great leveller.”

A professor of urban geography whose research explores city-regions as sites of global innovation, President Gertler challenged the notion that universities’ global aspirations are in constant tension with their local responsibilities.

“I would argue that our international impact depends directly on the liveability and quality of life in our host cities, and also that our international impact can be advanced in really important ways by serving our local communities,” he said.

“The more that universities do to improve social inclusion and quality of life – broadly defined for their local community – the more they’re actually doing to enhance their own success in attracting and retaining the talent that drives that global impact, standing and acclaim.”

That includes working to boost access to education, which is crucial to tackling the rise of anti-science and anti-truth sentiments, President Gertler said.

“In those communities where participation in higher education … is lowest, that’s where we see the highest rates of vaccine hesitancy, anti-vaccine sentiment and suspicion about science.”

Innovation, equity and attracting the best in the world

Dan Breznitz, chair of innovation studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, said universities have a key role to play when it comes to fostering an innovative mindset among students.

Issues of equity were also addressed in the conference’s opening keynote, in the context of the innovation economy.

University Professor Dan Breznitz, chair of innovation studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, discussed innovation policy and how it can be used to create a more equitable and sustainable economy.

He said the oft-admired Silicon Valley model of innovation – one driven by venture capital and tech startups – is difficult to replicate and creates high levels of income inequality. A better approach for most jurisdictions, he said, is to find and fill a niche stage of innovation that promises to bring wider economic benefits to the surrounding region.

Universities, meanwhile, should remain focused on teaching and research – but take note of what’s happening in their city and region, Breznitz said. That allows them to engage locally by reminding government policy-makers about the value of different innovation models.

Also key, according to Breznitz: Teach students to have an innovative mindset so they have the tools to create strong businesses and local jobs.

Richard Florida, University Professor at U of T’s Rotman School of Management, said “it’s hard to imagine your region being a centre for science, technology and innovation” without a great university.

The role of universities in creating dynamic regions was also discussed by a panel that looked at how post-secondary institutions can attract and retain talent.

Panel member Richard Florida, University Professor at U of T’s Rotman School of Management, said that leading, research-intensive universities are necessary to attract the brightest minds from around the globe.

“Universities are catalytic hubs of the knowledge economy,” said Florida, who has been studying the question for nearly four decades, making it a central theme of his influential book Rise of the Creative Class.

“Without a great university – or great universities – it’s hard to imagine your region being a centre for science, technology and innovation.”

Another benefit: Universities tend to create an environment of open-mindedness and tolerance, which is also a big draw for talent globally.

Florida, who was joined by panelist Stephen Cairns, co-director of the Future Cities Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, noted the concentration of great universities, innovation and start-ups is incredibly uneven.

For example, he said six metropolitan areas around the world account for 50 per cent of all venture capital startups. Therefore, any discussion of addressing economic inequality or class-based inequality needs to consider such geographic inequalities, he said.

Universities in the community

Clockwise from top left: Karen Chapple, Rufus Black, Denise Pires de Carvalho, Subhasis Chaudhari and Dame Nancy Rothwell participate in a panel discussion that brought together university leaders from the Global North and South.

The summit’s third panel, moderated by Karen Chapple, director of U of T’s School of Cities, presented education leaders from the Global North and South the question: What kind of universities do we need?

The panel included Dame Nancy Rothwell, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester; Subhasis Chaudhari, director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay; Denise Pires de Carvalho, rector, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; and Rufus Black, president and vice-chancellor, University of Tasmania in Australia.

Reflecting on lessons learned since the start of the pandemic, the four experts discussed change management, learning about students – particularly those who are digitally excluded – and, most recently, working with communities on vaccination efforts.

“There’s this recognition that we’re all in this together,” Chapple said during the event. “We’re all excited to see how we leverage that new creative action to lift up people not just in the university but the communities that around us.”

The sentiment was echoed by Pires de Carvalho: “The society nowadays knows the importance of our institutions for the country – [and] not only because we are well known by our ability to [develop] doctors, engineers or lawyers.”

Rothwell, similarly, said she hopes to see universities and their communities come together around important issues such as climate change – just as they did in combatting COVID-19.

“If we can deploy the same spirt of collaboration and bringing together experts from different fields that we did over vaccination – if we can deploy that sort of approach to net zero and climate change – I think we’ve got a real chance of tackling what is an even bigger issue than COVID,” Rothwell said.

The legacy of place

Associate Professor Susan Hill, director of U of T’s Centre for Indigenous Studies, said reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples is a process, not a destination, and that universities have a key role to play.

Yet, even as universities seek to forge a better future, critical questions remain about how they can help society make amends for the past – particularly the legacy of colonialism, slavery and mistreatment of Indigenous Peoples.

These and other questions were addressed in a pair of panel discussions.

The first, titled “What universities owe the descendants of slavery,” explored the ways in which Western universities benefited from slavery and helped to legitimize the practice, according to an article in Times Higher Education.

“It was the university sector more than any other that strengthened the ideological and public base of slavery,” Sir Hilary Beckles, vice-chancellor of the University of the West Indies, was quoted by Times Higher Education as saying during the discussion.

While universities have taken steps to acknowledge their ties to slavery, Beckles – who was jointed on the panel by Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow and Daina Ramey Berry, professor and chair of the history department at the University of Texas at Austin – said they also need to be ethical leaders on the matter and listen to outside voices “on their true level of accountability.”

A second discussion – a keynote titled “The legacy of place: How to take transformative action” –focused on Indigenous Peoples and featured Associate Professor Susan Hill, director of U of T’s Centre for Indigenous Studies, and Professor Shaun Ewen, pro vice-chancellor (Indigenous), at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Hill said it’s crucial to view reconciliation as a process rather than an end.

“I think reconciliation has been framed in the Canadian context as a starting place for conversation,” she said. “Far too often, people assume that it’s a destination. But, in reality, I think we’re always going to be in some aspect of movement within that – and I think that’s fine. It’s about relationship.”

Asked how universities should respond to the discovery of unmarked graves on the grounds of former residential schools in Canada, Hill said universities have a responsibility to help ensure such atrocities never take place again by making sure all community members are educated about the past.

“This isn’t actually news to people who have been listening … it’s unfortunate that it took this information about unmarked graves to get people’s attention, but I’m glad that so many people are now listening,” she said. “It’s really on the shoulders of universities to make sure their students, faculty and staff are not unaware – so, thinking about how we have a campaign of information mobilization that also helps to empower people … and also equipping people with the tools so that they can do something about it.”

Ewen, meanwhile, noted similarities between best practices to advance reconciliation in Canada and Australia, as evidenced by the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and Australia’s 1997 Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families (also known as the “Bringing Them Home” report). But he also warned each countries’ unique context will determine how reconciliation unfolds.

“I don’t think Australia is the same as Canada, and I don’t think the University of Melbourne is the same as the University of Toronto,” he said. “We have our similarities, of course, but our understanding of our histories and our responses will be locally informed and nuanced in a place-based way.”

While both panelists agreed that universities have a long way to go to advance reconciliation, they identified areas where universities have made progress.

“What I’m really excited to see is that more institutions are starting to listen to the Indigenous communities that they’re trying to partner with,” Hill said. “They’re taking more of a sitting-back approach and giving space for Indigenous communities to lead relationships and partners.

“In many cases, the communities know what needs to be done, they just don’t always have the resources to make it happen. That’s where universities have something to offer.”

Why technology needs the humanities (and universities)

Deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton said the humanities and social sciences are needed to guide technological developments – which is why universities are essential to the development of artificial intelligence.

The summit’s first day ended with a one-on-one interview with U of T Distinguished Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton, an AI luminary and pioneer of deep learning.

Hinton, who works at Google, revisited a career trajectory that took him from the United Kingdom to the United States – and, ultimately, Canada and Toronto. He discussed how each of those places influenced the field of AI, noting Toronto is now a leader in the field of deep learning – a technology that many believe is poised to revolutionize everything from medicine to transportation. He also hailed the creation of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, a partnership between U of T, government and industry where he is chief scientific adviser.

Hinton also highlighted the importance of the social sciences and humanities in ensuring that technologies such as AI are harnessed in ethical and socially conscious ways – a focus of the recently created Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, which will be located at U of T’s new Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus.

“Technology allows us to create lots of goodies, but how those goodies get distributed and used depends on things that aren’t technology – it depends on social decisions about how we should divide things up, and those are really important,” Hinton said.

Universities, he added, “are going to be essential for ethical research on AI.”

Remote learning and teaching

Universities must be “technologically excellent,” but make sure to use that technology in a way that supports an in-person experience for students, said Professor Susan McCahan, U of T’s vice-provost, innovations in undergraduate education.

The pandemic has underscored, many times over, the importance of technology in the education sector – and several of Thursday’s sessions explored how COVID-19 restrictions have affected teaching, learning, research and collaboration.

One of the panels saw the Times Higher Education consultancy team present insights from the THE Student Pulse, which surveyed more than 2,000 students around the world about their views on online and in-person learning experiences. The results were consistent with what U of T learned from its students since March 2020, according to Professor Susan McCahan, U of T’s vice-provost, innovations in undergraduate education.

“As we went through the pandemic, we observed that students were very hungry for in-person experiences and particularly for opportunities to connect with peers,” said McCahan, who was joined by Christine Ofulue, associate professor of linguistics at the National Open University of Nigeria, Jose Escamilla, director of educational innovation at Tecnológico de Monterrey, and Betty Vandenbosch, chief content officer at Coursera.

“Building that social interaction into online classes became critical.”

McCahan added the findings support the idea that students are looking for a university that is not only technologically excellent, but uses educational technology in a way that supports in-person learning effectively.

“They’re looking for that high-tech part of education technology – but only as a piece of supporting the in-person experience, particularly the connection between students and other people, their peers, their mentors, professors, our staff and the place that they are located in,” McCahan said.

Collaboration and Communication during COVID-19

Clockwise from top left: Joseph Wong, Philip Cotton, Gül İnanç, Tassew Woldehanna and Annalise Riles participate in a panel on global collaboration.

Yet another panel saw Joseph Wong, U of T’s vice-president, international, moderate a discussion about global academic, educational and research collaboration during the pandemic.

He emphasized that COVID-19 occurred at a time when deep structural inequalities of society are being brought to the surface in very public ways. This means universities must do more to create opportunities for greater inclusion when it comes to collaboration, he said.

Annelise Riles, associate provost for global affairs at Northwestern University, expressed optimism about how the current climate might allow voices that were traditionally marginalized to finally be heard.

“The world is on the verge of a global reset and the traditional paradigms that we take for granted no longer hold,” Riles said. “The opportunity here is to create a new conversation globally.”

Tassew Woldehanna, president of Addis Ababa University, said it’s been challenging for African universities to maintain collaborations with universities in the West. He said the number of student exchanges, which African universities value particularly highly, have dropped significantly. Yet, despite the challenges, Woldehanna said his university was able to forge new connections with fellow African universities, as well as some universities globally, to work on COVID-related projects such as developing sanitizers, medicines and ventilators.

U of T created a program in 2003 that now sends dozens of its teaching staff every year to provide medical and academic training at Addis Ababa University – an initiative that has helped produce more than 250 medical professionals in Ethiopia, who, in turn, have helped staff local universities, according to a recent article in Times Higher Education magazine.

Wong emphasized the important contributions Western institutions can make overseas during the panel discussion. “That means building partnerships with diverse institutions, with institutions that don’t look like ours, that bring to the table different kinds of resources,” Times Higher Education quoted him as saying.

The pandemic has also had a significant impact on the ways in which universities communicate with their students, faculty, staff and external audiences such as government and the news media.

The pandemic revealed gaps in university communications, but also led to important innovations, said David Estok, U of T’s vice-president, communications.

David Estok, U of T’s vice-president, communications, outlined some of the ways in which the pandemic affected U of T’s approach to communication in a panel discussion with Johanna Lowe, director of marketing and communications at the University of Sydney, and Jane Chafer, director of marketing, recruitment, communications and global at the University of Exeter.

Estok reflected on how U of T communicators responded to an unprecedented scenario in which 6,000 courses were moved online over the course of a weekend as the university and wider society scrambled to adapt to the onset of the pandemic.

“Hundreds of decisions needed to be made in the ever-changing context of public health regulations, and needed to be communicated simply, accurately and quickly,” Estok said.

He added that U of T communicators did a remarkable job, under challenging circumstances, to respond to what he dubbed the “COVID curveball.”

“Just when you think you’re going down a certain path and you’ve done all this work, planning and communications, there’s a new announcement or new development,” he said. “One of the lessons is the importance of flexibility – the ability to say, ‘Here’s another day, here’s another challenge,’ and respond as quickly as you can.”

In the case of U of T, Estok said its COVID-19 communications underscored three broad themes: how U of T scientists and scholars were contributing to pandemic research; how U of T was mobilizing university resources to help the community and the country fight COVID-19; and the resilience and caring shown by the university community amid the crisis.

He said COVID-19 also revealed gaps in university communications, especially in the area of internal communications because most resources are externally focused. He added that the pandemic also accelerated innovation in U of T’s university communications, including the creation of highly successful podcasts and increased use of videos to highlight the knowledge of university researchers and experts.

‘The epitome of power of place’

Simon Pratt, director of research strategy and excellence at U of T, answered questions about the progress of universities’ impact in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The third and final day of the summit featured a Festival of Data, which comprised an array of discussions that explored opportunities to use data and analytics in higher education. Among the programs was a session that saw members of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings Advisory Board – including Simon Pratt, director of research strategy and excellence at U of T – field questions from attendees about the progress of universities’ impact in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

In his closing remarks to end the summit, Phil Baty, chief knowledge officer at Times Higher Education, cited data from conference partner Elsevier that showed the extent to which U of T drives research, innovation and reputation for the city of Toronto, calling it “the epitome of power of place.”

Baty also referenced a remark from School of Cities Director Chapple’s panel – “We deal in transformation, and we deal in kindness” – and said it exemplified what contemporary universities should strive to be.

“So much of the conversations have been around how we need to re-engage with disenfranchised communities, how we need to connect with people who have been victims of widening inequality [and] how we need to look at really powerful reconciliation with Indigenous people,” Baty said.

“Universities are kind in so many ways – in terms of making the world a better place, in terms of transforming people’s life chances, and in terms of empowering their communities and cities. And I think that’s a really exciting and special raison d’être for universities worldwide.”

President Gertler closed out the conference by hailing “a truly wonderful couple of days of insight and conversation” that covered themes from innovation, creativity and collaboration to reconciliation and sustainability.

He said the diversity of perspectives represented in the various panels was a key element in the summit’s success.

“Only by creating the biggest tent, learning from the broadest range of perspectives, can we hope to meet the challenges facing us all.”

‘How powerful is place?’ U of T hosts major global academic summit with Times Higher Education

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 19:47:54 +0000

‘How powerful is place?’ U of T hosts major global academic summit with Times Higher Education

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 09/02/2021 - 15:47

Cutline

(Photo by University of Toronto)

Yanan Wang

Topic

Global Lens

Johns Hopkins University

University of Melbourne

Diversity and Inclusion

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

School of Cities

Alumni

Centre for Indigenous Studies

Faculty of Arts & Science

Rotman School of Management

Times Higher Education

University of Oxford

The University of Toronto has brought together university leaders from around the globe for the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit 2021 – a digital-first event that explores the idea of “place” during the pandemic and beyond.

“The pandemic has brought many changes to our daily lives and the way we interact with one another,” said U of T President Meric Gertler in a pre-conference interview.

“That raises some interesting questions for our sector: Is the residential model of university education still the dominant model after all this? How will international education and experience be transformed as a result of the pandemic? What does the future of global research collaboration look like?

“U of T is ideally positioned to host these conversations.”

The three-day global conference, co-hosted by Times Higher Education and U of T, kicked off yesterday and features leading higher education administrators, prominent researchers and political and business leaders. Together, they are examining four important topics under the overarching theme of: “How Powerful is Place?”

President Meric Gertler

Some sessions considered universities’ “contributions to place” by taking a look at their impact on the regions where they are located, including their role as economic and civic anchors that foster resilience, reinvention and innovation. Others focused on “place’s impact on universities,” discussing the importance of local politics and policies – and the critical role location plays in attracting and retaining students, staff and faculty.

Still others explored “how global collaboration can complement local success,” and whether a university’s location affects its international partnerships and networks.

Sessions that looked at a fourth theme – “Has the digital classroom replaced the campus?” – involved discussions around the use of virtual learning and other technologies to adapt programming during COVID-19, and how universities can use these technologies to complement traditional in-person learning post-pandemic.

The conference was several years in the making. Originally scheduled to be hosted by U of T in 2020, the summit was postponed due to the global pandemic and its original theme of “The Power of Place” was reimagined to reflect new challenges.

Featuring a combination of keynote speeches, participatory debates, case studies and panel discussions, the conference also marks the exclusive live reveal of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022, followed by a data masterclass.

Times Higher Education’s university rankings are among the most closely watched in the world.

President Gertler joined leaders from Johns Hopkins University, the University of Cape Town and the University of Oxford for an opening panel discussion focused on the relationship between universities and geographic divisions.

“This theme is of direct relevance to U of T, where we have arguably one of the most diverse student bodies in the world,” President Gertler said prior to the event, adding that a commitment to inclusive excellence is core to the university’s mission.

Another key focus was Indigeneity and place, which explored the historical and contemporary relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the places where universities are situated. In a keynote event, Associate Professor Susan Hill, director of U of T’s Centre for Indigenous Studies, and Shaun Ewen, pro vice-chancellor (Indigenous) at the University of Melbourne explored “The legacy of place: How to take transformative action.”

Other timely discussions at the summit focused on the following areas: innovation and equity; opportunities for global collaboration; how the pandemic has changed the way universities communicate; what universities owe the descendants of slavery; how to attract and retain talent; and remote learning through the eyes of students.

In an address to summit attendees, Toronto Mayor John Tory, a U of T alumnus, emphasized the importance of the two-way relationship between universities and the urban regions that support them.

“Our educational institutions have allowed us to lead on a variety of fronts, including health care, medicine, machine learning, law, finance, film, pharmaceuticals, technology – the list goes on and on,” he said, noting that universities are a key economic driver for the Toronto region.

Similarly, Cheryl Regehr, U of T’s vice-president and provost, highlighted the advantages enjoyed by U of T because of its location.

“Our three campuses benefit immeasurably because they are located in one of the world’s most dynamic – and most diverse – urban areas,” said Regehr, who previously discussed the power of place with university leaders in Davos during the World Economic Forum.

“That helps us attract the best minds and, in turn, imparts a global outlook to our research and scholarship that elevates both the university and the city in which it resides.”

U of T experts participating in the three-day event include:

· Dan Breznitz, University Professor, Munk chair of innovation studies and co-director of the Innovation Policy Lab

· Karen Chapple, professor in the department of geography and planning and director of U of T’s School of Cities

· Richard Florida, University Professor at the Rotman School of Management

· Susan Hill, associate professor of Indigenous studies and history and director of the Centre for Indigenous Studies

· Geoffrey Hinton, distinguished professor emeritus and deep learning pioneer

· David Estok, vice-president communications

· Susan McCahan, vice-provost of academic programs and vice-provost of innovations in undergraduate education

· Joseph Wong, vice-president, international

· Simon Pratt, director, research strategy and excellence

Several talks sought to examine the role of physical space in an increasingly digitized world.

Vijayakumar Bhagavatula, director of Carnegie Mellon University Africa, is scheduled to discuss the function of global branch campuses on Thursday. Also on Thursday, Krishna Rajagopal, acting vice-president of open learning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will discuss how digital delivery can enhance learning on campus.

In the case of U of T, President Gertler said he expects the university’s three campuses to retain their strong ties to the Greater Toronto Area amid advances in remote learning and digital communications.

“There’s no question that we have viewed our locations as one of our most important assets,” he said. “I think that’s going to continue to be true. But this summit asks: In what ways will that relationship change over time?”

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Addressing inequality and geographic division

Innovation, equity and attracting the best in the world

Universities in the community

The legacy of place

Why technology needs the humanities (and universities)

Remote learning and teaching

Collaboration and Communication during COVID-19

‘The epitome of power of place’

​‘How powerful is place?’ U of T hosts major global academic summit with Times Higher Education

‘How powerful is place?’ U of T hosts major global academic summit with Times Higher Education