Western’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives is sharing creative approaches to help the campus community learn, connect and work toward Reconciliation on National Indigenous Peoples Day – and beyond.
There are local events, a city-wide scavenger hunt and a 30-day challenge with videos, reading material, comedy sketches and prompts to dive deeper into Indigenous topics and history. Across campus, there are dozens of opportunities to learn and reflect all month long – in addition to National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, it is also Indigenous History Month – and keep up the momentum throughout the year.
“Everything we consider quintessentially Canadian – maple syrup, hockey, peace, friendship, multiculturalism, even the name Canada – has Indigenous roots. People take pride in how beautiful Canada is – that’s Indigenous land,” said Sara Mai Chitty, curriculum and pedagogy advisor in the Office of Indigenous Initiatives.
Sara Mai Chitty
“Before settlers arrived, what is now known as Canada was home to many cultures, but people are not aware ‘Indigenous People’ aren’t one monolithic culture, we’re as diverse as the lands we come from. So having a whole month to highlight Indigenous people’s diverse cultures, stories and contemporary and historical understandings, is just a great opportunity to create fun and excitement around learning,” she added.
The Biindigen 30 Day Challenge, which started in 2021, is a perfect example.
It offers a curated list of actions, one per day throughtout June, to engage with Indigenous themes and stories and create a learning community of faculty, staff and students. The challenge aims to encourage conversations about individual and collective responsibilities toward the transformative potential of Reconciliation, decolonization and Indigenization. OII hopes to inspire participants to continue seeking learning opportunities and to apply these practices in their daily lives beyond the end of the month.
Jump in to learn, share
“We’d just love to see people using the resources, sharing what they’re learning, amplifying, profiling and highlighting our work and participating. Showing up is the hardest part sometimes,” Chitty said.
“We often hear people say ‘I don’t know where to start’ or ‘I don’t know enough’ or ‘I don’t know what I am supposed to do,’ when it comes to engaging in Reconciliation, decolonization or Indigenization. The 30-day challenge is a good place to start.”
Western departments and offices can use the Biindigen 30-day challenge as a learning tool to explore and connect to their work, Chitty said.
There are additional resources – from free online modules to strategic plans to step-by-step actions toward Truth and Reconciliation at Western – readily available to drive meaningful engagement.
Chitty also created a map of significant Indigenous places and spaces around London, Ont., including artwork across the city.
“I encourage people to get out and look at the city through a different lens: who do we see represented? Why? Who is missing? What stories aren’t being told? Who lives here, and do they see themselves in the city’s landscape?”
One highlighted location is the ArtLAB at Western’s John Labatt Visual Arts Centre, where Indigenous artist-in-residence Leith Mahkewa developed a culminating exhibit featuring kahlu (cradleboard in Oneida), a baby carrier used in many Indigenous Nations, adorned with beadwork.
Indigenous artist-in-residence Leith Mahkewa showcased her intricate beadwork on cradleboards, a baby carrier used by many Indigenous Nations, in her culminating exhibit at ArtLAB. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
Mahkewa, who is from Oneida Nation of the Thames and has Chippewa, Hopi and Tewa family lineage, spent months creating the intricate designs during her residency at Western. But the idea originated more than a decade ago, inspired by Mahkewa’s own use of the cradleboard with her children.
Chitty calls the map a work in progress, noting plans to add more locations showcasing Indigenous artwork and points of interest.
It’s all part of ongoing work to encourage campus community members to take on learning and unlearning.
“Our team is very small, so the more learning people can do independently, to help them understand and consider where they can make some headway towards the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action or Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S+) Calls for Justice, helps us work towards epistemic justice in the academy,” Chitty said, referring to the concept of all knowledges being equally valued and respected.
Join community event in Wortley Village
The Office of Indigenous Initiatives is joining community partners in London, Ont. for an annual event on June 21 in Wortley Village. Indigenous Solidarity Day will feature a sunrise ceremony, singing, dancing, community services and more.
Chitty describes Indigenous Peoples Day as a time to celebrate and recommit to action.
“I encourage people to visit with us at our community event, eat, play, dance, just soak in the good solstice energy, but also continue year-round to learn and unlearn, and interrogate the systems and structures that make days like National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and the National Day of Action for MMIWG2S+ necessary,” Chitty said.
“Indigenous History Month is a great launching point for revisiting our shared histories. Not just the atrocities, but the many ways Indigenous people have, and continue to, bring innovation, creativity, food and culture to contemporary Canadian culture.”
