Indigenous Community Support Statement

Indigenous Community Support Statement

Dear M&I Members and our UBC Community,


We are appalled and saddened by the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children at an Indian Residential School on Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc Territory (Kamloops) - children that deserved a very different life.


We are reminded that these past horrific acts have long lasting effects that will take much more than a statement to heal and do right by the people and communities they have affected.


The EDI committee strives in our hearts for everyone in our Department to feel safe, welcome, supported, and heard.


As we reckon with the past of our province, we want to focus on what we can learn from our history to ensure our present reflects our values. We think hard about who we want to be as a Department, and the legacy we want to leave behind. Part of this process is transforming the Department's academic experience such that power relations are equalized for everyone, something that we are working towards across multiple efforts.


We send our thoughts to the people that have been affected by these tragic findings and welcome anyone reaching out to us with ideas on how we can improve our support in M&I.
 

Sincerely,

M&I EDI Committee

 

For UBC’s full statement on the missing children of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, visit https://president.ubc.ca/blog/2021/05/31/statement-to-the-community/ 

 

Indigenous Resources

  • UBC Vancouver Indigenous Portal - Your pathway to learning about UBC’s commitment to Indigenous engagement at its Vancouver campus and an information resource for Indigenous students, faculty and the wider community.
     
  • Indigenous Strategic Plan - UBC has begun to implement its Indigenous Strategic Plan (2020), taking a leading role in the advancement of Indigenous peoples’ human rights.
     
  • First Nations and Indigenous Study Guides - UBC Library tools to help get you started and learn more about the languages, histories, geographies, and contemporary experiences of Indigenous peoples.
     
  • How do I get started? Creating safer learning environments for Indigenous students in STEM at UBC
     
  • Talking about Indigenous Issues in the classroom - What I Learned in Class Today: Aboriginal Issues in the Classroom is a research project that explores difficult discussions of Aboriginal issues that take place in classrooms at the University of British Columbia.
     
  • CTLT Indigenous Initiatives Newsletter - This newsletter is sent out monthly with topics of interest that include past and future events, links to stories published on their site, and media/articles that caught the CTLT team’s attention during that month. This one page newsletter brief serves to help others learn more about CTLT's news, events, and resources related to Indigenous engagement across UBC campus.
     
  • CTLT Indigenous Initiatives Virtual Coffee Drop-ins - Do you have questions about how to thoughtfully integrate Indigenous content and representation into your course work? Curious about how to offer meaningful land acknowledgements in online meetings or events at UBC? Indigenous Initiatives’ Virtual Coffee Drop-ins are great place to explore these topics, connect with others on the same learning path, or just get to know our team.