Integrating Indigenous Perspectives into the UC Curricula
Our Goal: Integrating Indigenous Perspectives into the UC Curricula
To incorporate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives across all academic units at UC.
Original Recommendations:
Review UC program curriculum and learning materials concerning Indigenous peoples to ensure they reflect best practices and contemporary scholarship and provide opportunities for students to experience land-based pedagogies with Indigenous experts
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Actions completed
In October 2024, all UC academic program directors, along with about twenty program faculty and instructors, participated in a workshop on Indigenizing the Curriculum with Andrew Bomberry, Special Projects Officer (Curriculum and Education), Office of Indigenous Initiatives. The workshop addressed how to rethink and redesign courses so that Indigenous content, voices and perspectives are foregrounded.
Canadian Studies
Canadian Studies has consulted with Brenda Wastasecoot, a member of the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Decanal Advisory Committee on Indigenous Teaching and Learning, to review curriculum and learning materials in its program.
In fall 2024, and as part of curriculum renewal and the U of T Quality Assurance Process, Canadian Studies undertook a curriculum review to determine what Indigenous content, voices and perspectives are included in program courses. A new course, CDN265H: Race and Racialization in Canada, foregrounds Indigenous issues and perspectives alongside other forms of racism in Canada.
A new course, CDN385H: Re-Imagining Canada: Creative Visions of Our Past, Present, and Futures, centers Indigenous cultural representations (e.g., fiction, films, visual and performance art) in its consideration of more equitable futures.
Health Studies / Public Health
In 2023, Health Studies / Public Health completed a comprehensive Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) evaluation of its courses and curriculum to ensure program-wide use of a health-equity lens in the design and delivery of courses and content, which includes attending to Indigenous perspectives.
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Ongoing actions
All of UC’s academic programs will continue to review curriculum and learning materials to ensure that course content concerning Indigenous peoples reflects best practices and contemporary scholarship.
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Next steps
Develop best practice guides in partnership with Indigenous communities for Canadian Studies, Cognitive Sciences, and Health Studies / Public Health to implement curricular changes.
All UC programs will continue to look for opportunities for students to experience land-based pedagogies with Indigenous knowledge experts.
Offer administrative, advancement and logistical support to Health Studies / Public Health courses that focus on Indigenous health
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Ongoing actions
Students in the Health Studies / Public Health Program are encouraged to consider taking INS200H: Introduction to Indigenous Truth and Resilience; INS205H: Indigenous Worldviews, Spiritual and Healing Traditions; INS340Y: Indigenous Health Science; and INS350H: Indigenous Health Systems to meet their program requirements.
Where possible, Health Studies / Public Health creates opportunities for students to be placed with Indigenous organizations for the capstone practicum. This has included Communities, Alliances, and Networks (formerly the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network).
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Next steps
Health Studies / Public Health continues to look for opportunities that will enable it to offer an HST course on Indigenous health on a regular basis.
Support partnerships between Indigenous Studies and Canadian Studies in a nation-to-nation model of relationship, including a required course in Indigenous Studies for Canadian Studies students
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Action completed
Verbal agreement has been reached with the Centre for Indigenous Studies for Canadian Studies majors and specialists to take a course in Indigenous Studies as part of their mandatory requirements.
Canadian Studies was able to hire an Indigenous instructor in the 2024-25 academic year for CDN198H: Canada, Colonialism and Settler Relations.
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Ongoing actions
Canadian Studies is including Indigenous speakers in its courses and extra-curricular offerings wherever possible, such as events associated with the Barker Fairley Distinguished Visitors Carrianne Leung and Ange Loft, an interdisciplinary performing artist from Kahnawà:ke Kanien'kehá:ka Territory.
Attend to diverse modes of cognition in the Cognitive Science program such as Indigenous language systems and culturally-specific regimes of knowledge
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Ongoing actions
COG260H: Data, Computation, and the Mind continues to include course content on the specificity of numeral systems in Indigenous cultures in Amazonian regions.
The program is still reviewing other ways to address the aims and objectives of the 2019 “UC Response to the TRC” report.
Continue to include Indigenous speakers in plenary meetings and other instruction of UC One courses, and include Indigenous perspectives in course readings
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Action completed
UC One was able to hire an Indigenous instructor for UNI101H: Citizenship in the Canadian City in the 2024-25 academic year.
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Ongoing actions
UC One continues to host Indigenous guest speakers. These include Maggie Wente, a partner at the OKT law firm, and a member of Serpent River First Nation, with both Anishinaabe and settler lineage; Ange Loft, the Barker Fairley Distinguished Visitor 2024-2025, an interdisciplinary performing artist from Kahnawà:ke Kanien'kehá:ka Territory; and Donna-Michelle St Bernard, also a Barker Fairley Distinguished Visitor, originally from the Grenadines, who makes Indigenous allyship central to her work, including as previous manager of Native Earth Performing Arts.
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Next steps
UC One will look to incorporate Indigenous land-based learning in the course alongside hosting Indigenous guest speakers.