For 60 years, Indigenous knowledge and perspectives have been integrated into Trent’s academic, extracurricular and cultural programming. As the first university in Canada to establish a School of Indigenous Studies, and the third Canadian university to introduce an Indigenous course requirement, we are proud to uphold these teachings as a core piece of Trent’s identity.  

During Indigenous History Month (and throughout the year), we recognize that creating space for these perspectives is vital. Read on for a few of the Trent news stories, influential Indigenous events and initiatives that Trent’s community of faculty, staff and students have created and contributed to. 

Community Involvement

As a centre for learning, Trent University has a responsibility to its wider community in spreading awareness and understanding of Indigenous issues. Discover a few examples of Trent making a difference in the community: 

• Trent hosted an international mentoring workshop titled Gikendaaso Oshki Kwewag - The Young Women Carry Knowledge aimed at inspiring and empowering Indigenous girls in high school to pursue education and careers in STEM fields.  
• Trent Durham course instructor Landy Anderson published The Foster Parent Survival Guide: How to Care for a Traumatized Child, a book focused on the effect of Canada’s foster care system on Indigenous child trauma survivors and one that advocates for a transformative approach fostering healing, and rejecting complacency.  
• Students participated in a land-based learning camp in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island last fall. They experienced, many for the first time, traditional Indigenous practices – including lessons in tipi construction and star knowledge – taught by community Elders and Knowledge Keepers. 
• Since 2021, the Trent School of Education (TSE) has partnered with Teach for Canada-Gakinaamaage to support candidates who wish to teach in the far North, creating pathways for enriching experiences and meaningful learning opportunities for teacher candidates. 

Indigenizing Education

A global pioneer in Indigenous Studies, Trent continues to make strides in Indigenizing post-secondary education: 

• Trent’s Durham campus inaugurated the 2023/24 academic year with a communal tipi-raising ceremony. Students and staff were taught lessons in properly selecting materials, and then participated in the construction of the ceremonial shelter, followed by a Pipe Ceremony by Lorenzo Whetung, cultural advisor for the First Peoples House of Learning. 
• A new diploma in Indigenous Environmental Studies & Sciences, developed jointly by Trent University and Yellowknives Dene First Nation, recently opened for Dene students in the Northwest Territories. The innovative new program blends Western sciences with Dene Indigenous Knowledge while offering experimental learning opportunities grounded in Dene culture. 
• Professor David Newhouse, director of the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, spearheaded a workshop series titled Starting the Journey aimed at highlighting the exemplary work of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars in curricular Indigenization. Over 130 Trent faculty members from various disciplines have participated in the initiative. 
• The First Peoples House of Learning launched an innovative experiential recruiting effort to create a welcoming space for students and community members where Indigenous peoples can see themselves reflected and respected on the Trent campus. As part of the effort, students and faculty alike can participate in weekly powwow dancing classes, taught by Kelli Marshall.  
• Trent’s newest college will be named Gidigaa Migizi after the late Doug Williams-ban ’69, a beloved professor, elder, and Peterborough community leader. Gidigaa Migizi was one of the first graduates of Trent University’s Native Studies (now Indigenous Studies) program and remained deeply involved with the University throughout his lifetime. A deeply symbolic crest for the new college, designed by First Nations artist Jared Tait, was also recently unveiled at the 48th annual Elders and Traditional Peoples Gathering. 

Guest Speakers, Educators, Artists

Trent proudly hosts a variety of Indigenous guest educators, artists, and activists, creating a platform to share their perspectives and ideas with the world. Here are a few of the esteemed guests we’ve been privileged to hear from: 

• Duncan McCue, an Anishnaabe educator and journalist for the CBC delivered a lecture about Kuper Island Indian Residential School as part of Trent’s 2023 Community Speaker Series. In Beyond Land Acknowledgements: A Journalist’s Reflections on Truth and Reconciliation, McCue discussed the legacy of abuse at the residential school, encouraging audience members to go beyond land acknowledgements by learning more about Indigenous history and culture.   
• Residential school survivor and Member of the Order of Canada Chief Edmund Metatawabin ’70 (Julian Blackburn College) shared his story for the 2023 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Chief Metatawabin was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2018 in recognition of his advocacy work on behalf of residential school survivors, and continues to be a voice for Indigenous people, sharing accounts of what happened in the residential school systems and on reserves. 
• This year’s ReFrame Film Festival featured a series of six short films crafted by the talented storytellers of Wshkiigmong Dibaajmownan/Curve Lake as part of a digital storytelling workshop led by Dr. Nadine Changfoot, professor of Political Studies at Trent University.  
• Bridget Larocque, a Métis educator and change advocate from Northwest Territories, received Trent’s 2024 Ashley Fellowship and carried out a series of educational events on issues of gender and Arctic Indigeneity. Laroque has lent her expertise as a policy advisor and researcher with the Arctic Athabaskan Council and executive director of Gwich’in Council International.