We need your input!
We want to engage Indigenous students in the process of renaming rooms in the Students' Union Building (SUB). If you are a First Nations, Métis, Inuit, or other Indigenous student, submit your suggestions!
Indigenous Initiatives
The UASU aims to meaningfully support Indigenous students on campus. We aim to do this through our Indigenous Initiatives. These include our Indigenous leadership program, Indigenous Celebration Week and the Aboriginal Reconciliation and Relations Committee (ARRC). The UASU is committed to reconciliation and meaningful engagement and collaboration with Indigenous students and organizations across campus.
Land Acknowledgement
We would like to respectfully acknowledge that our University and our Students’ Union are located on Treaty 6 Territory. We are grateful to be on Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Métis, Blackfoot, and Nakota Sioux territory; specifically the ancestral space of the Papaschase Cree. These Nations are our family, friends, faculty, staff, students, and peers. As members of the University of Alberta Students’ Union we honor the nation-to-nation treaty relationship. We aspire for our learning, research, teaching, and governance to acknowledge and work towards the decolonization of Indigenous knowledges and traditions.
Indigenous Arts in the UASU
The Speaker of Students' Council uses a gavel block created by Ojibway artist Wesley Havill in 2023. It is believed to be the first piece of Indigenous art owned or commissioned by the UASU. Made of durable rock maple and marked with the UASU flame and a bear's paw, the gavel block is meant to serve as a reminder of inclusion and principle in Council Chambers.
Why the artist chose this design for the Students' Council gavel block: "Mukwa (the bear) is one of the clan members. Long ago their responsibilities were to defend their village. They became master strategists. While they secured the perimeter of the village they also learned about the plants and became healers with plant medicine."
Indigenous student advocacy
Aboriginal Relations & Reconciliation Committee (ARRC)
The Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Committee is composed of nine voting members from Students' Council and the Aboriginal Students' Council, as well as other important stakeholders in aboriginal relations at the U of A. It acts as a link between Students' Council and Aboriginal students and assists in the UASU's implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
Indigenous Students’ Union (ISU)
Indigenous Students' Union (ISU) operates as both a Student Representative Association (SRA) under the Students’ Union (UASU) and under the umbrella of the Dean of Students (DoS). We seek to create a safe and inclusive space for self-identified Indigenous students to reaffirm and foster balance in spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional health through the promotion of cultural, political, academic, athletic, and interpersonal interests. Some of ISU’s support includes providing ceremonial materials, food and beverages, and financial support, such as scholarships, childcare subsidies, travel funds and event grants. ISU’s team includes elected student volunteers who are here to serve other Indigenous undergraduate students.
National Indigenous Advocacy Committee (NIAC)
The National Indigenous Advocacy Committee shall serve as a forum for Indigenous students. The National Indigenous Advocacy Committee will be a direct form of contact between Indigenous students, the Membership and the Board of Directors on matters of importance to the organization
Flag Raising
At Week of Welcome (WOW) 2024, the UASU held a flag-raising ceremony, marking the first WOW to feature an Indigenous welcoming ceremony. This event, began with songs from The River Cree Singer, was coordinated by the UASU Vice President Student Life and the President of the Indigenous Students’ Union (ISU) with the funding provided by the UASU Executive team. The UASU’s participation in this flag-raising ceremony honours Indigenous cultures, languages, identities, and contributions to our community as a way to welcome new Indigenous students.
The flags were raised by Emma Snow, the VP of Finance of the ISU, and Levi Wolfe, an Indigenous student leader.
This flag-raising acknowledges and honours the long-standing stewardship of this land by Indigenous peoples long before the establishment of our institutions. As the UASU and University community is situated on Treaty 6 territory and Métis Region 4, the flags raised during this event were the Métis and Treaty 6 flags, each holding deep significance.
The Métis flag features a white infinity sign on a blue background. The infinity symbol represents the mixing of two distinct cultures, European and First Nations, to create a unique and distinct culture, that of the Métis (which means “to mix” in Latin). The infinity symbol, which refers to a quantity without end, in this situation symbolizes the faith that the Métis culture will exist forever.
The Treaty 6 flag holds meaning and symbolizes the enduring relationship between First Nations and the Crown established through Treaty 6. This flag serves as a representation of commitment made during the 1876 treaty’s signing, embodying promises and partnership between Indigenous communities and the Canadian government.
This celebration of stories and cultures also necessitates recognizing the hardships endured by those who were historically denied their culture, identity, and rights, such as the children who suffered in residential schools. While we mark progress in reconciliation and appreciation for Indigenous heritage, we do so mindful of the enduring pain still felt by Indigenous families and communities.
The UASU continues to remain committed to building a future where every story is valued, and every individual is celebrated. This commitment is reflected in the ARRC Recommendations and our continued efforts towards reconciliation.
Today, the flags hang proudly from the ceiling of SUB’s main floor along with the UASU, Albertan and Canadian flags on the main floor of SUB, situated between the food court and the southern seating area, serving as a daily reminder of our shared journey towards reconciliation and inclusivity.