Niagara College Canada

Introduction to the Land & Niagara Region

The Niagara College land acknowledgement is a reminder of the historical relationships and agreements formalized in this region. Agreements between Indigenous nations such as the Dish With One Spoon Wampum formalized in 1701, are evidence that systems of politics, economy, stewardship, and peace have been a part of Indigenous realities for centuries. Agreements between Indigenous nations and settlers, such as the Two Row Wampum from the early 1600s and numerous treaties over the last few centuries established the grounds for how to peaceably co-exist on the land.

The Niagara Region holds a deep history of allyship and mutual respect between Indigenous nations and non-Indigenous Peoples. Notably, the Treaty of Niagara, which was negotiated during the summer of 1764, established a relationship of sovereign co-existence between the British Crown and the Indigenous nations. Approximately two thousand First Nations people, representing 24 nations, gathered in Fort Niagara that summer to witness this critical and intentional pathway for collaboration and allyship. By the time the Constitutional Act of 1791 established Upper and Lower Canada, an imperialistic vision had already taken hold, undermining the relationship forged during the Treaty of Niagara negotiations. This shift paved the way for a series of treaties and colonial policies that imposed a hegemonic framework, eroding Indigenous sovereignty, even as it had been affirmed through the Treaty of Niagara.

Despite this, Indigenous Peoples stood shoulder to shoulder with British allies during the War of 1812, to protect the shared territories from invasion of the United States, which was seeking to annex the territory for resources and to gain control of maritime issues impacting their pursuit of economic growth. The War of 1812 was played out on the lands within the Niagara region and the losses from this war impacted all. The signing of the Treaty of Ghent resumed pre-war conditions, territories, and a period of peace. The treaty also realigned to pre-war recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, privileges, and territories.

However, these enduring efforts for peace and allyship continued to be ignored by the colonial project, and by the time Canada was established in 1867, the relationship of mutual respect and sovereignty between the Crown and Indigenous people was completely dissolved. In Canada, the passing of the Indian Act in 1876 instigated a persistent process of colonization, including assimilative policies seeking to kill the Indian and save the man—a slogan attributed to Richard Henry Pratt, the founder of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania (1892). This slogan is commonly used to represent the ideology through which erasing Indigenous cultural social, and spiritual identity would enable Indigenous people to become civilized, Christian and productive citizens in white settler society.

In Canada, the Indian Act and policies that followed operationalized this very ideology, giving rise to the establishment of the Indian Residential School system—became a lynchpin in the systematic erasure of Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing – effecting intergenerational trauma within Indigenous nations for generations to come.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was formed in 2008 to document the 160-year history and lasting impacts of the residential school system. The Commission’s work concluded in 2015 with a report issuing 94 Calls to Action to guide Canada in a process of Reconciliation.

December 2025 marks ten years since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Final Report, which highlights calls to action among the country’s socio-cultural infrastructure (e.g., hospitals, museums, media, religious organizations) to acknowledge the truth, take meaningful steps toward redress of past harms, and collaboratively shape a renewed future for Indigenous people. For education, which was used as a tool for cultural erasure and genocide through Residential Schools, this call to action is significant.

Indigenous Education at NC

The NC Indigenous Education (IE) department and the Indigenous Education Management Circle (IEMC) have been the voices of Indigenous students, staff, and community for many years. The department is primarily a student service—supporting Indigenous students through culturally appropriate teachings, academic guidance, leadership opportunities, community referrals, and assistance in navigating the College’s policies, processes, and systems. As the cultural home for Indigenous students, the department has also served a similar role for Indigenous employees and community members. Embodying Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, and being in everything that they do, IE operates an Indigenous Student Centre on each campus, which provides a home-away-from-home for students and is the cornerstone of the Indigenous community on campus. The IE team remains student-focused, and demand across the organization to consult, collaborate, and monitor academic and administrative initiatives has increased.

We have committed to increasing access and inclusion to postsecondary education for First Nation, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. The 2022-2027 Strategic Plan and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint commit us to fulfilling obligations under the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and to weaving Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing into the fabric of the College. Our commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the Okanagan Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges also support efforts to make transformational change to education systems and structures; however, it is essential to critically assess how these additional commitments reflect, and potentially fall short of, Indigenous worldviews and priorities. Within this evolving context, we have undertaken several important steps to position our community to adopt and action our first Indigenous education strategy:

• Serve as a transparent and accountable group to strengthen relationships, foster shared responsibilities, and situate the College as an active participant in Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
• Over 2023-24, the Indigenous Education team led Katistiyó—a project aimed at understanding Indigenous students’ experiences, supporting their growth, making their voices heard, and guiding their future success.
• In 2023-2024, the IEMC reviewed revisions to its terms of reference with a goal of strengthening its relationship with College leadership.
• This Indigenous Education Strategy was identified as a priority in our Business Plan and Annual Goals 2024-2025.
• In October 2024, we announced the Strong Students, Stronger Futures Funding Program, a guarantee of annual financial assistance equivalent to the costs of tuition and ancillary fees for eligible First Nations and former Youth in Care students. This initiative began with students in Fall 2025.
• In Fall 2024, we established the Indigenous Strategy Advisory Committee  to provide strategic support in the strategy’s development—one which is Indigenous-led, and centres Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing to guide NC’s approach to Reconciliation and Indigenization. The Committee included Indigenous staff, IEMC representatives, and non-Indigenous colleagues. The committee was co-chaired by Leah Hogan, Director of Indigenous Education and Carol Phillips, Dean, Community Services, Justice, and Fitness Studies. The Committee’s objectives included:
  • Clarify where Niagara College currently stands on its path toward Truth and Reconciliation.
  • Raise awareness across the institution about Indigenous Peoples, their worldviews, and the vital role of the Indigenous Education team and the Indigenous Education Management Circle.
  • Define and envision what Indigenization and decolonization mean specifically for the College, outline who will be involved in the work of Reconciliation, and how it will be put into action to meet the commitments established by the College.
  • Outline specific goals, actions, and accountabilities to achieve the vision.

Moving Towards Reconciliation

The imperialist campaign for economic expansion, subjugation of others, and ideologies that silenced diverse world views was the primary driver of colonialism. This became foundational for how political, legal, financial, and educational systems were enacted around the world—systems that largely determined individual and collective rights for people across generations.

Throughout history though, numerous social movements such as civil rights and women’s rights have emerged to challenge and redefine who was recognized as human and entitled to freedom. These movements have fought for the right to vote, own land, hold assets, hold power, access human rights, and receive an education. While these movements emerged out of a drive to change colonial systems (e.g., slavery, misogyny), the underpinning sources of power and privilege that created those systems still prevail.

To understand the context for change within and across these systems, it is first necessary to understand the connections between colonialism, colonization, decolonization, Indigenization and Reconciliation—specifically for our work to paddle forward as a community. While many scholars and community thinkers have spent their lives studying these ideas, the following section situates them within the context of our strategy. It is not intended to fully explain the complexity with which colonialism has had a deep-seated influence on society’s systems and institutions, and how it has shaped people’s worldviews. These terms and concepts will sit differently with different people, and as our work continues towards our strategic goals, they will take on different meanings as we learn and grow together.

Where Is the Canoe Headed?

When this canoe reaches its destination, Indigenous and non-Indigenous students will have formed meaningful connections, bridged differences and enhanced a respectful and welcoming community. We will establish regular opportunities for cultural learning and relationship-building, ensuring that engagement with Indigenous Knowledge Holders, Elders, and community members is intentional and ongoing. The College’s leadership and community renew and maintain relationships with Indigenous Peoples by embracing the principle of “polishing the chain”—an enduring teaching reflected in the Silver Covenant Chain Treaty of 1655, which signals that relationships are maintained and strengthened through continued maintenance and care. Additionally, across the organization, there is a collective understanding of the IEMC’s significant role as an advisor to the College and liaison to Indigenous communities. When we are successful, our connections and relationships with Indigenous communities will be strong, sharing mutual respect, caring, and exchange. Further, our success will include:

• Employees and students being active contributors to, and not just recipients of Indigenous knowledge and experiences
• There will be a college-wide understanding of, and respect for, the Indigenous Education Management Circle’s important role in advising and connecting us with Indigenous communities.
• Indigenous engagement and partnerships will not be confined to specific departments or projects but will be woven into the fabric of the College’s operations. Every executive leader will understand and fulfill their responsibility to nurture and protect these partnerships as part of their core responsibilities.
• We will recognize and respond to the ways Indigenous learners access education. Delivery of programming in-community will be valued, where program design will listen and respond to community goals, existing resources, and local knowledge. This will help us to meaningfully and appropriately address gaps, and to avoid duplicating efforts.
• Together, we and our partners will co-create and verify the appropriate protocols and individuals who can lead, teach, and advise Indigenous content. This preserves and protects the integrity and appropriateness of what Indigenous knowledge is shared.

Where Is the Canoe Headed?

A transformed approach to governance at Niagara College would reflect Indigenous ways of addressing challenges and problem-solving and ensuring Indigenous perspectives are embedded in institutional decision-making. Our success will also include:

• Developing a framework to more meaningfully include Indigenous voices in leadership and decision making, using the strategy’s values and commitments to ensure meaningful change.
• College employees’ delivery of land acknowledgments are not just routine statements but rather personalized and reflective of genuine engagement with Indigenous histories and learning relationships.
• More Indigenous individuals would hold leadership roles across the College, and policies and procedures would be restructured to ensure that Indigenous voices are not only heard but also have real influence over decision-making processes.

Where Is the Canoe Headed?

Success in this canoe will result in a learning environment where Indigenous knowledge is not just “included” but also fully embedded within curriculum, pedagogy, and research. What does this look like? It includes:

• Indigenous staff and Knowledge Holders are recognized and supported in expressing their expertise in Indigenous knowledge and in their disciplinary knowledge.
• Students, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, are engaging with and learning from Indigenous perspectives throughout their academic journey.
• Systems are in place to support the learning journey of both students and employees, having invested in professional development and academic infrastructure such as resources and library systems that have made room for Indigenous-specific knowledge.
• Academic staff across disciplines feeling confident and equipped to respectfully engage with Indigenous content and learning spaces that reflect Indigenous pedagogies such as storytelling, land-based learning, and ceremony.
• Indigenous students will feel seen, respected, and supported in their various academic settings, because their knowledge systems are represented in the classroom and beyond.

Where Is the Canoe Headed?

The support Indigenous students receive while at Niagara College will set them up for future success. While government policy foregrounds graduation and employment rates as indicators of success, we know that success is about more than grades and jobs. Ensuring the success of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students—both in school and beyond—requires opportunities that nurture their minds, bodies, emotions, and spirits. Indigenous student success will be evident in the daily life of the College when:

• Indigenous students are empowered with the skills to make informed decisions and the confidence to recognize their own abilities.
• Students will have access to spaces where they can gather informally, fostering community and belonging.
• Events and programming will be scheduled to align with student needs, ensuring that opportunities for connection and learning are accessible.
• Indigenous students will have access to mentorship and peer networks, to give and receive guidance from those who share their life experiences.
• Student-facing staff will engage in ongoing learning about Indigenous communities and Reconciliation, integrating this knowledge into their teaching and support services and creating culturally safe spaces.
• Orientation for all new students will include education on Indigenous history and Truth and Reconciliation, fostering awareness and accountability from the outset of their academic careers.
• Partnerships with Indigenous organizations and communities will strengthen support systems, ensuring that Indigenous students receive relevant education tailored to their unique needs.
• Indigenous Student Centres will be visible through artwork, signage, and promotional materials, making it clear that Indigenous students are valued members of the NC community.
• Indigenous cultural representation throughout the campuses will reinforce the College’s commitment to Indigenization, ensuring that Indigenous students see themselves reflected in their learning environment. This includes Indigenous art and design in the built and digital environments.
• Student success at the College is measured not by academic achievement and operational outcomes alone but is inclusive of outcomes that represent the multiple dimensions of the wholistic student experience.

Where Is the Canoe Headed?

When the work of this canoe is successful, Indigenous education is not an isolated component of Niagara College, it is meaningfully woven throughout our College community. This includes:

• Administrative practices across the College readily adapt and support our employees in meeting Indigenous education goals, including having the agency to deliver education and services that are meaningful to Indigenous learners, without fear of unnecessary scrutiny or question.
• Research involving Indigenous communities will follow principles of OCAP® (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession), with methodologies grounded in relationship and reciprocity.
• Indigenous student and employee experiences and success are more fully celebrated in our College’s internal and external communications.
• Indigenous students and employees feel safe, respected and free from discrimination, racism, and violence—both from non-Indigenous people and Indigenous people.