Moving from a deficit approach to Indigenous peoples to a reciprocal relationship that recognizes the important contribution that Indigenous staff, students and communities make to the college system was the focus of a meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Education Circle (IPEC) at Niagara College, July 13-14.
IPEC is comprised to staff from Ontario colleges who work directly with Indigenous community-based Councils. The group usually meets quarterly at George Brown College but was invited by NC’s Indigenous Education Associate Director Leah Hogan to hold its summer meeting at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus.
The two-day meeting centred on the mobilization of IPEC’s 2020 Indigenous Action Plan (IAP), a data-driven framework for achieving identified objectives through the creation of reciprocal working relationships, embedding accountabilities for Indigenous education across the college system and supporting college system truth and reconciliation efforts.
It also served as an opportunity for NC to showcase how it’s supporting its Indigenous learners.
Hogan said IPEC members were impressed with the hospitality they received at NC, and reported feeling “at ease and relaxed,” which she attributes to Carly Root, Manager, Community Relations and Events, who managed the logistics of the meeting.
Gord Arbeau, Vice-President, Advancement, formally welcomed the guests on behalf of the college and delivered a land acknowledgment.
“People felt so taken care of here,” said Hogan, who was also recently nominated to be a part of the IPEC executive team. “I was so proud of the work that Carly and her team did.”
In addition to the Indigenous Action Plan, IPEC’s other initiatives include truth and reconciliation in quality assurance, the College Libraries Ontario Learning Portal to support online learners and distance education, and ongoing advocacy.
