Starting a conversation: Summit for Mentoring Indigenous Graduate Students

Five staff members representing SGS Student Academic Services, the Graduate Awards Office, Postdoctoral Office, Special Projects, and Communications were honoured to attend the day-long professional development symposium organized by the Indigenous Education Network (OEN).

The February 5^th symposium at OISE brought together Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff, graduate students, and faculty at U of T and featured guest speakers from across North America, including Ojibwe Traditional Teacher and Kokomis Jacqui Lavalley, Dr. Zoe Todd (Carleton University), and Dr. Robert Innes (University of Saskatchewan). Through keynote lectures, panels, and group discussions, all were encouraged to share their perspectives about how universities can become more welcoming and meaningful places in which indigenous students can thrive.

In their introduction to the symposium, OEN organizers described the event as “only the start of the conversation.” The conversation has continued within SGS, and we will be sharing ideas for Indigenous student-centred initiatives in future editions of Gradschool e-news.