How can I learn more about Indigenous cultures and Reconciliation?

Join us for a selection of credit-free Indigenous Studies courses! Participants are invited to explore the historical and current contexts of colonization in Canada. Whether discovering how to participate in the Reconciliation process or unravelling enduring myths, everyone in the community is welcome.

PLEASE NOTE:

These courses are not available for UW degree credit.  Our courses are designed for adults.  Students must be a minimum age of 15 to register and participate in a Community and Professional Education Course. If a student is between the ages of 15 and 17, a parent or guardian is required to complete and submit a consent form.

Course Descriptions

IS 110 - Truth Work of Reconciliation: Discussions and Implications for Settler Peoples (IS 110)

This course provides a journey of sharing and discussing how Indigenous and Settler peoples know each other through the stories that have been told of each other in the past and which continue in the present. These stories carry the ideologies, knowledge, beliefs, values and assumptions that form the basis of their interactions with one another. A critique of the notion of ‘Settler’ will be an ongoing dialogue. A discussion of the implications of oneself in these stories is discussed within the context of the reconciliation process that is underway in Canada.  

The course includes lively community engagement through readings, virtual meetings, discussion posts and videos all available online. 

Myth-Busting Part 1 & 2: Deconstructing Indigenous-Canadian Relationships (IS 101 & 102 - ONLINE)

This course is designed to give students the skills to begin to: 

  • Immerse themselves in local Haudenosaunee history and teachings. 

  • Familiarize themselves with the process of colonization and the impacts it has had on modern day myths regarding Indigenous peoples. 

  • Deconstruct some concepts to assist in building better relationships as allies. 

  • Use tools provided in course to actively engage in decolonization. 

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 

  • Identify local Indigenous historical context for the Grand River watershed, specifically the Six Nations of the Grand River. 

  • Understand a conceptual framework for colonization using the systems approach. 

  • Identify best practices for allyship and decolonization. 

  • Develop critical thinking skills when analyzing Canada’s history regarding Indigenous relationships. 

This course will be offered in two parts:

  • Part One introduces Haudenosaunee history and traditional ecological knowledge, and explores the impact of colonization in Canada.  It will include online work and weekly virtual gatherings for discussion.
  • Part Two digs deeper into issues introduced in Part One and focuses on building better relationships between Indigenous people and Canadians through allyship and reconciliation.  It will include online work and weekly virtual gatherings for discussion.

Tuition fees and cancellation policy

Fees

Course Tuition fees
IS 110 - Reconciliation (8-weeks)

$290.00 (plus HST)
IS 101 - Myth-Busting Part 1 (6-weeks) $215.00 (plus HST)
IS 102 - Myth-Busting Part 2 (6-weeks) $215.00 (plus HST)

Other fees:

NOTE: beginning March 2023, Renison continuing education’s administrative fee will be incorporated into the total tuition price as listed above and will be charged to all registrants.

Cancellation, Withdrawal, and Refund Policy

  • If a course is cancelled, the full tuition fee (inclusive of the administrative fee) will be refunded to students in full or they may defer their registration to the next term (deferrals can be made once).
  • The one-time administration fee of $15.00 CAD is non-refundable unless the course is cancelled.

*The administrative fee applies to all students regardless of whether they have previously taken a Renison continuing education and/or Renison non-credit course previously.

  • Students may withdraw from a course up until the registration deadline for a full tuition refund. After the registration deadline, students may withdraw up until the day before the second class and be refunded 80% of their tuition. After this date, refunds will not be issued.

Requests to withdraw should be sent in writing over e-mail to cape@uwaterloo.ca.

How to register & How to pay (IS)

How to register

Registrations must be submitted through our student portal. Follow these steps to register for a continuing education course:

  1. Visit the Continuing Education Courses page in portal.
  2. Select ‘Details’ next to your course of interest.
  3. Select ‘Details’ next to the course session you want to register for (if there are no course sessions listed, dates have not yet been confirmed for upcoming classes; please check back later).
  4. Select ‘Add to Cart’; if you are not signed in to or signed up for an account, you will be prompted to do so now.
  5. Once in your shopping cart, select ‘Checkout’.

You will receive confirmation of your registration through e-mail to the e-mail address attached to your account. For questions about your course, please contact cape@uwaterloo.ca.

If you run into issues with registration, signing in/up, or have questions about portal, please contact renison.sace@uwaterloo.ca.

How to pay

Upon checkout in our student portal (see How to register for further instructions), you will be prompted to pay via online credit card payment.

NOTE: alternative payment options may be available, please contact cape@uwaterloo.ca for more information.