Article originally published in the Daily Bulletin
On January 13, 2022, the Office of Indigenous Relations marked its second anniversary, celebrating two years of impact on campus and beyond. The Indigenous Initiatives Office was renamed as the Indigenous Relations Office under AVP Jean Becker in October 2021. Becker brings over 40 years’ experience in postsecondary Indigenous initiatives.
Since 2020, Waterloo has seen not only an increased need for the work of the Office of Indigenous Relations, but an increased investment in the mandate of Indigenization across campus.
Below is a list of key achievements and actions:
- November 2020: Inaugural honouring of Treaties Recognition Week
- January 2021: First meeting of the Indigenous Advisory Circle, comprised of Indigenous staff, faculty, students, alumni, retirees and community members
- June 2021: Celebrated National Indigenous History Month, by hosting a month of engagement and learning opportunities, including guest speaker The Honorable Murray Sinclair
- September 2021:
- Launch of the Indigenous Relations website
- Hosted a series of learning opportunities in recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- October 2021:
- Launch of newsletter, Indigenous Connections
- First campus Indigenous-focused hires began
- Establishment of the organizational unit of Office of Indigenous Relations: This signals an important milestone for the University and a significant step forward for the Office of Indigenous Relations.
- November 2021:
- Support Waterloo’s cluster hiring initiative of 10 new Indigenous faculty appointments
- recruitment efforts for further Indigenous employee representation
- Treaties Recognition Week event: A five-part guided learning opportunity on the Haldimand Tract
The Office of Indigenous Relations will continue providing events, conferences, workshops, speakers such as the 10 calls to action for natural scientists and Hallman Lecture and Panel: COVID-19 and Indigenous communities.
The Office of Indigenous Relations is continually in advisement and consultation across campus on all topics from addressing student barriers to faculty strategic planning. In addition, they engage with external community members to establish connections and partnerships for the University community on a number of fronts.
Another active area of work is providing support for Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers through the Office of Research as well as with researchers directly.
Space for the Office of Indigenous Relations is in development, with an anticipated completion date of September 2022. An Indigenous outdoor Gathering Space is also currently in an active design phase.
“I am very happy with the support I have received at Waterloo over the past two years from numerous staff, faculty, students and senior administration to decolonize, Indigenize and respond to the TRC recommendations,” says Jean Becker, Associate Vice-President, Indigenous Relations. “We recognize that there is still much to be done and we are committed to doing the work that will have our University be a leader in reconciliation and decolonization.”