The Science Indigenous Office serves as a central hub for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students, researchers, faculty, and staff, along with allies within the Faculty of Science.
The Faculty of Science was the first faculty at Waterloo to have an embedded Indigenous Initiatives Office. Our office works to provide the community with guidance, support, and resources to strengthen our shared vision of reconciliation.
Savannah Sloat, Associate Director, Science Indigenous Initiatives
A message from Savannah
Science Indigenous Initiatives is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections between Indigenous communities and the Faculty of Science. As a member of Six Nations of the Grand River, Tuscarora nation, I am proud to contribute to work that supports Indigenous students, advances reconciliation, and creates opportunities for engagement and learning. Together, we are building more inclusive spaces in Science and invite you to explore the opportunities and resources we offer.
How to get involved
The Indigenous Working Group
The Faculty of Science Indigenous Working Group helps build capacity for reconciliation and Indigenous inclusion across the Faculty departments and schools. For more information or to join the Working Group, please get in touch with Savannah Sloat.
Indigenous Student Advisory Committee
The Faculty of Science Indigenous Student Advisory Committee centres the Indigenous student voice and experience in Science. All self-identified Indigenous undergraduate and graduate students within the Faculty are welcome to join. Please contact Savannah Sloat for more information or if you’re interest in being part of student consultations on campus.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge Module in Science Communications
The Science Communication course includes a dedicated Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) module that is required for all Science undergraduate students. This module introduces students to Indigenous science and ways of knowing. By embedding TEK into a core curriculum requirement, the faculty is ensuring that all science students engage with Indigenous perspectives as an important part of their education.
SCI2 11: Traditional land-based field course
The Faculty of Science offers a traditional medicines land-based field course that introduces students to the teachings and ceremonies of an Ontario Indigenous community. This in-person course is taught at a traditional teaching lodge with Anishinaabe Knowledge Keepers using an on-the-land experiential learning model. Students in the course learn about medicines and traditional healing, and engage with Indigenous learning principles of seeing, knowing, and connecting with the world around you.
BIOL 225 0.50: Plants and Civilization
Co-taught by Savannah Sloat and Professor Kirsten Müller, this course examines the importance of plants of the role they have in the local and global community. It introduces students to the impact of plants on the past, present and future of human civilization and describes the importance of plants as sources of food, medicine, fuel, shelter, clothing and psychoactive agents. Topics include medicinal plants and human health, the origin of crops, plants that changed the course of history, plant-based biofuels, the Green Revolution, plant biotechnology and genetic engineering of plants.
Indigenous Learning Circles for STEM Courses
This LITE Seed Grant research project examined the impact of Indigenous Learning Circles (ILCs) in STEM classrooms, exploring how Indigenous pedagogies can enhance student learning and sense of community in large undergraduate courses. Through comparative research, the project found statistically significant improvements in students’ enjoyment of learning, sense of belonging, and preference for collaborative learning when ILCs were implemented. These findings have directly informed the inclusion of Indigenous Learning Circles across the Faculty of Science. This research has demonstrated that Indigenous Learning Circles can be successfully included in large STEM courses to create more relational learning environments.
