...

Learn more about the Indigenous art used in this image

Indigenous Initiatives

The University of Alberta is home to a diverse and welcoming community of over 1,300 Indigenous students across the country—with Edmonton having the second-largest Indigenous community of any city in Canada. We celebrate and honour Indigenous connections, including the lands on which our university is located today.

Braiding Past, Present and Future

University of Alberta

Indigenous Strategic Plan

See the plan Watch the launch
Closeup of a ribbon skirt

Reimagining + Rebuilding a New First Peoples' House

For more than 30 years, First Peoples' House has accompanied First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students on their university journeys - connecting them to academic, wellness, cultural, and spiritual resources. The reimagining of First Peoples' House into a larger space will support the growing community of FNMI students, offering a welcoming space for even more students to belong and thrive.

Wahkohtowin Lodge at Augustana Campus

TRC Report to Community

Since 2015, the University of Alberta has responded to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action with an emphasis on capacity building and foundational change.

Indigenous students in Quad

Indigenous Student Success Survey Report

The Indigenous Student Success Survey contributes to knowledge about Indigenous students' experiences in order to increase student success at the University of Alberta.

Affirming and Acknowledging Indigenous Ceremonial Practices

Affirming and Acknowledging Indigenous Ceremonial Practices

Affirming that ceremony can be conducted without disruption or interference anywhere on campus, including, but not limited to, outdoor spaces, classrooms, lecture halls, gathering spaces, and residences, this resource provides guidelines and information on the lighting of ceremonial medicines at the U of A, information on safety and signage, a FAQ, and a list of frequently used ceremonial spaces.

INDIGENOUS PROGRAMMING & RESEARCH

The Office of the Vice-Provost (Indigenous Programming & Research) facilitates institutional collaboration and communication to support the development and implementation of programs, services and initiatives related to Indigenous engagement. The office is also working to enable transformative institutional practices that respect and honour Indigenous knowledges across the University of Alberta.

INDIGENOUS PROGRAMMING & RESEARCH CURRENT INDIGENOUS INITIATIVES
Sash and Moccasins

Indigenous Student Services + Programs

First Peoples' House office

First Peoples’ House

NORTH CAMPUS

Standing true to our beliefs as First Peoples and guided by our cultural teachings, the First Peoples’ House provides an environment of empowerment for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) learners to achieve personal and academic growth.

Wahkohtowin Lodge

Wahkohtowin Lodge

AUGUSTANA CAMPUS

A gathering place for everyone on Augustana campus, the Wahkohtowin Lodge offers opportunities for Indigenous students to access a range of services as well as gather with each other, with Elders and with Indigenous community members.

Aerial view of bridge across a river

I-STEAM Pathways

NORTH CAMPUS

Enabling First Nations, Métis or Inuit undergraduate students to gain research experience in environmental fields including science, environmental engineering, environmental law and policy.

Aerial view of bridge across a river

Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement

NORTH CAMPUS

Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement (SAGE) offers the opportunity for Indigenous graduate students to engage with their peers, faculty and researchers, and facilitated their development both on- and off-campus.

artwork

Free Online Course: Indigenous Canada

We have the responsibility to educate and the opportunity to uplift the next several generations, which is why all are welcome to join Dr. Paul Gareau, Dr. Savage Bear, Alannah Mandamin-Shawanda, and Isaac Twinn, as they lead learners through an exploration of Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. It’s free, it’s online, and there’s a space waiting for you.

MORE INFORMATION

INDIGENOUS-FOCUSED LEARNING

We are the only university in Canada with a Faculty of Native Studies. Both within this faculty and beyond, the University of Alberta offers Indigenous and non-Indigenous students alike education focused on the complexity of Indigenous issues and thought.

BROWSE INDIGENOUS PROGRAMS BROWSE INDIGENOUS COURSES
placeholder

SITUATED KNOWLEDGES: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND PLACE (SKIPP)

One of the University of Alberta’s signature research and teaching areas, SKIPP was created to highlight Indigenous scholarship, create a strong community of Indigenous scholars, and allow other scholars to come into that space to learn and connect. Indigenous scholarship is defined as teaching, research, community engagement, research creation, and activities, locally and globally.

two women using a microscope
Truth & Reconciliation report

Recognition and Reconciliation

At the U of A, we know that we have the responsibility to educate and the opportunity to uplift the next generation as part of the movement to unravel systemic racism. At the same time as we celebrate the vibrant First Nations, Inuit, and Metis lives lived, it's also a time to reflect on the intergenerational effects of colonialism. You can learn more, including calls to action, and can access supports by visiting the following Canadian and international resources:

Resources for Everyone

North Campus

Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization (SILR)

SILR seeks to build capacity for community-led Indigenous language revitalization in Canada. Their work seeks to provide support for community-led Indigenous language revitalization efforts through the coming generations — a future where Indigenous languages are healthy and vibrant, and are spoken in homes, schools, workplaces, and on the land.

North Campus

Presenting Our Presence

Presenting Our Presence (POP) is a monthly vodcast and podcast that amplifies the voices and visibility of the Indigenous knowledge-holders, learners and change-makers who enliven the University of Alberta community. POP’s Indigenous-led protocols and ethics centre knowledge holders' sovereignty as stewards of their own stories.

Turtle Spirit Pathway Award for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Students

The Turtle Spirit Pathway Award for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Students assists Indigenous students who are entering the U of A and who have demonstrated financial challenges and barriers to attending university.

Start your application.

Stories

UNIVERSITY NEWS
For healthy aging, there’s no place like home
Health And Wellness, Society and Culture
For healthy aging, there’s no place like home
Nursing researcher investigates which home care supports older people need most to delay their entry into long-term care.
March 04, 2025
Professor’s family intrigue sparks examination of Oklahoma’s fraudulent past
Society and Culture
Professor’s family intrigue sparks examination of Oklahoma’s fraudulent past
In “Ghosts of Crook County,” Russell Cobb recounts the exploitation of Indigenous people that figures prominently in the history of the Sooner State.
January 16, 2025
Community-driven collective aims to learn from and empower Indigenous caregivers through research
Research, Health And Wellness
Community-driven collective aims to learn from and empower Indigenous caregivers through research
U of A researcher receives funding to foster a network of support, resources and advocacy for caregivers of children, youth and adults with autism.
November 14, 2024
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Supporting a voice for those who cannot speak
Supporting a voice for those who cannot speak
Scholarships help Shannon Cornelsen to advocate for Indigenous Peoples of the past, present and future
October 08, 2024
Consider This: Cultivating a culture of peace
Consider This
Consider This: Cultivating a culture of peace
Recognizing International Day of Peace and its alignment with National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
September 19, 2024
Judgmental language in medical charts reflects poor patient care and outcomes: researcher
Research, Health And Wellness
Judgmental language in medical charts reflects poor patient care and outcomes: researcher
Psychiatry PhD candidate sifts through mental health records to understand how language affects care in the Northwest Territories.
August 26, 2024
Have You Met ... Gil Anderson?
Have You Met
Have You Met ... Gil Anderson?
Meet Gil Anderson, the first Indigenous program coordinator at the Alberta School of Business. When Gil is not at the U of A supporting students or learning Cree, you might find him playing one of his favourite tabletop, role playing board games.
July 04, 2024
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Reflecting on 25 years of Indigenous language revitalization
Reflecting on 25 years of Indigenous language revitalization
The Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literary Development Institute continues to work alongside Indigenous communities to preserve and sustain their languages
June 21, 2024
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Art in Focus: "Model for Canadian Indian Homes" by Frank Shebageget
Society and Culture
Art in Focus: "Model for Canadian Indian Homes" by Frank Shebageget
For Anishnabeg artist Frank Shebageget, his personal experiences growing up in the small town of Upsala in Northwestern Ontario has been one of the driving inspirations behind his art.
June 11, 2024
Celebrating National Indigenous History Month 2024
In the Community
Celebrating National Indigenous History Month 2024
Honouring the heart work led by Indigenous colleagues and allies, past and present.
May 31, 2024
Innovator Spotlight: Lana Whiskeyjack
Innovator Spotlight
Innovator Spotlight: Lana Whiskeyjack
As a scholartist, Lana Whiskeyjack uses visual stories to teach about the beauty of nehiyawak (Cree people).
April 25, 2024
Consider This: Indigenous-focused resources support well-being and community learning
Consider This
Consider This: Indigenous-focused resources support well-being and community learning
Highlighting recent collaborations that support Indigenous students, staff and faculty and provide opportunities for growth and learning.
February 29, 2024
Innovator Spotlight: Matthew Wildcat
Innovator Spotlight
Innovator Spotlight: Matthew Wildcat
Matthew Wildcat’s research looks at how the history of colonialism in Canada impacts Indigenous governance.
November 16, 2023
Consider this: Who decides how we decolonize prison?
Consider This
Consider this: Who decides how we decolonize prison?
Exploring Indigenous peoples’ experiences with the “Indigenized” aspects of Canada’s prison system.
October 19, 2023
Video: Learning on Sacred Land
Society and Culture
Video: Learning on Sacred Land
Summer courses at the new kihcihkaw askî space in Edmonton give teachers a chance to experience foundational Indigenous knowledge they can bring into their classrooms.
September 29, 2023
Sharing the University of Alberta’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Report to Community
In the Community
Sharing the University of Alberta’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Report to Community
If we as humans are sincere in our efforts to realize reconciliation, then we must attend to all parts of our collective history, utilizing the power of the university to uplift all.
September 28, 2023
Video: Student engineers early warning system for blue-green algae
Science and Technology, Health And Wellness, Society and Culture, Research
Video: Student engineers early warning system for blue-green algae
Summer internship project yields technology that could help biologists and Indigenous communities get ahead of toxic blooms.
September 22, 2023
Every child needs the wisdom of a grandmother
Research, Health And Wellness, Society and Culture
Every child needs the wisdom of a grandmother
Indigenous grandmothers are sharing traditional teachings and cultural practices to give young Indigenous mothers — and their children — a healthy head start.
February 18, 2025
Seeing a settler narrative through Indigenous eyes
Society and Culture
Seeing a settler narrative through Indigenous eyes
Professor and poet Jordan Abel wins Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction for his debut novel, Empty Spaces, a challenging reimagination of The Last of the Mohicans.
December 12, 2024
Leading nutrition expert aims to help women tip the scales in their favour against cancer
Science and Technology, Society and Culture, Research, Health And Wellness
Leading nutrition expert aims to help women tip the scales in their favour against cancer
Carla Prado is one of 11 new or renewed Canada Research Chairs at the U of A.
November 14, 2024
Time to move on from FASD diagnosis?
Research, Health And Wellness
Time to move on from FASD diagnosis?
Pediatric specialists argue the fetal alcohol spectrum disorder label is simplistic and stigmatizing, and should be reconsidered.
September 24, 2024
Video Spotlight: Documentary film sheds light on ‘buffalo consciousness’
Society and Culture
Video Spotlight: Documentary film sheds light on ‘buffalo consciousness’
New film by Native studies professor Tasha Hubbard looks at the drive to bring back the buffalo.
September 13, 2024
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Yarrow Magazine co-created by EFS members
Yarrow Magazine co-created by EFS members
July 29, 2024
UNIVERSITY NEWS
SSHRC awards $1M in funding to aid in searches for lost Indigenous children
SSHRC awards $1M in funding to aid in searches for lost Indigenous children
The five-year initiative is one of six recipient partnership grants and aims to advance technology and capacity for identifying undocumented graves
June 26, 2024
Innovator Spotlight: Marek Tyler
Innovator Spotlight
Innovator Spotlight: Marek Tyler
Marek Tyler on how we all have an opportunity to prioritize the voices, needs and knowledge of Indigenous communities.
June 20, 2024
UNIVERSITY NEWS
International, Indigenous-led consortium receives $2.75M in New Frontiers in Research Funding for climate research
International, Indigenous-led consortium receives $2.75M in New Frontiers in Research Funding for climate research
U of A Arts assistant professor Paulina Johnson, Sîpihkokîsikowiskwêw, to lead the 3-year project
June 11, 2024
How does ceremony impact Indigenous students at the U of A?
Campus Life
How does ceremony impact Indigenous students at the U of A?
Shannon shares how ceremony can support Indigenous student journeys.
May 23, 2024
New resource offers a starting point in the journey of Indigenous language revitalization
Society and Culture, Research
New resource offers a starting point in the journey of Indigenous language revitalization
Informative resource offers a foundation for creating or improving educational programs at every level from preschool to post-secondary.
March 28, 2024
Wellness program fosters fitness and learning for Indigenous clients and student volunteers
Health And Wellness
Wellness program fosters fitness and learning for Indigenous clients and student volunteers
Weekly workouts offer opportunities to deepen cultural understanding, connection and support.
February 02, 2024
Consider This: Wâhkôhtowin at work - Connecting with Maskwacîs Education Schools Commission
Consider This
Consider This: Wâhkôhtowin at work - Connecting with Maskwacîs Education Schools Commission
Augustana students participate in workshops with the community to learn more and grow Indigenous curriculum.
November 02, 2023
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Conference showcases the importance of Indigenous Perspectives in business
Business, Research, Society and Culture
Conference showcases the importance of Indigenous Perspectives in business
Indigenous Business PhD Students’ Mini Conference and Gathering brought scholars from around the country together
October 11, 2023
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Historic agreement between Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta and U of A aims to enhance public education opportunities for students
Society and Culture
Historic agreement between Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta and U of A aims to enhance public education opportunities for students
New courses will allow students to earn high school and post-secondary credit as they discover their career passions.
September 28, 2023
From the President's Desk: Honouring National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day 2023
From the President's Desk
From the President's Desk: Honouring National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day 2023
Reconciliation is a key priority in Shape, our new University Strategic Plan and is supported by the just-released U of A TRC Report to Community Dashboard, part of our transparent approach to this journey.
September 28, 2023
U of A sets sights on higher enrolment, stronger global impact
Health And Wellness, Society and Culture, Science and Technology
U of A sets sights on higher enrolment, stronger global impact
The university’s new strategic plan lays out a 10-year vision with impact at its core.
September 19, 2023
Video Spotlight: Indigenous learners delve into archaeology
Society and Culture
Video Spotlight: Indigenous learners delve into archaeology
New micro-course teaches students to identify and investigate cultural artifacts, helping to keep them on First Nations land.
January 29, 2025
UNIVERSITY NEWS
ATEP featured in project profiling Canada’s Indigenous teacher education programs
ATEP featured in project profiling Canada’s Indigenous teacher education programs
The webpage was developed with the Canadian Geographic and Rideau Hall Foundation Partnership Project
November 25, 2024
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Education’s 2024 Alumni Award Winners
UAlberta
Education’s 2024 Alumni Award Winners
This year’s recipients made important contributions to international nursing, Indigenous culture and language promotion, and anti-racism education.
November 04, 2024
Research relationality: new project focuses on how a key Indigenous concept can address challenges
Research, Society and Culture
Research relationality: new project focuses on how a key Indigenous concept can address challenges
Program will build capacity and relationships needed to conduct Indigenous research, develop new theories based on Indigenous relational practices and then share that knowledge.
September 23, 2024
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Happy retirement, Dr. Cora Weber-Pillwax!
Happy retirement, Dr. Cora Weber-Pillwax!
Educational policy studies professor mentored generations of Indigenous students
September 09, 2024
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Ethan Hagen receives Personnel Award for Indigenous Scholars
Health And Wellness, Research
Ethan Hagen receives Personnel Award for Indigenous Scholars
Inaugural award from CIHR, Heart & Stroke and Brain Canada will fund PhD research about the impact of nicotine exposure on neurodevelopment.
July 18, 2024
Five Things I’ve Learned Through First Peoples’ House
Profile
Five Things I’ve Learned Through First Peoples’ House
By giving Indigenous students space, Indigenous cultures regain their place
June 25, 2024
Indigenous Canada and the Faculty of Native Studies
Consider This
Indigenous Canada and the Faculty of Native Studies
The popular online course has been updated to reflect events from the seven years since its launch.
June 20, 2024
Have You Met ... Josh Littlechild?
Have You Met
Have You Met ... Josh Littlechild?
Meet Josh Littlechild, Indigenous strategies manager, Provost & Vice-President (Academic), at the University of Alberta and U of A alumnus. Josh is a Nehiyaw and Dakota/Lakota from the beautiful Ermineskin Cree Nation located in Treaty 6 territory.
June 06, 2024
UNIVERSITY NEWS
The Canadian Archaeological Association Working Group on Unmarked Graves receives Governor General's Innovation Award
The Canadian Archaeological Association Working Group on Unmarked Graves receives Governor General's Innovation Award
U of A professor of Anthropology Dr. Kisha Supernant accepts award on behalf of the group at Rideau Hall
May 22, 2024
Doctoral student’s day in court helps uphold Indigenous child welfare law
Society and Culture
Doctoral student’s day in court helps uphold Indigenous child welfare law
Supreme Court of Canada’s recent decision could have groundbreaking implications for other areas of Indigenous jurisdiction.
March 25, 2024
Stereotypes of Indigenous people slower to change than labels, study suggests
Research, Society and Culture
Stereotypes of Indigenous people slower to change than labels, study suggests
Master’s student’s survey confirms previous research showing that Indigenous groups rate lower than other ethnic groups on perceptions of competence and warmth.
December 06, 2023
Video spotlight: Summer research program helps Indigenous students find their place in science
Science and Technology, Research
Video spotlight: Summer research program helps Indigenous students find their place in science
Internships offer opportunities for hands-on training in genomics science and research with Indigenous scientists.
October 20, 2023
New micro-course offers ‘Indigenous Studies 101’ for learners worldwide
Society and Culture
New micro-course offers ‘Indigenous Studies 101’ for learners worldwide
Indigenous Peoples and Canada is a shorter, more accessible version of one of the most popular online courses in the country.
September 29, 2023
‘Fire keepers’: Women elders share advice for healthy aging
Research, Health And Wellness
‘Fire keepers’: Women elders share advice for healthy aging
Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance is essential to wellness for Indigenous women, say Maskwacîs participants in sharing circle research.
September 28, 2023
U of A releases report outlining progress on Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action
Science and Technology, Health And Wellness, Society and Culture
U of A releases report outlining progress on Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action
Community report and dashboard sets a benchmark for ongoing efforts in responding to Calls to Action for post-secondary institutions.
September 26, 2023