2023
National Indigenous
Citizenship Forum
Moving Beyond Indigenous Self-Identification at Canadian Post-Secondaries
Register nowMarch 21–22, 2023
Hotel Saskatchewan and Online
Regina
oskana ka-asastēki
Treaty 4 Territory, the land of the Cree, Saulteaux, Dakota, Lakota, Nakoda, and homeland of the Métis Nation.
About the Forum
A two-day hybrid Indigenous-only gathering for Indigenous university campus members.
Hosted by The First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv), in partnership with the National Indigenous University Senior Leaders’ Association (NIUSLA)
The Forum is limited to 500 Indigenous attendees, by invitation only.
In the era of truth and reconciliation and UNDRIP, hosting such a dialogue allows us to develop the frameworks, principles, guidelines, wise practices and procedures to determine citizenship for Indigenous Peoples status within the Canadian postsecondary context.
During this interactive Forum, attendees will have the opportunity to share experiences and information, provide recommendations, and identify areas of success and need within postsecondary institutions. We will also hear from esteemed Indigenous scholars, Elders, and students about their work in this area.
Intimate conversation circles will discuss wise practices for validating Indigenous citizenship for Indigenous-specific opportunities at academic institutions and setting the stage for ongoing dialogue beyond the academy.
The two-day Forum is an Indigenous-only safe space that is urgently needed for Indigenous university campus members to gather for constructive and respectful dialogue.
Our Purpose
waniska!
Cree — wake up
It is time to wake up our Indigenous knowledges and collectively self-determine our Indigenous futures in postsecondary institutions and beyond.
It is time to wake up our Indigenous languages and knowledges, wake up the land, and wake up the stories of our ancestors and their visions for our thriving, sovereign, self-determined nations.
Collectively, Indigenous peoples will develop wise practices and provide pathways forward for postsecondary institutions grappling with issues of identity fraud to ensure academic opportunities intended for Indigenous peoples are reserved for Indigenous peoples.
Our Indigenous philosophies and teachings will guide a way forward because they are as applicable today as they were hundreds of years ago.
At last year’s Forum, we learned that we have just begun the dialogue and that more dedicated Indigenous space is needed for our academic communities to continue the conversation. The purpose of this Forum is to provide that safe space.
Registration
Limited to invited Indigenous attendees only
Attendance at the Forum is limited to Indigenous peoples connected to postsecondary institutions or invited by members of NIUSLA. We respectfully ask all other interested parties to please remain patient and wait until information for the 3rd Forum becomes available.
There are a limited number of sponsored tickets available for Indigenous Elders and currently registered post-secondary students only. Students must list their institutional affiliation for verification.
In order to register for the Forum, you must complete a registration process via TicketTailor.
If you do not meet the criteria for registration, you will be refunded the cost of your ticket prior to the event.
Learn about the registration process
Cultural Credentials:
Following the guidance of attendees last year, registrants for the Forum must provide their individual cultural credentials according to Indigenous worldviews in addition to their academic institutional affiliations. Please identify in a way that makes you feel comfortable in the spirit of creating an Indigenous-only space and to celebrate our Indigeneity.
Cultural credentials may include your traditional / given name, who gave it to you, your clan, what knowledge transfers you have and who transferred that knowledge, what territory you are connected to, what family line(s), and/or what other claims or connections you may have to Indigenous citizenship.
Please see the example provided below.
Individual names, academic affiliation, and cultural credentials will be reviewed by NIUSLA to determine whether the registrant is an Indigenous person connected to a postsecondary institution and will also be available to all other attendees at the Forum, and the name of each attendee will be listed in the Forum’s Final Report.
Registrants will be required to outline their cultural credentials in writing, and will also do so verbally as NIUSLA has decided to exercise Indigenous law by utilizing a public witnessing process for all attendees.
By registering for the Forum, you are consenting to your cultural credentials being reviewed by NIUSLA for the purposes of determining whether you are an Indigenous person connected to post-secondary institution or invited by NIUSLA, for your cultural credentials being shared with others in attendance at the Forum, and for your names being listed in the Forum’s Final Report.
Example of Cultural Credentials:
linda manyguns, is my western name, notoiymakshishkumaki (holy spring women) is a family name combined from Mrs BigTobbaco and the old Manyguns of the Siksika. this was given to me by my uncle Clifford Manyguns at banff, because both my ancestors had healing powers from the banff springs. i am part of Sieeks clan, i have been in the Mootokiiks lodge (Buffalo Women's Society) for 23 years, i have been a beaver woman with all the women's rights for a Blackfoot Beaver bundle for over 25 years.
Elders
Dr. Maria Campbell
Elder & Indigenous Knowledge & Wellness Coordinator, FNUniv
Dr. Wanosts'a7 Lorna Williams
Elder, Associate Professor Emeritus, Indigenous Education, UVic
Elder Joseph Naytowhow
Elder, Singer, songwriter, performer
Elder Reepa Evic-Carleton
Elder & Therapist, Inuuqatigiit Centre for Inuit Children, Youth, and Families
The Late Elder Millie Anderson
Acknowledgement
Moderators
Dr. Beverly Jacobs
Senior Advisor, Indigenous Relations and Outreach, University of Windsor
Dr. Celeste Pedri-Spade
Associate Provost of Indigenous Initiatives, McGill
Dr. Christy Bressette
Vice-Provost & Associate VP, Indigenous Initiatives, Western University
Dr. Savage Bear
Director, McMaster Indigenous Research Institute
Marilyn Poitras
Lawyer, ethical space designer, public speaker
Neal Kewistep (MC)
Executive-in-Residence, USask
Qwul'sih'yah'maht (Dr. Robina Thomas)
Associate vice-president Indigenous, UVic
Experience
Agenda
Tuesday March 21, 2023
Downloadwith kehte-ayak in the Elders’ Lounge
Library — in-person only
Ballroom — in-person only
Neal Kewistep
Bob Badger, University of Saskatchewan
Amanda Paul and Kiefer Paul
Ms. Denise Baxter, Lakehead University
Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann, President
Witnessing from the 1st National Indigenous Identity Forum
- Michelle Cyca, Freelance Journalist and Editor
- Trina Roache, Rogers Chair in Journalism
University of King’s College (Via Zoom) - Moderator: Dr. Christy Bressette, Western University
Legal Perspectives on Indigenous Citizenship in the Academy
Jean Teillet, Senior Counsel, Pape Salter Teillet LLP
Hosted by Dr. Beverly Jacobs, University of Windsor
Facilitated by NIUSLA Members
in-person and online
Indigenous Citizenship in the Academy, 1 year later
Dr. Kim TallBear, University of Alberta (via Zoom)
Hosted by Dr. Savage Bear, McMaster University
Angel Oliver, McGill University Graduate Student
in-person only
in-person only
in-person only
Wednesday March 22, 2023
Downloadwith kehte-ayak in the Elders’ Lounge
Library — in-person only
Ballroom — in-person only
- Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos, UToronto (via Zoom)
- Dr. Alex Wilson, USask (via Zoom)
- Dr. Adam Murry, UCalgary (via Zoom)
- Moderator: Dr. Celeste Pedri-Spade, McGill
- Elder Reepa Evic-Carleton (via Zoom)
- Elder Wanosts'a7 Lorna Williams
- Elder Joseph Naytowhow
- Acknowledgment of late Elder Millie Anderson
- Moderated by: Marilyn Poitras
Entertainment Provided by Carrie McNab and Yellow Creek Drum Group (in-person only)
Community impact of false identity claims.
- Lori Campbell, University of Regina
- Manon Tremblay, Concordia University
- Elder Maria Campbell, First Nations University
- Keisha (wapahkesis), University of Saskatchewan Graduate Student
- Moderated by: Dr. Robina Thomas, UVic
Facilitated by NIUSLA Members
in-person and online
Loretta Pete Lambert, FNUniv Board of Governors
Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann, NIUSLA Co-Chair & FNUniv President
Closing Prayer
Elder
Closing Song
Joseph Naytowhow
Indigenous Artisan Market
The 2023 Forum will feature an Indigenous Artisan Market to showcase Indigenous artists and vendors onsite at the Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina, Treaty 4 Territory.
Witnesses
2023
2022
dr. linda manyguns
Dr. Lynn Lavallee
Moses Gordon
Dr. Dustin Louie
Witness Role
Witnessing as Indigenous praxis
The 2023 Forum will open with last year’s witnesses sharing the knowledge, reflections, and stories they carry with them from the first event.
In an effort to center the voices of Indigenous youth, four students will serve as witnesses for the 2nd Forum.
Throughout the two days, the witnesses will observe the presentations and discussions as well as move freely between the online and in-person breakout session conversation circles, listening for themes and provoking ideas.
At the end of the forum, the four Indigenous student witnesses will share a retelling and interpretation of what they felt, saw and heard. The witness stories will be included in the forum summary report.
As you may know, witnessing is a form of Indigenous praxis for many Indigenous groups and can be conducted in many ways. At Stó:lö cultural gatherings, the Spokesman lets the guests know that it is time to pay attention to the activities by saying, “My dear ones, our work is about to begin.” Usually, the cultural work is witnessed by the guests through the oral tradition, which includes speech, story, and song.
Mind, Body, and Spirit, 3Jo4. Ann Archibald (2008). Indigenous Storywork: Educating the Heart, Mind, Body, and Spirit, 3-4.
FAQs
Registration
How do I register?
Attendees can register through Ticket Tailor.
What are cultural credentials?
Cultural credentials may include traditional/given name, who gave it to you, your clan, what knowledge transfers you have and who transferred that knowledge, what territory you are connected to, what family line(s), and/or what other claims or connections you may have to Indigenous Citizenship.
Why are cultural credentials required?
The purpose of submitting personal information and cultural credentials with event registration is to allow organizers to ensure the Forum is an Indigenous-only event and safe space to engage in serious discussions regarding the validation of Indigenous citizenship.
Cultural credentials and personal information will be used to determine whether you are an Indigenous person connected to a postsecondary institution and to further determine your eligibility to attend the Forum.
Will my cultural credentials be available to others?
The credentials provided will also be available to all other attendees at the Forum and the name of each attendee will be listed in the Forum’s Final Report.
What is an example of cultural credentials?
Please see the example provided below.
linda manyguns, is my western name, notoiymakshishkumaki (holy spring women) is a family name combined from Mrs BigTobbaco and the old Manyguns of the Siksika. this was given to me by my uncle Clifford Manyguns at banff, because both my ancestors had healing powers from the banff springs. i am part of Sieeks clan, i have been in the Mootokiiks lodge (Buffalo Women's Society) for 23 years, i have been a beaver woman with all the women's rights for a Blackfoot Beaver bundle for over 25 years.
How can I attend if I don’t work for a university?
The Forum is limited to 500 Indigenous attendees, by invitation only. You may be eligible to attend if you don’t work for a university, but were invited by a university based on the advisory role you serve at that academic institution. Academic institutional affiliation is a requirement to attend.
How can I attend if I’m not Indigenous?
This Forum is closed to Indigenous participants only and we respectfully ask that you await future forums. In the interim, support is welcome in the form of sponsorship from universities, colleges, academic institutions, and national research organizations who value this work.
Travel and Accommodation
Where is the conference being held this year?
The conference is being held at the Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina, Treaty 4 Territory.
Where do I stay if I’m coming from out of town?
We have secured a block of rooms at the Hotel Saskatchewan. Registered attendees can book a hotel room for their stay before March 2nd, 2023.
Accessibility
I am attending in-person. Is the venue accessible?
Hotel Saskatchewan is a fully accessible venue. There is an entrance to the building by the parking lot with an elevator to the lobby. There are no stairs to enter the Forum room.
Who do I contact if I have questions about accessibility regarding in-person or virtual attendance?
Please email us.
Virtual attendees
Will the sessions be recorded?
The presentations and panel discussions will be recorded and housed on the forum website.
Breakout discussions will not be recorded, but high-level themes that emerge will be captured by the Indigenous student note-takers and shared in aggregate form in the post-forum report.
How can I participate virtually?
Registered attendees who wish to participate in the forum virtually will be sent a Zoom link for the event. This zoom link is unique to you; do not forward it or share it with others.
The virtual component will also feature breakout sessions.
General information
Will there be food provided?
Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided for in-person attendees on March 21 and 22, with dinner provided on March 21.
If you require dietary accommodations, please email us.
Where can I find the outcomes from the Forum?
A final report will be circulated post-forum and will include a summary of the keynote presentations, panels, and high-level themes that emerged, as captured by Indigenous student note-takers.
The report will be circulated to attendees and shared on our website. Video recordings of the panel presentations and keynotes will be uploaded to the website sometime after the event.
Data Storage and Privacy
Who owns this data?
Ticket Tailor does not own any of the data collected from registrants; ownership remains with the conference organizers (FNUniv and NIUSLA).
For more information about how we will use your data, you can review this Forum-specific privacy policy.
How will this data be housed?
Ticket Tailor's servers are in Ireland, the UK and the EEA, and their privacy policy outlines how they retain data, except that which goes through third-party processors like Stripe.
How will the data be protected?
In Ticket Tailor’s privacy policy, there is a section on data security:
How we keep your personal information secure
We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know.
All information you provide to us is stored on our secure servers. Any payment transactions will be carried out by our Payment Processors over encrypted connections using SSL technology. Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure and any transmission is at your own risk.
We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.
What will happen to the data after the forum?
Following the Forum, we will direct Ticket Tailor to destroy all data from the event registration to ensure it is no longer in their records.
Sponsor the Forum
Support this important work
The impetus of the Forum is to provide recommendations and identify wise practices within postsecondary institutions pertaining to Indigenous-specific opportunities.
It is likely that this academic forum will directly benefit your organization as the outcomes of this event will be published as a roadmap to ensure dedicated Indigenous resources are allocated to actual Indigenous peoples.
We welcome sponsorship from universities, colleges, academic institutions, national research organizations, all levels of government, and the corporate sector. Your financial contribution will support this important work and the ongoing dialogue.
Sponsors will receive a copy of the post-forum recommendations in our final report which will also thank your organization and include your logo.
Please contact us for more information on becoming a sponsor.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Thank you to our sponsors:
Thank you to our sponsors: