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A message from Jean Becker, Associate Vice-President, Office of Indigenous Relations

This Spring, we look forward to merging the À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Indigenous Student Centre (WISC) and the Office of Indigenous Relations (OIR). This integration will offer Indigenous students access to a more cohesive support system. Currently, WISC operates separately from OIR in United College (formerly St. Paul’s United College).  Aligning these services within OIR, Indigenous Student Services can more effectively collaborate with university departments, provide clearer advocacy, and create a more robust network of resources.   

As we look ahead with excitement, it is also important to look back and acknowledge all the groundwork that laid the foundation for both OIR and WISC and our ultimate union. Let’s take a moment to reflect on the incredible contributions of WISC and United College over the past 22 years. 

The work of implementing Indigenization, decolonization and reconciliation started in 2020 at the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, and the Office of Indigenous Relations was established in 2021, but the background work leading to the creation of the office started decades ago. The earliest known Indigenous student support and education was carried out in the 1980’s and 90’s by Elaine Garner, an Anishinaabe Kwe and former senior manager, Graduate Studies Financial Aid Programs.

During her 34-year career at À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, before any formation of Indigenous services or associations, Garner provided key support for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students and staff. She encouraged and helped students establish the first Aboriginal Student Association in the mid 1990’s, advocated for the first Native Studies course at St. Paul’s United College and was instrumental in establishing the Shatitsirótha À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Indigenous Student Centre (WISC), which was created in 2003, at St. Paul’s United College. 

I was the first ever staff hired specifically for Indigenous student support when I started as the Indigenous Student Support Coordinator at St. Paul’s in 2003. Under the forward-thinking leadership of Principals Graham Brown then Rick Myers, my small office eventually developed into the À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Indigenous Student Centre with space for staff and students. Soup lunches began with a crock pot, an electric frying pan and a handful of students and staff into the crowded roomful of diners we see every week at WISC today. 

United serves as a remarkable example of the contributions that our affiliated colleges make to the broader university. United College hosted and ran WISC for two decades when À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ had no central Indigenous leadership. This meant that after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released the 94 Calls to Action in 2015, À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ had a starting point to work with. 

For 22 years, WISC has provided leadership, resources and supports to the entire À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ community. WISC’s space at United has served as a sanctuary and home for many, and a source of support and connection for Indigenous students on campus. It has been a place where culture, community and friendships have been fostered, providing opportunities for Indigenous students to gather in good company, learning and growing as their authentic selves. 

On behalf of OIR and the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, I would like to sincerely thank United College for hosting WISC and to everyone who has contributed to the services and support offered to Indigenous students through the years. You have made an incredible impact that remains with students long after they graduate, and I look forward to the good work we will do together in the future.