Brock University unveils new Indigenous Strategic Plan

More than 150,000 Indigenous people in Canada had their education taken away from them through the residential school system.

Now, a local university is joining a list of other institutions in the country, trying to right those wrongs for future generations.

Brock University in St. Catharines recently released its first Indigenous Strategic Plan, which has six core priorities centred on reconciliation.

They include centering Indigenous knowledge in teaching, learning, research, collaborations and spaces, and cultivating Indigenous learner success, to name a few.

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Brock’s interim vice-provost of Indigenous engagement Sheila Cote-Meek says both Indigenous students and non-Indigenous students at Brock can benefit from the plan.

“As First Peoples, I think we actually deserve a place within institutions and deserve to have choices about what kind of education we would like to be able to access,” said Cote-Meek. “It’s also important for non-Indigenous students to be aware of how to work with Indigenous people, understand the history in this country and what they can do moving forward.”

The plan was developed through engagement with Brock students, faculty, staff, and multiple Indigenous organizations.

The next step is to implement the plan as soon as possible.

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