Learning Opportunities: Indigeneity and anti-colonial resources

We invite FHSD students, staff and faculty to continue their learning journey by committing to do frequent and purposeful meaningful actions, and to expand their knowledge about the history and legacy of residential schools and the intergenerational impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples.

Do a meaningful actions by volunteering for an Indigenous organization, choosing to support Indigenous owned businesses and/or organizations, taking time from your class/meeting or have an open conversation within your close circles, etc. Take some time to reflect with your colleagues, students or close ones, and read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.

Expand your knowledge by registering in a course, attending events/workshops, reading a book, watching a documentary or film or partaking in a learning activity to expand your knowledge.

Did you know that both the Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation take place on September 30 every year?

Orange Shirt Day is the legacy of an Indigenous-led grassroot project that took place in Williams Lake, BC, Canada, in May 2013. “As spokesperson for the Reunion group leading up to the events, former student Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, a Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) woman from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band), told her story of her first day at residential school when her shiny new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken from her as a six-year old girl.” To learn more, please visit The Orange Shirt Society

Local governments, school districts, Indigenous nations and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) declared September 30 as Orange Shirt Day.

National Truth and Reconciliation Day: After a failed attempt in 2019 to pass a Bill designating September 30th National Truth and Reconciliation Day, the Canadian government passed Bill-5 in 2021 in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).  This Bill declared September 30^th as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and a federal statutory holiday.

Want to learn more? Here are some upcoming learning opportunities and resources:

• kinSHIFT- Are you a settler looking for decolonization training? Check out kinSHIFT to view our latest programs.
  • Elements of Truth: BEFORE RECONCILIATION: Sessions Online. Cost: $107.10 per session or $395 plus taxes for the four-part series. Elements of Truth: Before Reconciliation is an experiential 10-hour workshop series guided by the Indigenous values of reciprocity, inclusion, curiosity, and humility. Elements of Truth is delivered via Zoom in four 2.5-hour parts over four weeks. Participants can expect an informative, interactive, engaging and transformative learning experience. 1. Earth: Impacts of Colonization 2. Air: Expanding Perspectives 3. Fire: Awareness of Power and Privilege 4. Water: Shared Responsibilities. REGISTER HERE
  • Elements of Change: Why Land & Place Matter: Tuesday evenings: May 2, 16, 30, June 13, 2023, 5:30 – 8 pm PST ON ZOOM. Cost: $451.89 or $372.32 for students. The Elements of Change series is specifically intended for settler Canadians who have already taken at least two or more of kinSHIFT’s Elements of Truth workshops (Earth, Air, Fire or Water) and are ready to deepen their learning in a more intimate setting that includes small and large group dialogue. These four-part workshops center Indigenous voices, providing opportunities to learn from our experienced facilitation team and guest speakers. Why Land & Place Matter provides a deeper understanding of territory acknowledgements when working towards improved relations with Indigenous peoples. We will explore Indigenous perspectives on land, including the concepts of belonging, interdependence, and relationship/ Why Land & Place Matter will challenge Canadian settlers to examine their responsibilities in the collective struggle to protect our land and resources for future generations. REGISTER HERE
• IndigenEYEZ:- Workshops by and for Indigenous Peoples.
  • SPARK: Putting into Practice: We have three sessions remaining in SPARK: Putting Into Practice—our drop-in workshop series facilitated by Warren Hooley offering opportunities for facilitators and facilitators-to-be to hone and expand their creative facilitation toolkits! The SPARK series for instilling creative facilitation within Indigenous leaders and changemakers returns in the spring. For those who have taken SPARK or other IndigenEYEZ workshops before, we invite you to drop by for one or all of our Putting into Practice sessions. This is a unique style of workshops where you can practice creative facilitation techniques, share your experience and get coaching from Warren.
  • reKINdle Your Spark hosted by Hazel Bell Koski and Meagan Curley: April 5, 19, May 3, 17 from 11:30-1pm. This six-part drop-in series is a safe and uplifting space to join the IndigenEYEZ family for some nourishment in the middle of your week. This year, we’re celebrating 10 years of creative empowerment and community building. Our hope is that these sessions will reinvigorate, reignite and reinspire you to the IndigenEYEZ movement as we vision collective wellbeing for all our relations together. We’ll connect every other Wednesday over the lunch hour. We welcome you to join when you can—even if you can’t stay the entire time!
  • SEE MORE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES HERE
• Kelowna Art Gallery- Indigenous Beading Circle: Cost: $20. Join us on the first Saturday of every month from 1 to 3 pm for our community Indigenous Beading Circle, where we spend an afternoon of beading, crafting, and knowledge sharing. Anyone who would like to learn more about beadwork, practice their own beadwork, or meet other members of the beading community are welcome to join. The Indigenous Beading Circle has been created with the intention of welcoming both Indigenous and non-Indigenous crafters of all skill levels to join in a safe and creative space for open discussion and knowledge sharing. This is not an instructor-led class, however group leaders and others with experience will be participating and will be happy to share tips and techniques. The Indigenous Beading Circle is open to the public, but pre-registration is required as spaces are limited. REGISTER HERE
• Okanagan Regional Library- Elders Circle: March 30 from 5:30-8:45 in Vernon. Indigenous elders and friends meet to play dice, share food and talk. Attendance is by invitation or by speaking directly to one of the elders. MORE INFO HERE
• Supporting our Two Spirit Friends and Relatives: The importance of allyship in healing: April 6 from 10-11:30. The Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS) in collaboration with UBC Learning Circle will be hosting a conversation about the importance of cultivating safe spaces for 2SLGBTQ+ people for healing. We will be centering our shift as a society to consciously make space for our people who are frequently forgotten about in healing spaces. This conversation is to be held with members of the 2SLGBTQ+ Community as well as folks who have been working with IRSSS to center these experiences. We will highlight IRSSS’s first ever grief and loss workshop held in Vancouver for 2SLGBTQ+ Survivors intergenerational survivors. REGISTER HERE
• Children’s Health and Wellbeing Assessment: A strengths-based app to measure FNIM children’s well-being with Dr. Nancy Young and Mia Bourque: April 11 from 10-11:30. Online. The presentation will focus on the Aaniish Naa Gegii: the Children’s Health and Well-being Measure© (ACHWM), a strengths-based and culturally relevant app developed to measure the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) children. It will delve into the application of the ACHWM as a culturally safe assessment tool to gather local data to inform community-based decisions. REGISTER HERE
• IBPOC Voices: A Conversation with Jorden Hendry: April 17 from 12-1pm. Online. Jorden Hendry is Tsimshian/settler and a member of the Lax Kw’alaams band with nine years of experience contributing to reconciliation and anti-racism in the health and educational system. As a PhD student at the University of British Columbia, Jorden studies Indigenous Public Health and the systems that drive health disparities. REGISTER HERE
• UBC 23 24 Indigenous Cultural Safety: Creating Excellence in the Arenas of Truth, Reconciliation and Academia: April 27 from 12:00 – 1:30 pm. Online. This Indigenous Speaker Series session brings together Dr. Nadine Caron and Courtney Smith to discuss the work of cultural safety, cultural humility, and the broader work in regards to the recommendations from In Plain Sight, Truth and Reconciliation, and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan. This important and timely dialogue will highlight the work being undertaken across the UBC Faculty of Medicine in an effort to reconcile and redress the relationship between Indigenous peoples and health care professionals and systems. REGISTER HERE
• Kelowna Museums- Learning a Language: nsyilxcən for Everyone Level 1: April 18, April 25, May 2 and May 9, 2023. Cost: $75 for the four sessions. In person. Would you like to greet students or visitors in nsyilxcən? Would you like to master some basic vocabulary, and gain a deeper understanding of syilx culture and connection to place? This workshop will give participants a start on pronunciation, greetings and language meaning. This class is for everyone, regardless of heritage. Prerequisite: none. Please contact them directly at education@kelownamuseums.ca to inquire about free tickets for members of Indigenous nations.

REGISTER HERE

• • Level 2 and 3 will be posted when available

• nakulamen (what we do): syilx Traditional Plant Use Walking Tour: April 30 from 1- 3pm. $17.31. The Okanagan is incredibly biodiverse, and the syilx/Okanagan people have deep knowledge of how to use the different plant species for food, medicine, shelter, even natural deodorant! Put on your walking shoes and join us for this always popular outdoor event. Free tickets are intended for members of Indigenous nations.
  MORE INFO HERE
• K’west’lap ee Stethtatht (Truth Shows Itself): May 17 from 1-4pm. Cost: $150 for 4 sessions. What does it mean to be a syilx ally? How do you understand the local Indigenous culture and perspective? Why does it matter? Presented by syilx Elders Grouse and Pamela Barnes, this workshop series will help you understand and progress on the Truth and Reconciliation journey. Through four 3-hour workshops, participants access 12 hours of training in Indigenous cultural competency led by syilx Elders who are experts in this topic, having presented to workplaces and academic groups over many years.K’west’lap ee Stethtatht (Truth Shows Itself) will cover such themes as:
  • Sylix Indigenous Worldview
  • History of Contact
  • Current Affairs
  • The Way Forward

MORE INFO HERE

• 2023 Indigenous Art Intensive: May 17- June 14 at UBCO in-person. UBC Okanagan’s Indigenous Art Intensive offers an educational series of courses, lectures, art shows, and opportunities to create art. It features a series of world-renowned speakers, a variety of related undergraduate and graduate credit courses, and a group of resident artists who will be working to create a new body of work. Visiting artists will participated in a series of keynote presentations and artist panels once a week throughout May and June. See Keynotes/Artists/Faculty and 2023 Schedule HERE

Asynchronous resources:

• A Calls to Action Conversation – Hosted by Yellowhead Institute: Recording from Sept 29, online event. Honour National Truth and Reconciliation day this year by joining an esteemed panel of Indigenous leaders, as they discuss ‘Legacy’ Calls to Action (1-42). The discussion is hosted by Dr. Eva Jewell and Dr. Ian Moseby, who led the research for Yellowhead’s annual Call To Action Accountability: A Status Update on Reconciliation. RECORDING HERE
• UBC Learning Circle- 23 and me(n) with Elijah Buffalo: Recording from Oct 4, online event. A discussion based on anecdotal and personal observations of the representations of men in the healthcare field and how Call to Action 23 is being addressed by institutions. RECORDING HERE 
• UBC’s REDI office from the Faculty of Medicine- Diagnosing Truth, Healing and Conciliation Inside BC Health Care Systems with Dr. Danièle Behn Smith: Recording from Oct 17. Dr. Danièle Behn Smith is the Deputy Provincial Health Officer, Indigenous Health. In this second session of the Indigenous Speaker Series, we listened to Dr. Behn Smith’s unique perspective on how health and academic systems can best approach the work in relation to the processes of Truth and Reconciliation. RECORDING HERE
• Respect, Sincerity & Responsibility: Land Acknowledgements at UBC: 60 Min. Asynchronous course for faculty and UBC employees. At the end of this session, participants will recognize why land acknowledgements are an important part of our work at UBC, identify their positionality and responsibility when offering land acknowledgements and engaging with Indigenous communities and utilize resources and educational tools. REGISTER IN THIS COURSE HERE
• University of Alberta Indigenous Canada Massive Open Online Course (MOOC): 12 weeks of study, 2—3 hours/week. Asynchronous course. 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores the different histories and contemporary perspectives of Indigenous peoples living in Canada. REGISTER IN THIS COURSE HERE
• PHSA Indigenous gender diversity: creating culturally relevant and gender-affirming services: 3 HOURS. Asynchronous course. A foundational course to help learners increase awareness, knowledge, and skills for improving access to services for gender diverse Indigenous people across BC. REGISTER IN THIS COURSE HERE
• Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Read the summary of the Final Report here, or its full version here
• Read the In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care
• Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP) and Implementation Toolkit (UBC)
• Check our Reports and Resources tab for: o The National Inquiry’s Final Report into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls 2SLGBTQQIA people and The 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan and 2022 Progress report
• Resources recommended by UBCO’s Library Indigenous Strategic Plan Implementation Sub-committee
• UBC Decolonizing and Antiracist Resources
• Every Child Matters: Honouring the Missing Children
• Teaching and Learning Resources from UBC’s Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre
• UBC’s Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre Collections
• Orange T-Shirt Day at UBCO
• Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre- Teaching and Learning Resources
• Indigenous Programs and Services at UBC Okanagan
• The history of Orange Shirt Day
• Google search:
  • Annual Strawberry Ceremony- Feb 14th
  • No More Silence- It Starts With Us grassroots advocacy group
  • Red Dress Project- Métis artist Jaime Black and the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People- May 5th
• UBC’s Indigenous Foundations program
• Volunteer/donate to the Kelowna Friendship Society
• Donate to KUU-US Crisis Line Society, Orange Shirt Society, Indian Residential School Survivors Society, En’owkin Centre, Sncewips Heritage Museum, IndigenEYEZ, IndigiNews,  or others
• Shop from the Okanagan Nation Alliance, Spirit of The Lake, Kekuli Cafe, Shop First Nations, Indigenous World Winery, Shop Indigenous, Indigenous-Owned Businesses, Theytus Books, Strong Nations, GoodMinds or others
• Kinshift: Find lists of books to dig into, Videos to watch and Podcasts to listen to or donate
• Books, Films and resources compiled by the Okanagan Regional Library
• Books, Videos, children resources, etc from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights
• A selection of films by Indigenous filmmakers and allies from the National Film Board of Canada. See also their Educational Playlist
• Residential Schools Podcast Series
• The Aboriginal Healing Foundation Archived Research Series
• Recognizing Our Implicit Bias Towards Indigenous Peoples | Kelly Terbasket | TEDxBYU

Learning Opportunities: EDI, Accessibility and anti-oppression

Featured event:

Friday March 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility, an opportunity celebrate transgender students, staff & faculty and raise awareness of discrimination and transphobia in our communities.

FHSD students, staff and faculty are invited to join the Equity and Inclusion office (EIO), UBCO Pride, Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Office (SVPRO) and others to paint the E located outside of the Admin building on campus on March 31st from 10-12pm. Your visible support, voice and presence is important! Please distribute this invitation and image within your classes, labs and teams; and stay tuned for FHSD’s upcoming April EDI Lunch and Learns.

• Trans Day of Visibility: Amplifying Our Joy: March 31 from 5:30-8:30pm at the Mary Irwin Theatre in Kelowna. The Okanagan Gender Identity Group believes that in this current political moment, the best antidote to anti-trans hatred and bigotry is to amplify our joy. This Trans Day of Visibility (March 31st), come on down to the Mary Irwin Theatre in the Rotary Centre for the Arts for a free, all ages showcase of local transgender, 2-spirit, non-binary and gender-nonconforming artists and performers! The event will run from 5:30 – 8:30, with a lengthy intermission to enjoy free food and check out local trans, 2-spirit, and gender-nonconforming vendors and artists.This all ages event may include slight strong language, but we encourage the local trans community, their families, and local allies to attend.

This event has been organized by OGIG in partnership with Transparent Okanagan, Kelowna Pride, and Advocacy Canada.

Featured volunteer opportunity:

• This Space Belongs to You is looking for a SUMMER VOLUNTEER! Deadline: April 15, 2023. Currently operating under the Living Positive Centre, This Space Belongs To You or This Space is a non-profit foundation committed to providing safe and inclusive spaces and resources for IBPOC and/or 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals ages 12 to 24. They operate from an anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, anti-racist, decolonial, and intersectional lens, and aim to provide free, equitable, and transformative care. Their services include individual and group counselling, peer support, and gender-affirming wear programs. All counsellors identify as queer and/or as people of colour (POC). READ UBCO BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT HERE

If interested, please see their Instagram page and send your resume to meaghan@thisspacebelongstoyou.com!

• Bi-Cultural/Multicultural Identities Group: Every Thursday from 2:30-4pm at the gathering room in the Nechako residence. International Student? Immigrant or child of immigrants? Adjusting to student life and navigating your identity? Join these weekly sessions to discuss multicultural identity and finding an academic/social balance with our sense of selves. Snacks Provided! Email hira.imam@ubc.ca to register.
• Staff and faculty- Disability Affinity Group (DAG) Meetings: Attend an informal, drop-in style Zoom meeting to discuss concerns, issues, strategies, advocacy, ideas, or just sit back and relax with your camera off in a safe and supportive environment. Community of Care Drop in Sessions are:
  • Thursday April 6, 2023 – 4-5pm

MORE INFO HERE

• Okanagan Regional Library- Spanish-English Intercambio: Recurring every Thursday until Mar 30 at the Okanagan Regional Library Kelowna Branch from 6-8pm. Spanish-English Intercambio is a relaxed meeting space for those looking to improve their Spanish or English and meet new friends while doing so. Practice your conversational language skills in this drop-in, weekly program. MORE INFO HERE
• Okanagan Regional Library- Book Club in French/Club de lecture en français: Si vous êtes un adulte curieux et passionné de littérature francophone, ce club de lecture est pour vous! Joignez-vous à nous chaque premier samedi du mois de 10h30 à 11h30. Le roman à discuter: “La part de l’autre” d’Éric-Emmanuel SchmittIf you like French literature, and enjoy discuss it in French, this Book Club is for you! Join us every first Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The book to discuss: “The part of the other” by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt. MORE INFO HERE
• Okanagan Regional Library-Mandarin Mondays: Mondays from 5-6:30 in Kelowna. A free Mandarin conversation club in Kelowna bridges east and west. Come meet with Mandarin speaking tutors every Monday.
  Everyone is welcome! MORE INFO HERE
• Rutland English Corner: A conversational English group for people with beginner to intermediate English language skills. Drop on in! Everyone welcome. Meet others and improve your English with engaging conversation. MORE INFO HERE
• Drag Brunch: Saturday and Sunday mornings at Friends of Dorothy. Downtown, Kelowna.
  • See also ongoing events and Drag shows HERE and in the Kelowna Pride page HERE  
• Rebellious Unicorns Events: Rebellious Unicorns is a 100% 2SLGBTQ+ owned events, broadcasting and media production company, based out of Kelowna, BC. MORE INFO HERE
• TA Foundational Training Program: The TA Foundational Training Program’s Term 2 offering will include a selection of core modules only. TAs will have 6 weeks in which to complete 5 core modules, and 1 optional module on using Canvas if they need that training. The program for term 2 will consist of up to 6 hours of paid training outside of the standard teaching assistant contract and is offered to all new-to-UBC TAs. The training is broken into a number of asynchronous and synchronous components in the form of modules. Registration for the TA Foundational Training Program Term 2 offering is now OPEN. REGISTER HERE
• We Are Countless: Jan 21 to April 16 at the Kelowna Art Gallery. We Are Countless is a new exhibition of work by two artists — Reyhan Yazdani and Nasim Pirahadi — both Persian Canadian women. The exhibition invites visitors to engage with a diverse range of powerful artworks that call attention to timely social and political discourse. The exhibition’s title comes from an artwork of the same name by Nasim Pirhadi. The impressive acrylic painting on canvas fabric depicts a tapestry of recognizable figures in varying states of protest interspersed with city motifs and backed by high-voltage power lines. Pirhadi says the work is “a reflection on the current political unrest in Iran and is a direct response to 22-year-old Jina ‘Mahsa’ Amini’s murder by the morality police of the Islamic Republic for not wearing her hijab.” In a series of ceramic sculptures by Reyhan Yazdani, visitors will encounter familiar objects like cassette tapes and viewfinders — a 3D slide viewer toy popular in the 1980s. Yazdani uses familiar household objects, maps, and papers that are abstracted and re-materialized, processing what has been lost, hidden, or taken away in the current history of Iran under the governance of the Islamic Republic. MORE INFO HERE
• UBCO Express STI Testing: March 30, April 13 and 27 from 12-3pm. Residence – Nechako 1255 International Mews Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7 Canada. In an ongoing effort to make STI testing more accessible and convenient, Student Wellness is providing express STI screening in the Nechako Residence at the Residence Wellness Hub (NCH 251). No appointment is needed. For more information about this event please visit the Residence Wellness Hub Website. **Remember to bring your Provincial Health Number or iMed so we can send your samples to the lab. We will also need your student number for registration. MORE INFO HERE
• Egale Free Webinars: Egale is Canada’s leading organization for 2SLGBTQI people and issues
  • Upcoming Webinars for Educators and School Staff:
    • April 5, 2023 at 4:30pm EDT: Introduction to 2SLGBTQI Inclusion
    • April 13, 2023 at 7:00pm EDT: Trans and Nonbinary Youth
    • April 18, 2023 at 1:00pm EDT: Introduction to 2SLGBTQI Inclusion

• Newcomers Knitting and Stitching Circle: March 29 from 10-12pm in Vernon. Connecting newcomers to Vernon through crafting. ESL students and newcomers, join us on Wednesday mornings to socialize
  and craft together. All skill levels are welcome. Knitting supplies are provided or bring your own project.
  In partnership with the Vernon and District Immigrant Community Services Society. MORE INFO HERE
• Virtual Queer Community Book Club: The Virtual Queer Community Book Club features books written by 2SLGBTQ+ (2 Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) authors. The VQCBC strives to deepen our sense of community and ourselves in a queer centric space. Join us for a lively discussion about this months selection “Mama’s Boy” by Dustin Lance Black. Recommended for Young Adults and Adults. MORE INFO HERE
• Practicing inclusive and equitable faculty and staff performance reviews: March 30 from 2-3:30pm. Performance and merit reviews can be difficult conversations to navigate. Join this JEDII STEM Series session to discuss characteristics of inclusive and equitable performance and review processes. If there are any units who have created changes in their performance review process in order to promote justice, equity or inclusion and would be willing to share their lessons learned, please contact mai.yasue@ubc.ca. *The JEDII STEM Series offers regular, informal educational sessions on topics ranging from considering JEDII within your research program to setting up inclusive search processes for faculty and staff. Learn more about the series. REGISTER HERE
• Latin Dance Lessons UBCO: March 30 from 7-9pm. Cost: $40. Join us for Latin Rhythms Dance with UBCO Recreation. This term we are offering two classes:
  • Level 1: Latin Rhythms Dance Lessons (7:00-8:00pm)
  • Level 2: Partner Dance. Grab a partner and register together! (8:00-9:00pm)
  • Each level is a five-week session of classes on Thursday evenings. Sign up today to learn a new type of dance or improve your skills! REGISTER HERE
• Paint Your Pride Brunch: April 1 at 11am at the Penticton Art Gallery. Join for a pastries and charcuterie brunch followed by a paint activity! Materials will be provided for you to Paint Your Pride! Limited spaces available, registration required. This event does not require an Ignite the Arts Festival pass. Donations to SOS Pride to assist with the cost of this event, are accepted. Donate online at our website www.sospride.ca or in person the day of the event.
• Rutland Library- Language Café: April 1 from 3-5pm.Come join us for the Rutland Library Language Café! Meet up with other members of the community and through conversation practice your English skills. The Language Café is a great stepping stone if your not quite ready to visit our Rutland English Corner and need some extra support during conversation practice. MORE INFO HERE
• Reclaiming and Reorienting to Embodied, Collective Knowledges of Solidarity: April 3 from 12-1:30pm. ART 110. The campus community is invited to Reclaiming and Reorienting to Embodied, Collective Knowledges of Solidarity, a talk presented by the Department of Community, Culture and Global Studies. The event will feature two speakers: Dr. Sarah Hunt/Tłaliłila’ogwa, a queer scholar-activist and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Political Ecology at the University of Victoria, and Dr. May Farrales, an interdisciplinary scholar and Assistant Professor cross-appointed in Simon Fraser University’s Department of Geography, and Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies.
• Soirée Cinéma pour les étudiant.e.s: Chanson douce (Movie Night): April 3 from 6:30-8:15pm. Voyez Chanson douce (with English subtitles) à la soirée cinéma pour étudiant.e.s d’Espaces francophones. Bonbons inclus ! Vous pouvez voir la bande annonce ici. Come watch Chanson douce at Espace francophone’s movie night for students with English subtitles and free snacks. View the movie trailer. This event is free and open to all, no registration is required. MORE INFO HERE
• WiSE Speed Mentoring Event: Calling all Women in STEM! April 5 from 6-8pm. WiSE (Women in Science & Engineering) is hosting a speed mentoring event where students can meet and form valuable connections with women in industry and academia.
  • Expand your career network and build valuable connections for your future
  • Receive wisdom and guidance from successful women in your field
  • Dinner and drinks are provided!

REGISTER HERE

• Queer-Lesque Mixer: April 9 at 7pm at Dunnenzies Downtown Kelowna. It’s a holiday! One usually based around family, religion and chocolate…… So let’s get our queer family together. They will have gaymes, burlesque burlesque by Tina Bo’Bina + Miss Ocean Squeeze, pizza, and an easter egg hunt. There will be time throughout the night to mix and mingle and maybe meet some new queer pals! If the vibe is right we can make the stage the dancefloor and dance the night away. Ticket includes entry and a slice of pizza and burlesque show. MORE INFO HERE
• Déjeuner Crêpe (Crêpe Breakfast): April 11 from 7:30-9:30am. UNC Walkway. Dites adieu au trimestre autour d’un déjeuner avec des crêpes, un café ou un chocolat chaud. Formulaire d’inscription disponible ici. Bid farewell to the term with a special crêpe breakfast hosted by Espaces francophones. Don’t miss out on a free crêpe with hot chocolate or coffee. MORE INFO HERE
• Anti-Racism and Solidarity in University Settings: April 13 from 1-3pm. This foundational workshop offers participants an overview of key concepts related to race, racism and systems of oppression, and explores anti-racist practices through a lens of solidarity and allyship in university settings. We situate our concepts in current events and we look at how racism shows up at UBC. We will also discuss anti-racist practices that support students, faculty, and staff who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Colour. In this workshop, we begin by grounding ourselves in our goals as educators, and framing our own motivation for engaging in this work. The workshop is a combination of presentation slides, reflective activities, and interactive small group discussions. REGISTER HERE
• Promising Practices for Campus Health-Care Professionals Working with Survivors of Gender-Based Violence: April 19 at 10am. Online. Navigating the healthcare system can be confusing, arduous and retraumatizing for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Courage to Act is proud to be launching this new workbook intended to guide campus healthcare professionals in providing trauma-informed care to GBV survivors, and support survivors and their advocates in navigating access to care. Join the authors in conversation with Canadian healthcare experts to discuss the importance of providing trauma-informed care; and how this workbook can guide physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, health educators and health administrative staff serving post-secondary institutions. REGISTER HERE
• The Past, Present and Co-Developed Future of Services for Children and Youth with Support Needs with Danielle Smith & Molly Fredeen: May 4 from 10-11:30am. Online. This webinar is about supports and services for children and youth with support needs (CYSN). We will share the story of how CYSN services came to be, who accesses them now, and the government’s responsibility to children and youth with support needs and their families. We will discuss what that story tells us about changes that need to be made to the system to better align with the vision Indigenous communities have for their children and youth with support needs, and share opportunities for input and consultation. REGISTER HERE
• Pride Week: June 5-11. Kelowna Pride Festival: June 10. Save the dates, more details coming soon. MORE INFO HERE
• Kelowna International Fringe Festival: Aug 28-Sept 3 at 12pm. Door tickets are $18 + fees ( = $20 total ) Doors open 10 minutes before showtime. Join us for a theatre festival like no other. With locations in Kelowna, West Kelowna and Lake Country see everything from plays, musicals, dance, drama, comedy, improv, drag and more!
  Tickets and full info available HERE

See asynchronous learning opportunities in our  Resources and Reports page.

Black History Month- February 2023

February is an opportunity for a focused, intentional and elevated reflection and recognition of Black history and achievement—and the many historical and contemporary contributions of Black Canadians, Black British Columbians and Black students, faculty and staff at UBC.

Events include:

• Black Canadian History and Applied Science: Understanding and Reconciling the History of Our Professions
  February 1, 2023, 3–4:30 pm online. Hear Bashir Mohamed, UBC Vancouver’s EDI.I Coordinator, discuss Black Canadian history and how the history relates to disciplines in Applied Science.

• Vivo Per Questo – Power to the Words – Canada Tour
  February 7, 2023, 5–6:30 pm online. Join Afro-Italian hip-hop artist and activist Amir Issaa for a live concert and Q&A session.

• Foundations of Anti-Racism
  February 9, 2023, 2–3:30 pm at the Commons (COM 311) Join us to gain an understanding of key anti-racist topics such as power, privilege, allyship & solidarity.

• Black History Month: The Drag and Ball of it All
  February 15, 2023, 2–4 pm in the University Centre Ballroom (UNC 200). Take part in interactive activities that celebrate Blackness & Queerness in the ballroom scene with a conversation & trivia-style quiz led by UBC Alum Mimi Mutahi.

• Black Lives, Black Voices and Black Identities in the Faculty of Medicine
  February 17, 2023, 12–1:30 pm online. Hear from panellists as they’re invited to reflect on their Black identity and how it has shaped their personal narrative — their education journey, work experiences and sense of belonging.

• IBPOC Faculty, Staff, Post-Doc Fellows and Graduate Students Get Together: Celebrating Black History Month
  February 28, 2023, 12–1 pm. Come together in solidarity with other IBPOC faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students to celebrate Black History Month.

• Poem Unveiling and Student Meet & Greet
  February 28, 2023, 2 pm in EME 2171. See the unveiling of the poem written from the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Report and network with colleagues and peers.

• Black History Month: A panel conversation on the Black experience in the Faculty of Applied Science
  February 28, 2023, 3–4:30 pm online. Come together with students, staff, and faculty as they share their experiences of being Black in an under-represented faculty.

UBCO EMERGE EVENTS

Emerge is a series of career-focused workshops and sessions intended to support Black students and students of colour as they navigate the job market.

UBCO AFRICAN CARIBBEAN STUDENT CLUB EVENTS

Mental Health Wednesday
February 1, 8, 15
On Zoom

Slam Fest & Fashion
February 11
On campus

Take Me Out
February 13
On campus

Trivia Night
February 17
On campus

Hair Workshop
February 27
On campus

ACSC Annual Legacy Gala
March 4

MORE INFO HERE

Resources: 

• Anti-Racism Speaker Series – Recordings
• To understand BC’s Black history, connect past and present in Canada
• CODE SWITCH

Black Mental Wellness Project

The Black Wellness Project is back! Black counsellors from within the community have collaborated with UBC Black Caucus once again to provide two FREE virtual and/or in-person counselling sessions on a limited, first-come, first-served basis. This is open to all black Student, Staff and Faculty on both campuses. Bookings can be made by contacting the counsellors directly. Please see the list of participating counsellors HERE and their contact information.

IBPOC Faculty & Staff Get Together

A group of IBPOC staff and faculty in collaboration with the Provost Office hosts meet and greet gatherings for all staff, faculty and post-docs that identify as Indigenous, Black, Asian, multiracial, and/ or people of colour. If you are a UBCO faculty, staff or postdoctoral scholar who identifies as Indigenous, Black, Asian, multiracial, people of colour, or as a member of another racialized group, join us at our next event. These gatherings provide a space to connect and strengthen your community with other IBPOC-identifying faculty, staff and postdoctoral scholars at UBCO. 

Learn more about IBPOC Connections: Staff & Faculty HERE

Looking to keep up to date with IBPOC Connections opportunities and next events? Sign-up our listserv:

1. Open a new email message to be sent to listserv@lists.ubc.ca
2. Copy and paste the following in the email body: subscribe IBPOC-CONNECTIONS
3. Click send and await confirmation email
4. Click on confirm subscription in confirmation email

***Please note that this is a space for faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars and graduate students who identify as Indigenous, Black and/or Person of Color to build their support networks. We thank you for understanding and supporting this community initiative. For any questions please email: equity.ubco@ubc.ca

Would you like to learn more about why people who identify as IBPOC need their own spaces? Check out the article on the link (above), read recommendations #6, 32, 3, 14, 34 (and others) from the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Final Report  and see Goal 1, action D from UBC: Inclusion Action Plan. 

Equity and Inclusion in Action: JEDII STEM Series

The JEDII STEM Series offers regular, informal educational sessions on topics ranging from considering JEDII within your research program to setting up inclusive search processes for faculty and staff.

The series has been developed specifically to engage/support people who lead and support JEDII within STEM fields – for example, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Applied Science, Land and Food Systems, Forestry, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Medicine – and who already have some competencies in JEDII-related topics.

Although we center the experiences of people from equity-deserving groups in many of the discussions, allies and those from non-equity seeking groups are welcome and encouraged to attend – it is everyone’s responsibility to create a more just, equitable and inclusive university.

The series aims to primarily:

• Build a sense of community across STEM for people working on JEDII within their units.
• Enhance a sense of self-efficacy and solidarity through sharing of resources, knowledge and expertise.
• Through exchanges of ideas, develop a deeper understanding of some of the systemic barriers to JEDII within STEM in order to coordinate action across different units.

Sessions are generally delivered virtually and are available to participants at UBC Vancouver, UBC Okanagan, and other learning sites. For more information, please visit: Equity and Inclusion in Action: JEDII STEM Series