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Indigenous OLC

by SFU Indigenous Students in collaboration with the Indigenous Students Centre

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Indigenous Co-op
Community Stories
Volunteer Stories
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Audrey standing in front of Simon Fraser University, with her dog
Mobilizing Indigenous Knowledge Systems in my Work

I strive to make SFU a safer place for our Indigenous community to grow and flourish.

Sarah Rain
Indigenous Studies Alumnus Sarah Rain's Journey of Self- Discovery

As a single mom, providing her young daughter with a bright future motivated Sarah Rain to work towards her degree, while also navigating the challenges of work, life, and parenthood.

Audrey Heath posing in front of a red mosaic
Communicating Indigenous Narratives

As the Communications Program Assistant at the Indigenous Student Centre at SFU it is my job to create content to share with students that not only promote our programs, but foster community. Read more to find out how it went!

Audrey standing in front of a vista while hiking
An Interview With Co-op Student Audrey Heath

Casey Cheng, a Co-op student with the SFU Work-integrated Learning (WIL) Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) team, interviews Audrey Heath about her Co-op position with the SFU Indigenous Student Centre (ISC). Casey and Audrey discuss cultural safety, expectations & objectives, and how co-op supports professional and educational development.

Volunteers from Reconcilliation Canada
Indigenous Volunteer Opportunities Can Help Indigenous Students Gain Valuable Work Experience

Read on to learn about 5 fantastic volunteer opportunities that allow students to engage in the community and make a difference in the world.

Stone carvings
5 Paid Internships Available for Canadian Indigenous Students

Gaining work experience while still in university is a great way to prepare for life after graduation. Here are 5 organizations that offer internship programs for Indigenous students.

William
New Opportunities in a Changing Canada

A co-op semester at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) allowed International Studies student, William Reid, to learn more about Canada's relationship with Indigenous people. Read more, here. 

Indigenous Day
Event Recap: SFU Indigenous Day

The 2nd Annual SFU Indigenous Day at the SFU Burnaby campus was a huge success! Here is a recap of the event.

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How Creating Space for Indigenous Students Benefits You and Me

We must acknowledge autonomy for Indigenous Students in an academic setting, we are not in your classes to teach them, and we are not able to speak on behalf of every Indigenous community.

No more Stolen Sisters logo
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirited: What You Should Know

The Q&A you never knew you needed… but you do. Answering commonly asked questions around the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.  Here is one perspective using Indigenous pedagogy. 

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My Ode to You

An ode to the fallen and the stolen. 

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Unsettling Reconciliation

Since the Truth and Reconciliation Committee convened in 2008, reconciliation has been an issue on many minds but what is reconciliation? Here, three community members explore some of the issues and realities behind reconciliation. 

poster calling out justice for Colten and Tina
We Deserve More

We deserve more and so do our Indigenous youth. The justification of our suffering needs to stop.

The author stepping off a helicopter
76th Parallel North: An Incredible Summer with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada

Join Yee Ting on an adventure into the wilderness as they take us on an armchair journey into working with the INAC’s Resource and Land Management team. Read on to find out what Yee Ting's co-op position entails and how they gained real life experience in the field. 

A photo of a group of people gathered together for orange shirt day
Orange Shirt Day: Remembering the Horrors of Residential Schools

Three SFU students reflect on their experience as volunteers at the City of Surrey's commemoration of Orange Shirt Day.

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Walk This Path With Us

The Simon Fraser University Aboriginal Reconciliation Council invites you to witness as we present our calls to action for reconciliation to SFU President Andrew Petter.

The ICBC employees
Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC)

Interested in a career with a company who values your identity and culture?  A company who’s committed to a diverse workforce, while offering unique opportunities and professional growth.  A company who supports and encourages employees from a shared background and culture to help drive understanding, empathy and change.  If so, ICBC may be right for you.

Three people looking at a computer
[Indigenous Employer] ICBC

Interested in a career with a company who values your identity and culture?  A company who’s committed to a diverse workforce, while offering unique opportunities and professional growth.  A company who supports and encourages employees from a shared background and culture to help drive understanding, empathy and change.  If so, ICBC may be right for you.

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Work at One of the Big Four Accounting Firms: PwC

Ever wondered what it would be like working for one of the big four accounting firms? Cameron shares his insight into working for PwC and their Audit and Assurance division, including key responsibilities and advice to help you succeed!

Scott Beaupré smiling portait
The Unconventional Job Hunt: Creating Your Own Co-op Opportunities

In five years at SFU, engineering physics undergrad Scott Beaupré landed three co-op job positions and four research projects without ever dropping off a résumé. Find out how! 

Indigenous Event Photo
SFU Indigenous Day: Celebrating Knowledge and Culture

On September 28th, the First Nations Student Association (FNSA) hosted the third annual SFU Indigenous Day. An event that brings together students, faculty, artists and community members to celebrate Indigenous culture. 

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My Journey of Indigeneity (From a Non-Indigenous Perspective)

In this blog, I take you through my personal life story from immigrating to Canada, working and living in a rural First Nations community, to finding a sense of belonging and a second identity, which has forever changed the way I will view the world.

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Invest in the Unexpected: Why You Should Join Co-op and Share Your Story with the OLC

Taylor joined SFU’s Aboriginal Co-op Coordinator, Trina Setah, as a Work-Study student to help promote co-op to SFU’s Indigenous community. Read about Taylor’s personal experience with co-op, and why she thinks you should join too.

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Indigenous Student Cultural House

The Indigenous Student Centre has collaborated with Residence and Housing to pilot the Indigenous Student Cultural House (ISCH), a new living and learning community available SFU Residence (Burnaby Campus).

Deborah
Indigenous Career Journey Stories: Deborah L. Smith

"The road has been a long one and filled with many stops and starts. I would say never be afraid of having to do things over and over again because failure is not weakness or "bad". It's a way to know how to move forward." Read more to follow Deboarah's story. 

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Indigenous Literature Series: E. Richard Atleo

Read about "Tsawalk: A Nuu-chah-nulth Worldview" by E. Richard Atleo

michael sitting next to the computer
The Marathon of the Service Desk: A First Nations Health Authority Co-op Experience

Do you enjoy working with computers? Do you find the idea of solving puzzles to be exhilarating? Do you want to help people get introduced to the world of computers? If so, perhaps a Service Desk Analyst will be a perfect fit for you. Follow SIAT student, Michael Sandrin, in his first occupational adventure: working as a Service Desk Analyst for the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA).

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Come Witness the Annual Indigenous Success Stories Event

SFU First Nations Student Association (FNSA) invites you to come and witness this annual event. Indigenous storytellers will share their journeys of success, expressing the adversity and perseverance faced along the way. Don't miss this chance to engage in the SFU Indigenous community as well as those closely connected to SFU!

Grad Aboriginal Entrance Scholarship winner
SFU's Indigenous Graduate Entrance Scholarship

The Aboriginal Entrance Scholarship is definitely worth all its cracked up to be.

Taylor Mckinney headshot
Why Apply to Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada

It is a very exciting time to get involved with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)! Taylor shares her experience working at INAC's Yukon regional office and how she gained valuable skills while learning about Yukon First Nations, government and life in the North. 

Womans memorial march
Why Attend the March for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women

The Annual Women's Memorial March is on February 14th. This is why I attend and why you should too. 

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Haida Artist Bill Reid’s Black Eagle Canoe Finds New Home at SFU

Haida artist Bill Reid’s Black Eagle canoe is a symbol of knowledge, community and cultural regeneration, so its installation at SFU’s Burnaby campus is a fitting tribute to the University’s 50th Anniversary.

SFu summer camp
Summer Camp Prepares Students for University

Anika Robertson says the SFU Aboriginal camp exceeded her expectations and inspired her to aim for university.

Native woman college basketball team
Native Basketball Festival at SFU is Coming May 2016

More than 20 Aboriginal basketball teams from around B.C. and Alberta are expected to turn out for the second Native Basketball Tournament/Festival at SFU’s Burnaby campus on May 20-22, 2016

Nathalie Sinclair working with young child
Early-Number Learning and Language Revitalization a Dynamite Combination

SFU mathematics education professor Nathalie Sinclair has been working with the Ojibwe and Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations to translate her early-numbers mathematics app into their languages.

Phil Fontaine presenting
Beedie Hosts Phil Fontaine

“There is a notion that Aboriginal peoples are anti-development, when in fact we are very pro-development – but it must be responsible development,” said Fontaine

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SFU Aboriginal Faculty Members to Increase

The Faculty of Education has just hired the first professor to be recruited under SFU’s Aboriginal Faculty Recruitment Plan.

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MA Student Seeks to Address Métis Mental Health Issues

Monique Auger, a proud Métis woman from Vancouver Island, thinks there is. She is using her Graduate Aboriginal Scholarship to pursue a master of science, in the Faculty of Health Sciences, to explore this issue.

Marlana and her family
Indigenous Career Journey Stories: Marlana “Kaneratenhawi” Thompson-Baker

My professor explained, learn the things you don't know, don't waste your time learning what you already know and don't waste time reinventing the wheel. Read Marlana's story of hard work and determination!

Valerie Bob
2015 Graduate Aboriginal Scholarships Awarded to Valerie Bob

At 58, Valerie Bob has had a long career in social services and education after earning a BA in social work and an MA in First Peoples’ education. Now, with the help of a Graduate Aboriginal Scholarship, she’s embarking on a PhD program that combines her interests in native language renewal and ceremonial music.

Justice for missing and murdered indigenous women
Beyond the Margins: Examining the Systemic Devaluing & Marginalization of Indigenous Women in Canada

This is a paper written by an Indigenous young male of Ojibway and Dene ancestry who wants to raise awareness on the plaguing social issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women. I dedicate this paper to all Indigenous women that remain missing or who have been murdered.

Jeffrey Reading
Research Chair to Lead Heart Health Research for First Nations Peoples

“I am very excited by the opportunity to focus on prevention of cardiovascular disease and to improve heart health and well-being among First Nations in British Columbia.” Jeffrey Reading

Veselin Jungic
Math Catcher and Its Founder Capture National Attention

Veselin Jungic, founder of SFU’s Math Catcher Program—Mathematics through Aboriginal storytelling—was honoured earlier this year when the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) selected him as a 3M National Teaching Fellow.