I am a recent immigrant, how do I learn more about Indigenous Peoples and histories in Canada?

While many people are coming to UBC with a very different relationship to colonization, it is important to realize that there exists an explicit connection between the colonization of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and one’s ability to attend, learn, or work at UBC. As such, it is important to recognize that international faculty and students also benefit from the dispossession of Indigenous Peoples in Canada despite there being many ways in which they, especially those from marginalized communities, face intersectional oppression. Recognizing our positionality in contributing to the colonization and oppression of Indigenous Peoples is a crucial aspect for implementing meaningful change.

The in/relation: supporting new learners to Indigenous topics at UBC educational resource is designed for faculty, students, and staff who want to learn about Indigenous topics, histories, and relationships. The resources include a facilitator’s toolbox and modules relating to land acknowledgements, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Calls to Action, the Residential School System in Canada, and living and learning on Musqueam Lands.

With respect to being a newcomer to British Columbia and Vancouver:

• Watch this 2020 video from the Immigrant Services Society of BC, Welcome to our homelands: A greeting from Canada’s First Peoples to newcomers, and review the accompanying study guide.

• You can also refer to this 2014 City of Vancouver resource, First Peoples: Guide for Newcomers, which provides an overview of Indigenous Peoples in Vancouver and Canada, their relationships with the Government of Canada, and how newcomers can learn more about Indigenous Peoples in their communities.