PM Session — This presentation will give an insight to the APUF funded initiative; Indigenous Access Days which gives Indigenous students a chance to experience a university campus while becoming familiar with the supports and services available at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). As Western post-secondary institutions have historically been a site of exploitation and oppression for marginalized communities, Indigenous Access Days are intended to empower Indigenous students to consider post-secondary as a realistic option by showcasing how combining traditional Indigenous knowledge and Western education can uplift our respective communities. This session will highlight the importance of creating a curriculum based on decolonization theory and a strength-based, holistic approach, for students to reframe the idea of Western education as a tool for liberation.

Presenter:

Delaney Thomas is a part of the Seneca Nation, Bear Clan, from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and is the Community Engagement Coordinator: Indigenous Access and Inclusion at the Centre for Student Engagement at University of Toronto Mississauga.