January 2021: Monthly update from the President
Last week I presided over my first Memorial convocation. It was such a delight to have this event take place in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
We were honoured to recognize two honorary degree recipients – Dr. G. Jean Crane and Dr. Nellie Winters – respected Inuit elders who have been long-standing advocates for Labrador, and for Inuit arts, culture and heritage.
Dr. Crane is a longstanding supporter for equity and accessibility for educational opportunities in Labrador, designed and delivered in the North, by the North. She has also been a lifelong advocate for women’s rights and safety, leading the development of the first women’s shelter and transition house in Labrador. She combines her deep ancestral ways of knowing and living from the land, with an insatiable curiosity and passion for learning.
Dr. Winters is a renowned Inuit artist, recognized as a generational artistic talent for her mastery of traditional Inuit art forms. She encourages diverse audiences to consider the importance and beauty of home and Inuit culture, the injustices of relocation and residential schools and our responsibilities toward the land.
It was a thrill to welcome them both into the Memorial University family.
The convocation ceremony can be viewed online. Please take the time to watch this special event.
Strengthening university-Indigenous relationships
The recognition of Dr. Crane and Dr. Winters is the latest in a series of initiatives appropriately recognizing Memorial’s relationship with the Indigenous Peoples of the province.
The Labrador Institute is moving towards becoming our sixth campus and we’ve created a new School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies there. Its future will be guided by the peoples, lands and waters of Labrador, as well as elders and leaders such as Dr. Crane and Dr. Winters.
More broadly, Indigenizing Memorial University is a critical step in the reconciliation process and, last fall, a draft Strategic Framework for Indigenization was released. This framework will strengthen the integration of Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing within our academic programs and student services.
Other developments include an active search for cluster hiring of Indigenous faculty, the creation of a new position of associate vice-president (Indigenous research) and the development of a policy on Research Impacting Indigenous Groups – Memorial’s first institutional policy related to Indigenous research, and among the first of its kind in Canada.
Over the past decade, Memorial has made significant progress in recognizing its relationships with Indigenous communities, and we have learned a great deal from Indigenous Peoples who have maintained a deep relationship with their land for generations.
Memorial University is committed to strengthening university-Indigenous relationships.
And because of this, I am so pleased these two remarkable elders have joined the Memorial family. Their commitment to community and education, their contributions to Inuit art, history and culture, and their wisdom and kindness will inspire all students of Memorial.
PS: Today, in partnership with the St. John’s Board of Trade, I am presenting my inaugural President’s Report to the Community. Next week highlights from this report will be shared with you – stay tuned!