Indigenous Education and Cultural Services
Frequently Asked Questions
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What programs and services are offered by Indigenous Education and Cultural Services?
Indigenous Education and Cultural Services provides a variety of programs and services including:
- Community outreach
- Cultural workshops and advising
- Educational campaigns
- Referrals and student support
- Training and workshops
Visit our web page to learn more.
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Are there Indigenous courses at the university?
Yes, many programs offer courses with Indigenous topics and content. You can also enroll in the Indigenous Studies Minor— check the course calendar or speak with your program academic advisor to learn more.
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Can someone come and do an opening/smudging ceremony?
Contact Indigenous Education and Cultural Services at indigenous@ontariotechu.ca.
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Can you recommend some good resources?
Yes, we have a library of resources available for your use. The Baagwating Indigenous Student Centre is equipped with a resource library for anyone to access when staff are present.
You can also visit the university library or contact indigenous@ontariotechu.ca and the team will do their best to direct you to the appropriate resources.
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Do you have to be a university student to participate in your programs, services or events?
Community events and programming are posted on the Indigenous Hub. Please visit our Programming, Outreach and Resources web page for up-to-date events and programming. Awareness days such as Moose Hide Campaign, Treaty Recognition Week, National Indigenous Peoples Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day often have programming and events open to the public. Bannock and Books is another opportunity open for community and public participation.
We also post events and programming available to community on our Facebook page.
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What is a smudging ceremony and why is it important?
A smudging ceremony is a sacred Indigenous ceremony generally performed at the beginning of an important event. Four sacred medicines are used to bring positive energy to the event and its participants. It is important as it allows events to begin in a good way and is one step towards reconciliation, as ceremonies such as this were banned in the past.
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Do you have to be Indigenous to participate in a smudging ceremony?
Smudging is not a ceremony exclusively for Indigenous people. If you are non-Indigenous, please be respectful of the ceremony, teachings surrounding it and those to whom the ceremony belongs. Contact indigenous@ontariotechu.ca for more information.
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Do you have to be Indigenous to use the Baagwating Indigenous Student Centre or Mukwa’s Den?
No, the Indigenous spaces on campus are welcoming and inclusive spaces for all students, staff and faculty.
Staff, students and faculty are welcome to visit the Baagwating Indigenous Student Centre and Mukwa’s Den when staff are present in these spaces. The Baagwating Indigenous Student Centre is equipped with a resource library for anyone to access and Mukwa’s Den is designated as a study space for Indigenous students. Both spaces are intended to be home away from home for Indigenous students.
The Baagwating Indigenous Student Centre is located at our downtown Oshawa campus location and Mukwa’s Den is at our north Oshawa campus location, on the second floor of Shawenjigewining Hall.
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How do I get help with Indigenous content in my courses/assignments?
Please contact indigenous@ontariotechu.ca to make an appointment to speak with a member of our team.
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What is a land acknowledgement and what are the best practices?
A land acknowledgement recognizes the traditional territory on which the university resides. For more information, please visit the Land Acknowledgement web page.
If you need help with the pronunciation of the Anishinaabe words in the land acknowledgement, contact Indigenous Education and Cultural Services at indigenous@ontariotechu.ca. - Who can I contact with further questions about Indigenous topics?
