Truth and Reconciliation Matters at Algonquin College

Find out how Algonquin College takes pride in its commitment to making Indigenous Knowledge and Truth and Reconciliation an integral part of its culture.

Algonquin College takes pride in its commitment to making Indigenous Knowledge and Truth and Reconciliation an integral part of the institution’s culture. Our Ottawa Campus is located on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin people.

Indigenization happens year-round and is done in a way that is respectful, mindful, and collaborative. It takes place in our classrooms and labs, in our shared spaces, and in our conversations. Read on to learn more about our resources, initiatives, and locations dedicated toward Indigenization on campus.

Mamidosewin Centre

The goal of the Mamidosewin Centre is to empower and support Indigenous students at Algonquin College into the next phase of their lives in a way that is respectful and reflective of Indigenous cultures. The Mamidosewin Centre provides a variety of cultural programs and services to Indigenous learners.

Indigenous learners may identify as any of the following: First Nations (Status or Non-Status), Inuit and/or Métis, as well as those with Indigenous ancestry who are just discovering their heritage and want to learn more. The Centre is also open to non-Indigenous learners who are interested in learning more about the culture and participating in any events.

Learning and Teaching Services (LTS)

Algonquin College’s Indigenous Pedagogy and Curriculum Consultants work with Learning and Teaching Services (LTS), whose goal is to foster a culture of teaching innovation and excellence and build relationships with faculty, academic schools, and Applied Research that support strategic collaboration, pedagogical, and technological exploration and ideas sharing. LTS is working with faculties and departments to encourage culturally safe ways to present material that is Indigenous-focused and share new methods of engaging students in a holistic way of teaching embodied by the Medicine Wheel. Weaving Indigenous models of education and Indigenous knowledges into learning and teaching enriches learning for all people and creates space for diverse ways of thinking and learning that have been overlooked.

Indigenous spaces

Algonquin College takes pride in its commitment to making Indigenous Knowledge and traditions an integral part of the institution’s culture. Over the years this has included establishing a variety of Indigenous spaces on our campuses:

The DARE District’s three-storey mural is impossible to miss, but the building’s Indigenous influences go far beyond the striking visual of animals and nature. Indigenous Knowledge, methodology, and imagery are embedded throughout the DARE District’s design, identity, and purpose.

Ishkodewan is the title for our outdoor courtyard that features a Gathering Circle and fire-vessel. The word means “there is fire.” Ishkodewan is used for special ceremonies and as an outdoor classroom.

Nawapon, an Algonquin word that translates as “gathering strength for the journey,” is the name for the Indigenous Learning Commons. 

Pìdàban is the name by which the Institute for Indigenization in the DARE District is known for. Pìdàban — the word translates as “past, present, and future” — alludes to daybreak, that moment in the morning when night becomes a new day.

The Three Sisters Garden symbolizes peace, friendship, and respect. This traditional Haudenosaunee-style community garden project annually grows corn, beans, and squash. The garden was recently expanded to include new plantings, rock formations, and picnic tables and seating to better allow use of this lovely outdoor space.

In 2022, Algonquin College unveiled a permanent monument to honour and remember the victims of the Canadian residential school system, as well as their families and communities. The College commissioned a piece of art, a permanent reminder to remain on display in Ishkodewan. It serves as a gathering place for reflection and to spark conversation on learning more about this disturbing part of our history.

Paving the way forward

Algonquin College takes pride in the work we’ve done to advance reconciliation alongside our Indigenous partners and looks forward to future opportunities to incorporate Truth, Reconciliation, and Indigenous Knowledge into the fabric of our institution.