Collaborate with post-secondary institutions to ensure that programs in essential areas such as health, law, education, engineering, and public policy incorporate mandatory content on antiracism and the histories and cultures of Indigenous Peoples.

College of the North Atlantic: Courses developed and launched in 5 programs

College of the North Atlantic launched the course EE4040, “Indigenous Peoples and Education”, in Fall 2023, which is now a mandatory course within their degree program in Bachelor of Applied Arts in Early Childhood Education. (See Call for Change 2 for more information.)

Although not directly related to these essential areas, CNA also currently offers four other courses focused on Indigenous histories, cultures, and antiracism:

• Covering Indigenous Communities (mandatory within the Journalism program);
• Indigenous Peoples of North America (in Comprehensive Arts and Science transition college-university program);
• Indigenous Arts & Culture (in College Bridging and College Transition programs); and
• Indigenous History of NL (in College Bridging and College Transition programs).

Memorial University: Indigenous Health Initiative making progress

Memorial University’s Indigenous Health Initiative has begun working on a continuum of content to be used to educate students throughout the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program on antiracism, creating a culturally safe learning environment for Indigenous people, and a culturally safe clinical practice for Indigenous patients.

Current content offered by the Indigenous Health Initiative which addresses this Call for Change includes: a module in the Certificate in Local and Global Health Equity; a 30-45 minute presentation for incoming medical students about colonialism, which aims to be a first exposure to Indigenous content for medical students and directly address misconceptions that contribute to an unsafe learning environment for Indigenous students in the Faculty of Medicine; and a module called “Providing Equitable Health Care for Indigenous Peoples of Canada: Honouring the Medicine Chest”, which is being updated and offered in the first year of medical school as foundational knowledge for increasingly meaningful learning throughout the program.

Memorial University is a Partner Organization in First Voice, which will help facilitate action in this area. 

For post-secondary institutions: 

• Begin working towards collaborative relationships to co-develop content on antiracism and the histories and cultures of Indigenous Peoples.