Indigenous Education Council

The Indigenous Education Council is an advisory body to the President and Vice-Chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University and the senior management team. The council will assist Laurier in meeting its Values, Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles as it pertains to our interactions with, and inclusiveness of Indigenous peoples.

The Laurier Strategy (2019-2024) states that: Laurier excels at creating a culture of engagement that develops the whole person and builds reciprocal community relationships by pursuing enhanced and accelerated initiatives to integrate Indigenous knowledge and practices across the university. With leading academic programs, support services, community outreach, ceremonies, and research, Laurier strives to create an environment in which Indigenous values are acknowledged and celebrated.

The Laurier Indigenous Education Council (IEC) has been created to promote a positive educational experience and success of Indigenous students at Laurier.

The IEC will, as part of its function, help to fulfil the condition for community engagement required by the Province of Ontario’s Post-Secondary Education Training and Action Plan funding in support of Indigenous student initiatives.

1. Developing and supporting Indigenous educational aspirations through curriculum, programs, services, and research at Laurier that meets the needs of both the Indigenous student and enhances the education of non-Indigenous students, faculty, and staff at Laurier.
2. Assist and advise Laurier in identifying and articulating priorities for programs and services intended to increase the successful recruitment, retention and graduation of Indigenous students, Indigenous staff, and faculty.
3. Provides informed advice in decision making regarding priorities for allocation of government and institutional funding for Indigenous Initiatives.
4. Functions on the understanding and principle that Indigenous people can best define how to successfully fulfil the Terms of Reference contained in this document and will work diligently with Laurier personnel to achieve this end.
5. Will, as part of its function, help to fulfil the condition for community engagement required by the Province of Ontario’s Post-Secondary Education Training and Action Plan funding in support of Indigenous student initiatives.

Full complement of 17 members shall be as follows:

Chairing of meetings will alternate between the two co-chairs, one of whom is an Indigenous community representative member selected by the Indigenous members of the Council. The other co-chair is the President of Laurier (or designate).

• Elder
• Associate Vice-President: Indigenous Initiatives
• Co-chair: President and Vice Chancellor
• Co-chair: Indigenous Community representative
• Vice President: Student Affairs (or designate)
• One Representative from the Indigenous Field of Study-Masters of Social Work program
• One Representative from the Laurier Brantford Indigenous Study program
• Three Laurier Indigenous student representatives, at least one graduate student, at least one undergraduate student from Brantford and one undergraduate student from the Waterloo campus. These dedicated student seats are to be filled for the spring meeting by recommendations from the Indigenous student’s services team.
• One Indigenous Staff Representative
• Manager of Indigenous Student Services
• Two Indigenous community organization representatives
• Four Indigenous community representatives, once of which will chair alternate meetings.

Elder:
Sadie Buck

Associate Vice President, Indigenous Initiatives:
Darren Thomas dthomas@wlu.ca

Co-chair, President and Vice-Chancellor:
Deborah MacLatchy, dmaclatchy@wlu.ca

Vice President, Student Affairs:
David McMurray

Indigenous Field of Study, Master of Social Work program representative:
Lori Hill

Indigenous Study Program Presentative:
Jess Bomberry

Indigenous Staff Representative:
Katie McLellan

Indigenous Student Representatives:

Undergraduate Student Waterloo Campus: Arianna Carello

Graduate Student: Courtney Laundrie

Undergraduate Student Brantford Campus: Jordie Williams

Manager Indigenous Student Services:
Zeeta Lazore Cayuga 

Two Indigenous Community Organization Representatives:

Grand River Métis Council: Brittany Gormaly Co-Chair

Waterloo District School Board: Nicole Robinson

Four Indigenous Community Representatives

Luane Roberts, Indigenous Community Representative - Awehaode

Bernadette O'Grady-Bomberry, Indigenous Community Representative - Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation

Rick Monture, Indigenous Community Representative - Grand River Post Secondary Education Office

Ian Duckworth, Indigenous Community Representative - Southern First Nations Secretariat

The Laurier Indigenous Education Council (IEC) shall normally meet three times per year (October/February/June) or as deemed necessary. Other meetings may be held at the call of both co-chairs. Specific calendar dates will be set for the next academic year at the June meeting when the TOR are reviewed.

Meetings will remain virtual to ensure maximum flexibility and attendance. The entire IEC will be invited to participate in the annual celebration of Indigenous graduates, to ensure at least one in person social event to build relations.

Meetings to be set/organized by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and agendas will be set with input requested from the council a minimum of two weeks prior to scheduled meetings.

Members should make every effort to attend scheduled meetings. When conflicts or unforeseen circumstances arise, members should, whenever possible, designate an alternate who will attend for them if necessary. If a member fails to attend three consecutive meetings, they may be asked to resign.

Minutes of each meeting will be kept, including discussion summaries, action items, and consensus decisions.

Visitors may attend council meetings; special guests may be invited to make presentations. Presentations will be made in a timely manner. There will be a limitation of time at presentations.

Quorum is 2/3 – 11 of 17 members.

Laurier shall provide administrative services and meeting expenses for the IEC and its committees, for the purpose of developing minutes, space agendas and materials for IEC meetings.

At the request of members, travel expenses and honoraria will be provided to members; travel claims can be submitted to the AVP: Indigenous Initiatives by email. Members of the IEC who are not being compensated by Laurier or their own organizations for their time will be provided a one-time/year $500 honorarium that will be given in the spring term each year.

AVP: Indigenous Initiatives will be responsible for seeking replacements, and will be responsible to on-board new committee members.

Indigenous staff representative and the Indigenous community/organization seats shall serve as two-year term of office.

All three Student seats are one-year terms and shall consist of one graduate and one undergrad from both the Brantford and Waterloo campuses.

The Community Co-chairs are to sit as Co-chair for two years (maximum two consecutive terms).

Indigenous Student Services

This committee will support the needs and directions for ensuring high quality, responsive needs for the Indigenous students at Laurier.

Indigenous Community Relations

This committee will support the needs and directions for ensuring Laurier supports and is aware of emerging needs expressed by the external Indigenous community partners.

Indigenization at Laurier

This committee will support the efforts for building the culture and climate at Laurier by offering advice and direction for Indigenization at Laurier.  This is inclusive but not limited to Laurier’s academic programs, training, recruitment, and retention.

Decision-making will be by consensus.

Only those who are identified members of the Council shall participate in deliberations.

To identify a consensus, the meeting chair will state the decisions as they understands it for the record.

In the case where there is not a clear consensus, the meeting chair should first ask every delegate in attendance to state her/his opinion on the subject at hand. If no consensus exists, the meeting chair may defer the decision until the next meeting.

Council members will maintain the confidentiality of all information, discussions, or proceedings taking place.

Minutes will be updated soon.