��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Indigenous students get life-changing experience in New Zealand

trevor.kenney — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 15:27:47 +0000

A unique opportunity offered by the Dhillon School of Business at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge allowed a group of Indigenous students to learn about and experience the culture, history and business practices of the Māori people in New Zealand.

The ULethbridge cohort made the most of their opportunity to study the Maori culture in New Zealand.

Students completed a course called Introduction to Māori Culture and Business Practises before they embarked on a two-week study tour at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand. Accompanying them were Rhonda Crow, ULethbridge Indigenous learning & program coordinator, and Rob Crow, director of economic development for the Blood Tribe, who co-instructed the ULethbridge course and was the lead instructor for the New Zealand portion.

In New Zealand, the students were joined by two Māori cultural guides from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waikato. The itinerary included a traditional welcoming ceremony called a pōwhiri, a three-day Māori business student conference, educational workshops on topics like Indigenous business and Māori tourism, visits to sacred sites like a marae, a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes, and participation in various cultural activities. They returned inspired and filled with ideas for the future of Indigenous peoples and businesses in Canada.

Many students commented on the similarities between the Māori colonization experience and the experience of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

“Their history was very similar to ours,” noted Levitt Maguire, a third-year student studying management. “When the Native Schools Act was first passed in 1867, the Māori kids were beaten at school for speaking in Māori.”

Reforms in New Zealand were finally made, with the abolition of that act in 1969. Then, in 1972, the Māori Language Petition called for recognizing their language, te reo Māori, in schools. In 1978, the first bilingual school in New Zealand opened and in 1985 the first Māori language immersive school opened. For Maguire, that type of progress was inspiring.

“That really opened my eyes to language revitalization,” he says. “I always wanted to learn Blackfoot in my school, but we never had the people."

The revitalization efforts of the Māori language also hit home with fourth-year political science major Chynell Shade.

"The language revitalization was amazing," Shade remarked, noting that te reo has become the dominant language in New Zealand over English.

In Canada, Shade says she believes a unified approach to teaching the Blackfoot language and using ancient words to create new words, as the Māori have done, will help connect her people back to their ancestors.

All the students said the connections they made with the Māori people will impact their lives going forward.

“I can say without a doubt that this has inspired me to be a better member of my community and to work hard to preserve, revitalize and amplify my Indigenous culture in the surrounding area, Canada and the world,” says Walker English, a kinesiology student. “I wish all Indigenous people could have this experience of connecting with Indigenous people around the world. I feel this way because we, as Indigenous people, are not alone in our struggles and our successes. We are family.”

UL50 Golden Jubilee Award recipients - where are they now?

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 20:34:31 +0000

In celebration of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s 50th anniversary, the Faculty of Arts & Science offered a total of $50,000 in awards to first-year university students (new high school graduates). There were five awards, worth $10,000 each, given to qualifying students enrolled in a four-year Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc) or Bachelor of Arts & Science (BASc) program. The students were selected based on high school academic performance, financial need and uniqueness of personal circumstances. We caught up with all five students to see how their first semester has been, and how they have settled into university life.

Kathleen Gonzales

Kathleen Gonzales (biological sciences) emigrated to Canada from the Philippines with her brother and father in 2007, and is working hard to become a role model for others who are overcoming hardships. She joined the Global Citizenship Cohort (GCC) and is thankful for the social environment and the community outreach opportunities. Next year, Gonzales and a group of cohort students are planning to organize a community fundraiser for Lethbridge’s Youth Crisis Centre.

“This semester, I have grown as a person and have opened my mind to the world around me. Despite having a major in biology, I have been learning about social issues occurring globally and locally and how they may impact society; analyzing how such issues could have resulted, and what factors should be considered when attempting to create a solution. Winning this award has motivated me to do my best and persevere through the tough times of transitioning from high school, while supporting my wish to create a difference in the world,” explains Gonzales.

Alexis Kelly (English & psychology) is also part of the GCC, and has settled into campus life as a UHall resident and co-founder of the Freedom Writers Poetry Club. She has embraced several opportunities to get involved with the campus community such as volunteering at Career Fair and finding employment at the university library. Though she is uncertain where her degree will take her, Kelly is taking advantage of exploring areas beyond her major.

Alexis Kelly

“I've always been the kind of person interested in lots of things as opposed to just one, and being able to explore more options for my major without falling behind in the one I am currently working on is a lovely opportunity,” she says. “If you're unsure of what you want to do it's a great institution because you can use courses towards your liberal education requirement. The professors love what they do, and they are open to helping students.”

For Makayla Lubbers (general social sciences), receiving the award was a sign of inspiration and encouragement, helping her to discover what she was supposed to do and where she was supposed to be. After graduating from high school, she spent the summer volunteering at an orphanage in Thailand where she says her life changed direction. Although she is an artist at heart, experiencing the struggles of impoverished children in a third-world country inspired her to pursue a degree in social sciences.

“I want to do something that will make a difference in the world. The U of L's extensive social science classes and the co-op program will help me develop the skills and gain the experience I need to make that happen,” she says.

So far, Lubbers is enjoying her time on campus, participating in several clubs as well as the Co-operative Education program.

Makayla Lubbers

Walker English (kinesiology) chose the U of L because of its close location to his home in Fort Macleod, and has settled into campus life well despite the struggle of moving away from home for the first time. In high school, he was a role model to young FNMI students and excelled at learning Blackfoot, which helped him connect with his culture through language. On campus, he is a part of the FNMI club, and appreciates the strong sense of community at the U of L.

“I plan to become a physiotherapist with my degree but that may change as time goes on. My U of L education will help me open more doors and opportunities so that I can become a successful individual in the future,” says English.

Lesleigh Siemens (psychology) is the first in her family in three generations to attend university. She was inspired by personal experiences to become a lawyer, and plans to go to law school after completing her undergraduate degree in psychology. A major challenge for Siemens has been navigating her post-secondary education without the advice or guidance from family members, since they never attended university. However, she has had some great experiences on campus and shares her advice for future students.

Walker English

“My advice would be to look at the planner provided and make sure you give yourself enough time to prepare! It's a much different experience than high school, so make sure to take all the help and tools provided, and use them,” she says. “The U of L has a lot of people willing to help if you don't quite understand what courses to take, where to start with applying, etc. As long as you're willing to ask for help, the experience can become a lot less stressful.”

Dr. Jackie Rice (associate dean, Faculty of Arts & Science) acknowledges that the U of L came into existence because of strong community support.

“We wanted to recognize the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s first 50 years by contributing back to students who represent the diversity and strength in our community,” she says. “Students like these, from diverse backgrounds and with unique experiences, are our future, and we want to encourage them to build their knowledge and experience. These are the people who will give back to their community; we see that in the backgrounds and motivations that they bring to us. The liberal education philosophy that we offer provides a broad perspective and critical thinking skills, along with depth of knowledge in a specific area, and this is what the leaders of tomorrow will need. I like to think of the UL50 Golden Jubilee Awards as our investment in the future and in the next 50 years of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, as we educate tomorrow’s leaders.”

Lesleigh Siemens

There are many valuable opportunities for students to seek advice or assistance at any point in their university career. For more information on all of the services available, click here.

UNews - Walker English

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Indigenous students get life-changing experience in New Zealand

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UL50 Golden Jubilee Award recipients - where are they now?

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��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Indigenous students get life-changing experience in New Zealand