UNews - Department of Indigenous Studies

Celebrating the retirement and legacy of the incomparable Dr. Leroy Little Bear

trevor.kenney — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:18:15 +0000

Everyone is invited to come together on June 18 to celebrate the retirement of Iikaisskini (Low Horn) Dr. Leroy Little Bear, ULethbridge’s inaugural Vice-Provost, Iniskim Indigenous Relations, and to support the establishment of an endowed student award that will continue his legacy. After a lifetime of educational service, Little Bear is concluding his official role at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in June 2026.

Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04) was instrumental in establishing Canada’s first Native American Studies department (now Indigenous Studies) at ULethbridge in 1975. He is one of the leading experts on Indigenous governance in Canada and an internationally renowned advocate for First Nations education and governance. Born and raised on the Blood Indian Reserve (Kainai First Nation), Little Bear was one of the first Indigenous students to complete a program of study at ULethbridge.

Dr. Leroy Little Bear is one of the leading experts on Indigenous governance in Canada.

“Leroy’s counsel and vision have defined Indigenization at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge since the very early days of the campus. He has made invaluable contributions to our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, our country and the world,” says Shanda Webber (BA ’05), Director, Iniskim Indigenous Relations, ULethbridge.

“With his guidance, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has undertaken actions that meaningfully respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and leads efforts towards decolonization and reconciliation. Staying true to Blackfoot values of relationality and community, this event is an opportunity for us to come together to recognize Leroy’s impact and to support Indigenous education.”

The Iikaisskini Indigenous Studies Gala: An Evening in Celebration of Dr. Leroy Little Bear will take place on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at Excite Lethbridge. Proceeds from the gala, along with donations, will be used to establish an endowed scholarship in Little Bear's name for Indigenous students studying Indigenous Studies at ULethbridge.

“Leroy has dedicated his life’s work to Indigenous Studies and to supporting the success of Indigenous students in post‑secondary education,” says Dr. Matthew Letts, Dean, Faculty of Arts & Science, ULethbridge. “In the spirit of giving back to students, the Iikaisskini Indigenous Studies Scholarship honours Leroy and his foundational role serving as Chair of the Department of Native American Studies for 21 years.”

This capstone event during National Indigenous History Month leads into National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Faculty of Arts & Science present this event in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Department of Native American Studies (now Indigenous Studies). It honours the more than 50 years of Little Bear’s many contributions to Iniskim and international work advocating for First Nations education, rights, self-governance, language and culture.

Dr. Leroy Little Bear

From January 1998 to June 1999, Little Bear served as Director of the Harvard ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Native American Program. He was instrumental in the creation of a Bachelor of Management in First Nations Governance at ULethbridge, the only program of its kind in the country at the time. His 1994 book (with Boldt and Long) Pathways to Self-Determination is used by law, political science and Native American Studies students across the country. His 1977 paper, A Native Concept of Title, was the first Indigenous-authored paper cited by the Supreme Court of Canada.

In the spring of 2003, Little Bear was awarded the prestigious National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Education, the highest honour bestowed by the First Nations community in Canada. Along with his wife, Amethyst First Rider, Little Bear also brought about the historic Buffalo Treaty between First Nations on both sides of the USA-Canada border in 2014. He was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence and the Order of Canada in 2016 and 2019, respectively. Little Bear was named ULethbridge Alumnus of the Year in 2003 and was an honorary degree recipient in 2024. He also has an honorary doctorate from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia.

He was a founding member of the UN working group on Indigenous Population, drafting the document that would become the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Little Bear had a role in the inclusion of Aboriginal and treaty rights in the Constitution of Canada. He was also a major proponent in drafting Kainaisini, a declaration by the Blood Tribe and the Declaration of the Blackfoot Confederacy.

Little Bear remains a dedicated and dynamic teacher and mentor to students and faculty at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and continues to pursue new research interests including North American Indian science and western physics, and the exploration of Blackfoot knowledge through songs, stories and landscape.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Iniskim, is such an important part of my life, and I am so honoured to have committed many years of service to this special place in Siksikaitsitapi territory that I am very proud to be a part of,” says Little Bear.

Gala tickets ($150 each/ $1,200 per table) are now available until June 5 or until sold out. A plated dinner will be served. The evening will also feature Indigenous drumming, dancing and entertainment. Each ticket includes a charitable tax receipt.

Those who wish to send messages and memories to Dr. Little Bear can submit notes and messages by May 18 by visiting the event website. Exclusive event sponsorship opportunities are available until June 1.

To buy tickets, make a donation, sponsor the event or learn more about the scholarship, visit go.uleth.ca/LittleBearGala.

Research grants focus on projects to revitalize and preserve ancestral knowledge

caroline.zentner — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 18:12:32 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers will look at strengthening Indigenous cultural continuity thanks to grants from the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

“These grants highlight the breadth of expertise at ULethbridge and the meaningful work our researchers are leading,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, vice-president (research). “They directly advance our new Research and Creative Activities Plan by strengthening our foundation in Indigenous culture and supporting projects that make a difference here in southern Alberta, in Canada and around the world.”

Advancing the Indigenous Quijos Nation of Ecuador

Co-PI Dr. Patrick Wilson

Dr. Patrick Wilson, an associate professor in Modern Languages and Linguistics, will focus his research project on advancing the priorities of the Indigenous Quijos Nation of the Ecuadorian Amazon with nearly $35,000 from the Wenner-Gren Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing anthropological research. The Engaged Research Grant was awarded to him and co-principal investigators Roxana Tanguila, Lourdes Jipa and Gonzalo Alvarado of Sacha Awana, the research arm of the Quijos Nation.

The ancestral territory of the Quijos Nation lies in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, an area of rich biodiversity. Traditional Indigenous practices included subsistence gardens or chakras that are the foundation of the domestic economy. They are managed primarily by women and not only produce food but also medicine and fibres. Beginning in the 1960s, the forest has been the site of mining, logging, African palm production and cattle production, leading to ecological degradation and the loss

Co-PI Roxana Tanguila is pictured with cacao husks at a chakra workshop.

of biodiversity. This has led to deepening socio-economic marginalization and the erosion of food security and sovereignty for the Quijos people, while compromising their traditional chakra practices and the knowledge systems associated with them.

“This proposed research seeks to invert this historical power imbalance around land use and forest management practices by formulating a Quijos-centred chakra and forest management plan,” says Wilson.

The project is led by Quijos researchers and Western ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and involves establishing a Mama Chakra as a model forest garden for research, teaching and learning.

Indigenous Girls’ and Women’s Hockey

Victoria Bach, a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation and former member of the Ottawa Charge and the Canadian women's national hockey team, works with a young Mi'kmaw athlete.

Dr. Jason Laurendeau, a sociology professor, working in collaboration with Dr. Carly Adams (Professor of Kinesiology and Physical Education and co-director of ULethbridge’s Centre for Oral History & Tradition), was awarded a SSHRC Connection Grant of $25,000 to examine the past, present and future of Indigenous girls’ and women’s hockey. The Indigenous Girls’ & Women’s Hockey Gathering is in partnership with the Indigenous Girls Hockey Program (IGHP) led by Mi’kmaw hockey organizer Ryan Francis, and the Indigenous Hockey Research Network, funded by a $2.5 million SSHRC Partnership Grant. The Gathering will bring representatives of Indigenous sport organizations, Indigenous athletes, coaches and administrators, and Indigenous and settler-allied students, faculty and community researchers together to foster connections, strengthen directions, address the needs and well-being of Indigenous girls’ and women’s hockey communities and envision the way forward for Indigenous girls’ and women’s hockey programming. The Gathering will take place in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), on lands and in communities where stick-and-ball games have long traditions.

“For three days, the Gathering will bring members of diverse Indigenous girls’ and women’s hockey communities into dialogue with an array of interdisciplinary researchers involved in community-engaged research on Indigenous hockey,” says Laurendeau. “At the heart of the work is a hockey jamboree for Indigenous girls between the ages of six and 14, led by Indigenous women, many of whom experienced the IGHP themselves as participants.”

The aim of the Gathering is to curate a co-created vision for the future of Indigenous girls’ and women’s hockey programming on lands claimed by Canada and how it can be supported through research. The Gathering will also contribute to an anthology that will amplify and follow the desires of Indigenous Elders, communities, athletes and organizers.

Blackfoot language revitalization

From left to right are Caroline Russell, Mary Fox, Inge Genee, Annabelle Chatsis and Alex Smith.

The Blackfoot language group in the Department of Indigenous Studies, consisting of Annabelle Chatsis, Mary Fox, Inge Genee, Caroline Russell and Alexandra Smith has received a $49,000 SSHRC Connection Grant for a project on revitalizing the Blackfoot language.

While Blackfoot is taught in schools, tribal colleges and post-secondary institutions on the reserve and in Lethbridge, Calgary and Missoula, Montana, the Blackfoot language is at a crisis point. Fluent speakers are passing away with no one to replace them.

The project, titled A’tsimaani: An invitation to Niitsi’powahsini (Blackfoot language), will bring those working on Blackfoot language revitalization, from tribal governments and teachers to community activists and non-Indigenous allies, together at a conference to develop an action plan.

“A’tsimaani means invitation, and this name was given to us by Elders Dr. Francis First Charger (LLD ’24) and Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04),” says Genee. “It underscores that, at this critical juncture, everyone is invited to participate in whatever way they see fit and with whatever skills and knowledge they have. We need all hands on deck.”

In addition to contributing to the scholarship on community-based Indigenous language revitalization work, the conference will aid the sustainability of the Blackfoot ancestral language and respond to the TRC Calls to Action.

Dr. Leroy Little Bear named an Officer of the Order of Canada

caroline.zentner — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 21:46:45 +0000

For his advocacy of Indigenous rights and self-governance, and his work to promote access to education for Indigenous peoples globally, Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04) has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

He is one of 103 new appointments announced by Gov. Gen. Dr. Julie Payette (DSc ’05) on Dec. 27. Professor Emeritus Little Bear will receive his insignia at a ceremony to be held at a later date.

“It is such a great honour to receive this award,” says Little Bear. “Of course, when you receive these awards and get this kind of recognition, you don’t do the work alone. I would like share this recognition with my wife, Amethyst, who supports me all the way through. I also want to share the award with the U of L and thank our school for providing the venue for doing our work.”

“Leroy is especially deserving of this distinction,” says Dr. Mike Mahon, U of L president. “He played a key role in developing our Indigenous Studies program many years ago and we continue to rely on his knowledge and wisdom in his current role as Distinguished Niitsitapi Scholar. On behalf of the U of L, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Leroy on being named an Officer to the Order of Canada.”

He has been a mentor and instructor to students and an esteemed adviser on Indigenous matters at the local, provincial, national and international levels. In addition to helping found what was originally called the Native American Studies program at the U of L, Little Bear also assisted the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, Bow Valley College and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in developing Indigenous studies programs, and was the founding director of the Native American Program at Harvard ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

In his role as Distinguished Niitsitapi Scholar, he plays an integral role in breaking boundaries between traditional Indigenous and western sciences, and his writings have influenced legal and policy realms. Little Bear has co-authored texts and contributed to numerous reports and publications addressing issues related to Indigenous rights, justice, land claims and constitutional issues. His work has led to a United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and he has received numerous honours, including the key to the City of Lethbridge, an Urban Aboriginal Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2016, Little Bear was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence.

He is a member of the Indigenous Wisdom Advisory Panel that provides advice to Alberta’s Chief Scientist about how to incorporate Indigenous perspectives and traditional ecological knowledge into environmental monitoring. Previously, Little Bear was a member of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity board of governors.

In recent years, Little Bear has been in involved in bringing together the Buffalo Treaty, an agreement between First Nations in the United States and Canada, to protect and restore bison herds to the wild. He was instrumental in helping Parks Canada bring a herd of 16 bison to the Panther Valley area in Banff in 2017.

Indigenous language stakeholders to gather at 25th Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium

trevor.kenney — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 17:14:28 +0000

As Indigenous communities across North America face the challenge of keeping their traditional languages alive, an important conference is coming to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The U of L’s Departments of Modern Languages and Indigenous Studies have teamed with the Peigan Board of Education/Piikani Nation to host the 25th Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium (SILS 2018), June 7-9 at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. The symposium, supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), will bring together Indigenous language stakeholders from North America and beyond, including elders, community leaders and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, as they seek to develop best practices and share resources and knowledge as they attempt to preserve Indigenous languages.

“Communities and universities have been trying for longer than 25 years to figure out what it takes to maintain and revitalize Indigenous languages,” says Dr. Inge Genee, a professor in the U of L’s Department of Modern Languages who has done extensive linguistic research on the Blackfoot language. “This symposium started as a community initiative and, from the beginning, involved collaboration between academic experts and Indigenous language speakers to look at what goes into good second language teaching in respect to Indigenous languages.”

A number of Indigenous communities are quickly realizing that their traditional languages are fading away with the passing of elders. The local Blackfoot population is no exception.

“The Blackfoot language is under threat of falling out of use,” says Genee. “There are very few children who learn the language as the first language in the home today, and most fluent speakers are over 50 or 60 years old. There are also very few monolingual speakers, or speakers who speak no English. These are all signs that the language is endangered.”

SILS has been at the forefront of developing strategies to deal with language loss, recognizing that Indigenous culture is inextricably linked with traditional language.

“For most Indigenous people, the language and the culture are intimately connected,” says Genee. “Language and culture are one, which means language always needs to be taught through the culture or along with the culture as a unit.”

SILS will feature 11 keynote speakers and the presentation of more than 40 papers over the course of three days. Attendees will focus on sharing best practices for stabilizing and revitalizing languages, as well as resources such as curriculum materials that are being used to teach certain languages. Academics will exchange ideas about broad issues such as policy development and planning, including framework development for communities that wish to begin the difficult process of recapturing their historical language.

“One of the very big, practical issues many of these communities face is they struggle with a lack of resources, so gaining learning strategies from each other is very important,” adds Genee, who expects about 250 attendees at the symposium.

That the impetus behind restoring Indigenous languages is coming from Indigenous communities is key to future success.

“What’s really nice to see is how the communities are doing a lot of this work themselves and are leading the path,” says Genee. “They are open and willing to collaborate with ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, but they are leading the way and we are here in a supportive role.”

For more information on SILS 2018, visit www.sils2018.ca.

UNews - Department of Indigenous Studies

Celebrating the retirement and legacy of the incomparable Dr. Leroy Little Bear

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