UNews - Roy Weasel Fat

Record number of Indigenous students graduating throughout Spring 2022 Convocation celebrations

trevor.kenney — Tue, 31 May 2022 16:19:31 +0000

A positive trend has been developing at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as more and more Indigenous students are earning post-secondary degrees, culminating with a record 98 graduates crossing the stage at the 2021/22 convocation ceremonies.

Trishell Provost (BA '19) is a graduate from the 2019 class who majored in kinesiology.

Nestled in the heart of Blackfoot Territory, ULethbridge has long nurtured its relationship with the Indigenous communities of southern Alberta and in 1975 established one of Canada’s first Departments of Native American Studies. In recent years, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ made it a strategic initiative to advance learning options and supports for Indigenous students through a variety of programs.

“When you see the number of Indigenous students who are finding success and completing their academic careers consistently increase, there is intentionality behind it,” says Dr. Mike Mahon, president and vice-chancellor.

Over the last decade, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has graduated, on average, 50 to 75 self-declared Indigenous students between the spring and fall convocation ceremonies. In the last three academic years, those numbers have shot up to 87, 84 and 99 students respectively. The roots of that growth can be traced.

In 2011, Mahon asked Roy Weasel Fat, then Red Crow Community College vice-president (academic), and ULethbridge faculty members Drs. Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04) and Jane O'Dea to create a strategy to support Indigenous students, faculty, staff and community members. The seven recommendations they submitted set a course of action and elicited a pledge from Mahon.

“We will place greater focus on recruiting and retaining Blackfoot and other First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students, the fastest growing young adult population in Canada,” said Mahon at the time. “However, enrolment is not the only reason to focus on this population. Creating opportunity and an inclusive campus environment for all students is simply the right thing to do.”

The establishment of the Iniskim Education Committee followed in 2013, and in 2014, a Memorandum of Understanding with Red Crow Community College was signed, and the Iikaisskini Student Gathering Place opened. The calls of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission further highlighted the need for educational institutions to develop and implement a process of truth and healing and in 2019, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ appointed Charles Weaselhead as its 14th chancellor and first of Indigenous descent. Later that year, EleV — the monumental partnership initiative between the Blackfoot Confederacy, ULethbridge and the Mastercard Foundation — was born.

“I’ve always had a passion for our young people to grow and find success,” says Weaselhead, who will be presiding over the final convocation ceremonies of his term this week. “I never considered myself a formal role model, but I think being named chancellor, it probably opened some eyes and opened up minds for our young people and our community that there is a place for them here and these positions are possible.”

Lindi Shade, manager of Iikaisskini Indigenous Services, says it is gratifying to see the programs working and students reaping the benefits.

“It is inspiring to see our Indigenous students attend the U of L, complete degrees and go forward to serve all communities,” says Shade. “At Ikaisskini Indigenous Services we are so proud of all the Indigenous graduates at this year's convocation, and we wish them the very best in their future careers.”

U of L and Red Crow College to launch Niitsitapi Teacher Education Program next fall

caroline.zentner — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 21:32:32 +0000

The Faculty of Education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, in partnership with Red Crow Community College, is pleased to offer the Niitsitapi Teacher Education Program, beginning in the fall of 2018.

“We look forward to working with the U of L on the Niitsitapi Teacher Education Program,” says Roy Weasel Fat, president of Red Crow Community College. “The program will prepare students to teach from a Blackfoot perspective and ultimately, to pass along language and culture to future generations.”

“We are happy to once again offer the Niitsitapi Teacher Education Program in collaboration with our partners at Red Crow Community College,” says Dr. Nancy Grigg, acting associate dean of the Faculty of Education. “We first offered the program in 2004 to a full cohort of students and we look forward to building on that success.”

The program is for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students or interested non-Indigenous students, who want to become qualified teachers and work with Blackfoot children and youth. The program is offered as a five-year combined degree or a two-year, after-degree program. Students will first complete courses—Kipatapisanooni I and II—which address Blackfoot language, values and ways of knowing. These classes form the foundation of the program, which is designed to meet all the expectations and competencies of the Alberta Teaching Quality Standard and to further prepare teachers to work within the Blackfoot culture.

“We learned a lot of lessons from the first Niitsitapi program so we have a better understanding of what our students need,” says Dr. Chris Mattatall, an education professor and a member of the Niitsitapi steering committee. “We have been planning with our partners at Red Crow College from the start so we have a shared vision.”

The upcoming academic year will focus on recruitment and anyone interested in the program can contact Student Program Services at edu.sps@uleth.ca.

New FNMI Gathering Place creates environment for campus community to celebrate culture, heritage

trevor.kenney — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 19:35:55 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge officially opened the new temporary location for its First Nations, Métis and Inuit Gathering Place on Thursday, Dec. 4, the first step in the creation of a permanent home for the space.

In September 2011, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Mike Mahon asked professor Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04), Roy Weasel Fat (Red Crow Community College President) and Dr. Jane O’Dea to develop an overarching strategy that would create support for FNMI students, faculty, staff and community members at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. The resulting report identified the need for an FNMI Gathering Place on campus, which is being officially opened today.

The FNMI Gathering Place will call the Paterson Centre home until a permanent location is created as part of phase two of the Destination Project, the revitalization of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall. On Thursday, the centre was officially given its Blackfoot name of Iikaisskini, meaning Low Horn, to represent the stance of a charging buffalo, its head down and horns low to the ground.

“Our campus is located in the heart of Blackfoot territory, and as such, we are ‘Itaohkanao’pi’, the meeting place,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President and Vice-Provost Dr. Mike Mahon. “We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone on campus and it is important to respect and celebrate our Blackfoot culture and heritage.”

The FNMI Gathering Place is an integral and unique feature of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campus. It is designed asa welcoming home away from home, a space appropriate for ceremony, smudging and celebration, where students and other members of the university community can gather together and collaboratively support one another in their educational aspirations.

“In keeping with First Nations tradition, the Gathering Place will acknowledge, respect and honour the values, history, customs and culture of the Blackfoot speaking nations on whose territorial lands the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge resides,” says Dr. Judith Lapadat, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s associate vice-president (students). “But it will be open and welcoming to everyone, asking them to respect the protocols of the territory while honouring the diversity of values and beliefs among Aboriginal communities.”

For students, the gathering place will provide a place to meet with Elders and share stories, teaching and wisdom. It will be a vibrant and empowering cultural community, where Blackfoot and other Aboriginal languages can be spoken, and where students can explore new knowledge together.

“Within the broader academic community, the Gathering Place will play an important educational role by fostering appreciation and respect for FNMI heritage throughout the university and beyond,” adds Mahon. “It will be open and welcoming to all members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and broader southern Alberta community.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and Red Crow Community College strengthen relationship through MOU

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 20:43:58 +0000

A long-standing relationship between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge (U of L) and Red Crow Community College (RCCC) has been strengthened through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at increasing collaboration between the two institutions.

The agreement includes a commitment to seek joint opportunities to collaborate on opportunities pertaining to academic and research initiatives, the sharing of facilities and student supports.

U of L President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon, and RCCC President, Roy Weasel Fat, signed the document at Red Crow Community College on Wednesday, June 11, 2014.

The wide-ranging MOU includes a commitment to seek joint opportunities to collaborate on opportunities pertaining to academic and research initiatives, the sharing of facilities and student supports, such as housing.

Mahon says the agreement celebrates the successful collaborations of the past and reaffirms the importance of the partnership in the future.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is very proud to enter into this agreement with Red Crow Community College – a long-standing partner of our institution,” says Mahon. “By working more closely together, we can strengthen our mutual commitments to Blackfoot and other First Nations, Métis and Inuit students.”

Weasel Fat says past collaborative programs have been extremely beneficial to Blackfoot students and provide a strong foundation for future collaboration.

"These programs have allowed our students to come back to strengthen this community and other communities,” says Weasel Fat. “We want to continue to deepen our collaboration, not only because it enhances self determination for our students, but also because it provides an important opportunity for cross cultural education for everyone involved. All participants benefit from the sharing of Blackfoot knowledge and the validation of this by our Elders."

The agreement includes a number of areas that the institutions will explore through the MOU. It includes articulation across academic programs; student housing and support programs; joint program development and/or delivery; sharing expertise and/or facilities; joint project development and/or delivery; and, together with Lethbridge College, encourages joint partnership within the Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta (RINSA).

“It is essential that Aboriginal people are able to take advantage of present and future opportunities in the province, and the best way to do that is through education,” says Minister Oberle. “Our government places tremendous value on cooperation throughout our post-secondary system, and we welcome this agreement.”

A commitment to Blackfoot and other First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities has been a strong part of the history of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and is articulated in the 2014 – 2019 Strategic Plan. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is proud to have been recognized by Blackfoot Elders with a Blackfoot name and special honour song.

FNMI protocol handbook created

trevor.kenney — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 20:38:08 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge General Faculties Council has approved a unique protocol handbook that will serve as a guideline for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty, staff, students and board and senate members when incorporating Blackfoot and other First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) cultural elements into activities or ceremonies on campus.

Eagle feathers are adorned for a convocation ceremony.

Dr. Judith Lapadat, associate vice-president (students), says the handbook will be a living document that she hopes will assist the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community in acknowledging the many ties between the U of L and the Blackfoot community, as well as the other First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) communities that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ serves.

“As part of the work done by Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04), Roy Weasel Fat and their team, who led us through a process to create our FNMI Centre, what we learned was that the process for acknowledging the roles Kaahsinnooniks (Elders) and other members of the Blackfoot and FNMI communities played in participating in campus activities wasn’t consistent,” says Lapadat. “We also felt that it was important to gather the knowledge about these processes together in one place, and to have them affirmed by members of the U of L community and the FNMI community for the future. An important outcome will be to increase access to Elders for students and other members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community.”

Little Bear, a professor of Native American Studies and the FNMI Advisor to the President, says the new FNMI handbook is an example of a continuing exchange for educational purposes.

“I was recently telling my class that one of the most profound ways that humans learn is through exchange with other humans and exchanges of ideas and experiences,” says Little Bear. “Not much learning occurs in a vacuum. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has developed and continues to foster these relationships, and I am very pleased to have had a role in developing this resource, which provides a foundation for ongoing exchange that we hope enriches the educational experience at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is situated on traditional Blackfoot territory.

Roy Weasel Fat assisted in his role as Interim Director of the FNMI Centre to ensure that local Elders were involved in the development of the handbook.

“It is important to consult our Kaahsinnooniks (Elders) on such activities, particularly as it relates to protocol,” says Weasel Fat, who has recently been appointed as the President of Red Crow Community College in Standoff, Alta.

Lapadat says the information in the FNMI Handbook was extensively reviewed, and will be made widely available. The protocol guide explains the significance of FNMI traditional activities at events such as convocation, the significance of an eagle feather gift, and also how to properly pronounce a greeting in Blackfoot, among other topics.

“This is a unique way of sharing knowledge, which is very important to members of the Blackfoot community,” says Lapadat. “We are on traditional Blackfoot land, and by acknowledging that, and respecting Blackfoot traditions and protocols, we are demonstrating that we are willing to share, just as Leroy, Roy and many others have shared their knowledge with the U of L community to make this guide possible.”

The protocol guide is available at this website. Additional information about FNMI Initiatives at the U of L can be found in the Report to the President on FNMI Centre. FNMI Services, student activities and resources for current and future students are available here.

Drawing on experience

trevor.kenney — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 22:00:46 +0000

Of everything that sets the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge apart from other post-secondary institutions, its deeply-rooted relationship with First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) peoples, and specifically the Blackfoot nation, is intrinsically unique.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ can justifiably take pride in being among the first universities in Canada to include a major in Native American Studies among its liberal education components. It can also take pride in the extensive range of innovative academic programs, research and creative activity related to FNMI peoples developed across Faculties, coupled with active student services support programs.

And yet there are gaps in those supports and incongruences across campus in the delivery of academic programming related to Aboriginal Peoples.

Roy Weasel Fat, the interim director of the FNMI Centre, sees education as a means to self determination.

In September 2011, President Mike Mahon asked professor Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04), Roy Weasel Fat (Red Crow Community College vice-president academic) and professor Dr. Jane O'Dea to develop an overarching strategy that would create support for FNMI students, faculty, staff and community members at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The FNMI Report to the President (available at www.uleth.ca/president/fnmi) was the result, and the development of an FNMI Centre, of which Weasel Fat is now the interim director, is a key recommendation of the report.

"Like all Native centres in Alberta, it's basically focused around student support – what can the centre provide in terms of supporting students so that we can improve their retention and completion rates," says Weasel Fat.

A master's degree holder in education and major player in establishing the current relationship between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and Red Crow College (he served 17 years there, most recently as the vice-president academic), Weasel Fat speaks to the importance of education in bettering the Aboriginal community.

"Education is the most recognized path to reach self determination," he says.

"There are many people from my generation who are going back to school and their kids will follow and also become educated. Once the parents become educated, then it's an expectation for their children, and that helps bring our people out of that cycle of poverty."

He understands better than most that this cannot be accomplished without the proper support systems for Aboriginal students and the FNMI report identifies seven major recommendations to help achieve that goal.

From the creation of a Niitsitapi Gathering Place to the establishment of an Elders Program and Aboriginal Education Policy, the report is closely aligned with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 2009-2013 Strategic Plan.

One aspect especially important to Weasel Fat is the involvement of band elders.

"When we looked at other centres across B.C. and Alberta, what I noticed was that there was very minimal elder involvement," says Weasel Fat. "This is something our students have asked for and one of the mandates of the FNMI Centre, to increase the elders' presence here so that they can be available to the U of L community."

He describes the role elders play in traditional Blackfoot communities as integral.

"Their role in the community is to act as traditional mentors, to provide spiritual support and to keep our history and culture alive," he says.

Weasel Fat sees the Niitsitapi Gathering Place as a community room that would benefit the entire ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"There is a lot of Aboriginal activity across campus through programs in virtually every Faculty but a centre like this can provide a venue for dissemination and collaboration of research for those who are working in these areas across the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," he says.

Weasel Fat speaks quietly, but with an eagerness that is genuine in its belief. He is a product of what an education can achieve, and he has passed those lessons on to his family through his example. He recently had two sons graduate from the U of L (Roy Jr. BA '12 and Cy BA '11) and quickly move into managerial roles on the Blood Reserve, while his daughter Triscia is a fourth-year student and looking to enter the Faculty of Education next fall.

"When I first started out in education, my first instinct was to go back home and help my people," he says. "Education has been of benefit to my own family as well as my community and I will continue to promote education to our community plus share the Blackfoot culture with the U of L."

This story first appeared in the October 2012 issue of the Legend. To see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

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