According to the SSHRC Indigenous Talent Fund consultation, Indigenous post-docs and graduate students face various barriers and challenges in pursuing academic and research endeavours. For example,

  • Balancing studies while raising a family – many graduate students are parents.
  • Graduate SSHRC scholarships are below the poverty line.
  • Travel is very expensive.
  • Negotiating the challenge of validating Indigenous identity on proof of band membership or lived experiences.
  • Misconception that Indigenous grad students and post-docs are fully funded. The reality is that bands are rarely able to support students at the graduate level.
  • Indigenous role models are needed across all institutions.
  • Some institutions lag behind in their levels of support to Indigenous students and in establishing protocols.
  • Many undergrads are unaware of funding opportunities to pursue graduate studies. They also do not know that they can integrate Indigenous methodologies in their research.
  • Post-secondary institutions remain non-inclusive and violent environments for Indigenous students.
  • Institutional funding caps can negate the goals of supporting Indigenous students.
  • There is an important distinction between Indigenous researchers, and research by and with Indigenous Peoples.

The following programs, opportunities and resources may be helpful to Indigenous post-docs.

Funding

Mentorship

  • Articles on an Indigenous graduate student mentorship summit at the University of Toronto. Here and here.

Childcare

University-specific opportunities:

University-specific responses to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report:

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, which includes archives and reports.

Other useful indexes of web links:

Please send your recommendations for additional resources to: external@caps-acsp.ca.