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
- Links to information about Indigenous childcare-focused centres and organizations, and policy and discussion papers from Champlain College.
University-specific opportunities:
- The Tradition + Transition program between the Nunatsiuvut government and Memorial University has been very beneficial for supporting students at all levels.
- The Aboriginal Resource Office at Memorial University.
- The Elders and Knowledge Keepers in Residence program at the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta.
- Indigenous initiatives at the University of Alberta
University-specific responses to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report:
- University of Toronto report and news release
- University of Alberta news release and approach from the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic)
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, which includes archives and reports.
Other useful indexes of web links:
- University of Alberta web links
- Concordia University’s Indigenous educational resources for faculty and students. This guide is designed to assist faculty in decolonizing and indigenizing the curriculum, with recommended scholarly and community-based resources.
Please send your recommendations for additional resources to: external@caps-acsp.ca.