From awareness to action

For many University of Manitoba (UM) faculty and staff, this summer’s Tuesday mornings were not ordinary workdays but a journey of deep learning and reflection. They were participants in UM’s Institute for Indigenous Content Literacy — a 12-week training program created in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) Calls to Action.

“This program made me significantly more comfortable talking about Indigenous issues and, most importantly, how to ask questions respectfully,” said Robert Biscontri, Associate Dean at the Asper School of Business, who took part in the Institute two years ago.

Biscontri’s reflections echo the vision of Institute Director and initiator Dr. Cary Miller, Associate Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies. Miller hopes the program will help participants recognize the limits of their own knowledge, dismantle long-standing historical myths and build confidence in bringing Indigenous content into their classrooms.

I hope that UM will become a central partner in building the capacity of our reserve and off-reserve Indigenous communities rather than a place of suspicion,

Dr. Cary Miller

From left to right: Dr. Cary Miller, Dr. Sean Carleton and Robert Biscontri.

Rooted in commitment: responding to TRC Call to Action #57

The Institute was established directly in response to TRC Call to Action #57, which urges public servants to receive education on the history and legacy of residential schools, UNDRIP, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, as well as intercultural skills such as conflict resolution and anti-racism. It also advances UM’s strategic plan commitment to embed Indigenous content and perspectives across teaching and research.

Although Call 57 is not directed specifically at universities, Dr. Miller emphasizes that faculty and staff are public servants and that many UM graduates in education, law, social work and health will also serve in the public sector. For her, Call 57 is not only about educating today’s employees, but also about preparing tomorrow’s workforce.

A wooden boardwalk trail winding through a dense green forest.

Each year, the Institute features a field trip on an Indigenous reserve—one of the participants’ favorite parts of the program.

A 12-week journey beyond “crash courses”

Unlike typical one-day workshops, the 2025 Summer Institute uses a 12-week format for deeper, sustained learning. Research shows that spreading training over time helps with reflection and retention, while short “crash courses” can dilute results and feel like token efforts. This approach also aligns with UM’s Truth and Reconciliation Framework, which emphasizes reconciliation as a long-term commitment requiring ongoing investment and action.

"I really enjoyed each session, especially the variety of facilitators who brought unique perspectives and teaching styles. One highlight for me was the field trip to the Brokenhead Wetland Interpretive Trail, it was a memorable and enriching experience that deepened my connection to the course content." shares Frances Dang, Administrative Coordinator in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

The curriculum progresses step by step — from cultural awareness and Indigenous epistemologies to the distinct histories of Inuit, Métis and First Nations, to the legacy of residential schools, and only later to tools for conflict resolution and anti-racism. Among the most memorable elements was a field trip to the Brokenhead Wetland Interpretive Trail, where participants engaged in land-based learning and conversations with community leaders.

One highlight for me was the field trip to the Brokenhead Wetland Interpretive Trail,

Frances Dang, Administrative Coordinator in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

From left to right: Andy Kerr, Frances Dang and Janice Winkler.

Real impact: from reflection to professional practice

The impact is both tangible and far-reaching. Now in its fifth year, the Institute has empowered 529 faculty and staff members across more than 40 faculties and offices.

Institute instructor Dr. Sean Carleton, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Arts, observed that while many participants initially believed they were well informed about current events, they quickly discovered how limited their understanding of residential school history actually was. "This underscores the importance of initiatives like the Summer Institute and challenges the assumption — common on campus and in society — that people already possess the background knowledge needed for reconciliation."

This underscores the importance of initiatives like the Summer Institute and challenges the assumption — common on campus and in society — that people already possess the background knowledge needed for reconciliation.

Dr. Carleton

Participants in the Summer Institute sit in a circle during a field trip workshop at Brokenhead, listening to a community speaker at the front of the hall.

Certificate of UM’s Institute For Indigenous Content Literacy.

The Institute For Indigenous Content Literacy (academic year program) runs from September 15, 2025, to April 10, 2026.

Looking ahead: extending the flame of Reconciliation

Building on this success and strong demand, UM will launch an academic-year Institute this September. Running asynchronously from fall to spring, the program pairs pre-recorded lectures with discussion sessions, ensuring faculty and staff who dedicate summers to research can participate fully.

As former TRC Chair and UM alum Murray Sinclair [LLB/79, LLD/02] has said, “Education is what got us into this mess, and education will get us out.” UM is demonstrating through action that deep institutional self-education is essential to reconciliation.

Looking ahead, Dr. Miller hopes that Indigenous students will feel seen and experience the sense of belonging that UM’s Truth and Reconciliation Framework strives for, "I hope that Indigenous knowledge will be normalized within the academy. I hope that we will continue to strive to step back from colonial relationships and lean into co-developed research with Indigenous communities in a way that recognizes the importance of developing positive ongoing relationships through reciprocity."

I hope that Indigenous knowledge will be normalized within the academy.

Dr. Cary Miller

Archival image of Canada’s residential schools.

Dr. Carleton taught Week 7 of the Summer Institute, focusing on the history and legacy of residential schools.

I am leaving the Summer Institute with renewed commitment and strengthened skills to meaningfully contribute to the work of Truth and Reconciliation, knowing that I have an important role to play in this work alongside my colleagues.

Andy Kerr

Participants also highlight how the program is shaping their professional practice. Janice Winkler, Social Sciences Librarian, connected course readings to a workshop she was preparing and, through personalized feedback from Dr. Miller, discovered a new perspective from the work of Emma LaRocque. That insight has since reshaped the workshop she will deliver this fall.

For Andy Kerr, Instructor in the Faculty of Arts, the Institute was a chance to achieve clear goals: deepening his knowledge of Indigenous histories and epistemologies, better understanding contemporary Indigenous issues, and addressing teaching challenges through reflective journals. "I can confidently say that my aims were achieved. I am leaving the Summer Institute with renewed commitment and strengthened skills to meaningfully contribute to the work of Truth and Reconciliation, knowing that I have an important role to play in this work alongside my colleagues." says Kerr.

We invite you to join us in this transformative journey.

Together with your support, UM can continue to transform reconciliation from words into action across our campus and beyond.

Sue Wang