50 Years of Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba
What began as a small student movement at UM in the early 1970s is now the heart of Indigenous academics and research in Western Canada.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Department of Indigenous Studies – a milestone born from courage, resilience and vision.
As speakers reflected on this milestone, Department Head Lorena Fontaine’s message stood out.
Her words carried the room back half a century – to the moment when a small group of Indigenous students decided that their languages, laws and histories deserved a place in the university.
Their voices would ultimately reshape the institution.
In 1970, the University of Manitoba – located on the original lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis – had more than 13,000 students, but fewer than 50 were Indigenous.
They learned about “exploration” and “civilization,” yet rarely did classroom lessons include Indigenous perspectives or experiences.
In 1971, a racist article published in The Cursor, the engineering student newspaper, became the catalyst. Eleven students from the Faculties of Arts and Education formed the Indian, Métis and Eskimo Student Association (IMESA), demanding accountability and change.
In 1972, UM held its first campus pow wow. Three years later, the Department of Native Studies was formally established – the second of its kind in Canada. “That day, we were no longer guests,” said Mercredi. “We had truly come home.”
In 1982, the department faced closure due to budget cuts. It survived only because Professor Emma LaRocque, alongside students and community allies, organized petitions and public appeals.
“We had to prove, again and again, that our existence mattered. If we had stayed silent, this department would not exist today.” — Professor Emma LaRocque
By the 1990s, the department launched one of the first master’s programs of its kind in Canada, later expanding to the PhD level and becoming a national leader in Indigenous graduate research and studies.
In 2021, the Faculty of Arts introduced the Indigenous content degree requirement, calling for all Arts undergraduates to complete at least three credit hours of Indigenous course content to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts. Members of the Indigenous Studies department have been instrumental in developing, evaluating and delivering these courses, which span areas such as history, political science, sociology and women’s and gender studies.
The requirement aims to give every graduate an understanding of the place of Indigenous people in Manitoba’s and Canada’s history, and how this is woven into contemporary society, especially our workplaces. Since its introduction, other Faculties at UM have also implemented the requirement.
Today, more than 3,200 Indigenous students are studying at the University of Manitoba. Across UM, 127 students — Indigenous and non-Indigenous — are pursuing majors or minors in Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Governance or Indigenous Language programs.
The Department of Indigenous Studies continues to grow its academic offerings. Alongside degrees in Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Governance, it provides a range of language courses, including new micro-diplomas in Anishinaabemowin and Cree that advance language learning and revitalization.
Regular colloquia and international conferences bring together scholars, students and community members to share knowledge and learn from one another.
Faculty members take pride in the achievements of their graduates, who are contributing across disciplines — from health care, education, business and the arts to public service, law and counselling.
“Without the Department of Indigenous Studies, none of what exists today would have been possible – not the Indigenous Student Centre, not the Vice-President (Indigenous), not the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation,” said Professor Niigaan Sinclair. “All Indigenous progress at UM has grown from here.”
He also spoke about the deeper purpose behind studying Indigenous Studies.
Today, generations of Indigenous scholars are following the paths their mentors cleared – continuing to learn, research and create on their own land and in their own classrooms.
Sarah Hourie, Métis scholar, Assistant Professor in City Planning and PhD candidate in Indigenous Studies, said: “I was very excited to take my own language... through the Indigenous Studies department, through a lot of hard work through people who came before me.”
Adrienne Huard, Anishinaabe Two-Spirit curator, writer and Instructor in the department, also a panelist at the 50th anniversary celebration, added: “Our bodies and our art are archives. Every performance is telling the world – our very existence is knowledge.”
As the celebration drew to a close, Elder Carl Stone honoured Mercredi, Moses Okimaw, Edwin Jebb, LaRocque and Sinclair with a song.
“Everything that I know about me, and the love I have for myself, the knowledge I have about my people and the love that I have for my people, came from my own people,” he said, pausing as his eyes filled with tears.
First-year Indigenous Studies student Rhianda Redhead took over the UM Indigenous social-media account that day, writing in her closing post:
In that moment, the drum and the words resonated together.
Fifty years of echoes became a new beginning. From resistance to resurgence, from the margins to the centre, the Department of Indigenous Studies continues to write its living story – a true House of Knowledge for all.
Check out additional on-site interviews captured by The Manitoban, UM’s student-run media outlet. Their YouTube channel features extended conversations and reflections from speakers and community members.
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