ITEP College of Education students in the library
Photo credit: Ashley Dopko/USask

Ohpahotân | oohpaahotaan guides

The USask community is guided by ohpahotân | oohpaahotaan “Let’s Fly Up Together”—the first Indigenous Strategy solely created by Indigenous people at a Canadian U15 research institution—in its shared responsibility to dismantle barriers, create welcoming spaces, and ensure Indigenous voices and knowledges are valued at every level.

In a historic ceremony on Aug. 20, 2021, the Indigenous Strategy was gifted to USask by the Indigenous Peoples who informed and validated its creation. Guided by Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Indigenous communities, ohpahotân | oohpaahotaan complements the University Plan 2025 nīkānītān manācihitowinihk | ni manachīhitoonaan (“Let us lead with respect”) and reflects USask’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action through Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation.

At the heart of the strategy are seven interdependent, mutually reinforcing fundamental commitments: Safety; Wellness; Stewardship; Representation; Right Relations; Creation; and Renewal.

Since the Gifting, the Office of the Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement (OVPIE) has collaborated with internal and external partners. Colleges and units on campus are engaged in work to apply ohpahotân | oohpaahotaan. Collaborations have included:

  • The creation of USask’s deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin Indigenous Truth Policy, Canada’s first post-secondary verification of Indigenous citizenship/membership policy;

  • The creation and hosting of the Indigenous Summer Institute, a week-long, live-in experience on campus for Grades 11 and 12;

  • The implementation of a Smudging and Ceremonies Policy to ensure USask remains a safe space for ceremony;

  • The creation of Indigenous leadership and cultural spaces in colleges and schools, such as Education, Edwards School of Business, and Arts and Science;

  • The integration of Indigenous pedagogy into curriculum through USask’s Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning;

  • The annual USask Bookstore orange shirt initiative supporting TRC-related programs;

  • Inclusion of Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Indigenous cultural protocols at Convocation and the creation of the Wise Ones Circle; and

  • The development of the kihci-okâwîmâw askiy Knowledge Centre in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources to grow Indigenous knowledge systems through the land.