Yukon College's Journey to Reconciliation

Yukon College’s Journey of Reconciliation

Reconciliation is hard. Reconciliation is work. To have any chance of success each side must care about the other, must be willing to listen, must be willing to learn, must be rooting for the other side.

Yukon College began its reconciliation journey before it was a buzzword; before it was cool.

Twenty years ago, newly-formed Yukon First Nation governments recognized the capacity challenges they faced in implementing their self-government agreements. They asked the College to help by creating programming that would empower their citizens to develop the skills required. In response, the College discovered it had a lot of listening to do.

Each First Nation had different needs, faced different realities. The College could not offer up a one-size-fits-all solution. It had to meet each First Nation where they were at. Indigenous students each face different challenges in entering and completing post-secondary education. The College needed to tailor supports to each student. It had to meet each student where they were at.

And when the College got it wrong, as we have over the years, we had to listen all over again.

The College also recognized it had a lot of learning to do. We had to trust and learn to partner with Yukon First Nations to meet their needs, rather than deliver what we think they asked us for.

The First Nations Initiatives (FNI) department was created in 2003. It is a voice within the college dedicated to integrating an understanding and awareness of the culture, traditions, and history of Yukon First Nations into the fabric of the institution.

Through listening deeply, learning from, and working in partnership with Yukon First Nations, the College has adjusted curricula to reflect Indigenous world views, and developed programs for justice, education, health care and government professionals in Residential Schools Awareness, FASD Support and Core Competencies, Mental Health First Aid for Northern Peoples, Vicarious Trauma Training, and Restorative Responses to Trauma and Adversity.

This year, this same collaborative approach saw the College launch the first made-in-Yukon degree program—the Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Governance. All of this has served to broaden awareness, understanding, empathy and appreciation for Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being amongst employees, students and Yukoners in general.

This work has served to build capacity in Yukon First Nations governments and empower Yukon First Nations citizens to achieve their education and life goals.

This work has improved relationships across the territory. It has been reconciliation in action.

It is only possible because the College has been willing to listen, willing to learn, and has rooted for the success of Yukon First Nations governments, for Yukon First Nations students.

Non-Indigenous people must shoulder the responsibility of listening and learning about the First Nations, Metis and Inuit people they share the land with, the history of Canada’s relationship with Indigenous people, the impact of Residential Schools, status and non-status, the struggle for land-claims.

For this national project of reconciliation to succeed, you must do the work also.

The President’s Advisory Council on First Nations Initiatives (PACFNI) was created in 2009 to provide strategic direction to the College. Comprised of education representatives from each of the 14 Yukon First Nations, as well as several just outside Yukon, PACFNI provides guidance to increase the effectiveness of all programs and services offered for the benefit of all students.

Tosh Southwick Tosh Southwick spoke at the PSAC reconciliation panel discussion in Whitehorse on September 27, 2018. Southwick is Associate Vice President Indigenous Engagement and Reconciliation at Yukon College. She belongs to the wolf moiety, is a citizen of Kluane First Nation and chair of the Yukon First Nations Education Commission.

Recognizing that no matter a person's chosen career or line of work, every Yukoner can expect to interact with Yukon First Nation people or governments at some point, the College partnered with the 14 Yukon First Nations to develop a core competency for all employees and graduating credit students.

This core competency in Yukon First Nations history and culture includes an overview of land claims, implementation of self-government agreements, residential school and its intergenerational impacts. It has been adapted into the one and two-day YFN 101 course which is delivered by FNI staff, or via online delivery, to industry and federal and Yukon government departments.

Photo by Alistair Maitland