University of Lethbridge hosting Indigenous Awareness Week

LETHBRIDGE -

The University of Lethbridge held opening ceremonies and a powwow to mark the start of Indigenous Awareness Week on Monday.

"Indigenous Awareness Week really is to expose all students, Indigenous as well as non-Indigenous, to an Indigenous way of doing things and then how we incorporate those Indigenous perspectives into our work and into our teaching," said U of L president Digvir Jayas.

The annual event has been held since the mid-1970s.

Since then, it's grown into a large-scale event faculties from across the university are involved with.

"Right from Day 1, the University of Lethbridge wanted to involve the Indigenous community," said Leroy Little Bear, U of L vice-provost for Iniskim Indigenous relations.

One of the faculties particularly involved with this year's edition of the awareness week is the faculty of fine arts.

In recognition of what the faculty has done for reconciliation, it's been honoured with a Blackfoot name.

"I think for me, the gifting of a Blackfoot name recognizes a lot of the work that faculty members and previous leadership in the faculty did to contribute to reconciliation," said Heather Davis-Fisch, fine arts faculty dean.

The university hopes events like these can raise the profile of Indigenous culture and issues.

But they know these sorts of conversations need to happen more than just one week a year.

"This Indigenous Awareness Week also plays the role of setting contexts, setting a foundation and celebrating that coming together," Little Bear said.

Events for Indigenous Awareness Week will be held around the university until Friday.

They include markets, discussion panels, song and dance demonstrations and more.