2025 marks the 10-year anniversary since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada presented its final report, including 94 Calls to Action. I invite people to think about reconciliation in a personal way. Where have we been? What have we done? How far have we come? What’s next? 

Ten years ago, when I was president at the University of Winnipeg, we hosted a special viewing event to hear the results of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s work. Justice Murray Sinclair, who led the commission, joined us virtually, and I remember joy, pride and hopefulness in the room. We understood the importance of the report and embraced the possibilities it presented for the relationship between Canada’s Indigenous people and the non-Indigenous people who call this country home.

We made significant progress, at that time, on the Calls to Action. I oversaw the development of one of the first mandatory Indigenous course requirements in Canada, signed a historic 10-year research agreement with the Manitoba Métis Federation and launched a program that removes barriers for Indigenous students who want to become teachers.

Now, here at MacEwan, we have the same commitment to the Calls to Action, but we do it differently. In honouring our place in O-day’min, we look at the actions that fit the context and history of the space we’re in.

I like how we’re doing things here. Each year, we have more Indigenous students coming to MacEwan. Our innovative cross-appointments – faculty who split their responsibilities in their faculty with student engagement and mentorship at kihêw waciston – are working well. Most recently, we introduced the Indigegogy minor in the Faculty of Arts and Science, a tremendously exciting step forward.

The Indigegogy minor is unique. Similar programs examine Indigenous topics on a surface level. Indigegogy weaves together Indigenous knowledges, literature and scholarship centred on land-based education. It uses Indigenous ways of knowing to uplift tradition and culture. It’s a different way of teaching and learning.

The connection between the Calls to Action and education is deep, and it should be. Education opens pathways to increased earning potential, better job opportunities and greater career stability – it’s a catalyst toward economic reconciliation. But education does more than that. It opens minds, creates opportunities, develops relationships and strengthens our sense of self-worth and pride.

We often hear about Canada’s productivity challenges, but how can we address them innovatively and in a holistic way? When I think about what our focus needs to be for the next 10 years, I challenge myself to consider what more we can do to enhance economic reconciliation across our institution and within our communities.

Many years ago, I had a conversation with Derek Nepinak, current and former grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. Rather than viewing the economy narrowly as what we produce and consume, he views the economy as where you put your energy. It’s about how you live and the choices you make.

When we think about distributing our energy differently, it prompts discussions that are less about give and take and more about promoting sustainability and equity. Where will I be distributing my energy moving forward?

I will be paying more attention to what’s happening in K to 12. Indigenous students are more likely to pursue post-secondary education if they have had good experiences in K to 12. I’m excited to have been named co-chair of the National Advisory Committee on Indigenous Teacher Education (NACITE), a Rideau Hall Foundation initiative, to grow the number of Indigenous teachers.

I also want to inspire our students by continuing to shine a light on our entrepreneurs like Mallory Yawnghwe, co-founder of Indigenous Box, and celebrating business leaders like Dr. Dave Tuccaro, who received an honorary doctorate from MacEwan in 2001.

We also have an opportunity to expand our cross-appointments so they’re seeded throughout all of our faculties and schools and present in more programs. This initiative has proven to be a successful way to include more Indigenous ways of thinking in our programs.

At MacEwan, we are well-positioned to inspire and make a difference. We sometimes forget how fortunate we are in this place. When students are on campus for the Indigenous Youth Rising Conference, our university looks like a castle to them. Through the experience of joining us on campus, they begin to see themselves here. We have an amazing opportunity – and responsibility – to keep developing opportunities and paths in support of their success.

As we approach the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, please join me in thinking about where you are putting your energy. As a start, I encourage you to attend the Peace Walk from MacEwan to City Hall on September 30. It will be a time of healing, reconciliation, unity and friendship building, as we walk together and then gather to hear survivor stories and unite in song.

Dr. Annette Trimbee
President and Vice-Chancellor