Indigenization in Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Research

Land Acknowledgement

Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek (Ah-nish-in-a-bek), Haudenosaunee (Ho-den-no-show-nee), Lūnaapéewak (Len-ahpay- wuk) and Chonnonton (Chun-ongk-ton) Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society. We acknowledge the truth of harms from our colonial past and strive to do better as we move forward together in the spirit of truth and reconciliation.

Welcome!

The information below is for Indigenous graduate students, and anyone interested in resources on campus related to being an Indigenous graduate student at Western. It is also intended serve anyone carrying out graduate research involving Indigenous peoples including non-Indigenous graduate students and faculty members.

We are grateful for Indigenous graduate students who enrich the graduate community at Western through respected ways of knowing and being.

The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) acknowledges that there are often additional challenges being an Indigenous student at a large university. We hope the information here will help confront those challenges by identifying policies, procedures, guidelines, and best practices for Indigenous graduate students at Western.

For further information on EDI initiatives at SGPS please visit our EDIDA webpage.

Indigenous Affirmation Policy

Affirmation Requirement

If you benefit from Indigenous community membership you must be affirmed. There are several opportunities for Indigenous graduate students on campus such as reserved Indigenous spots in certain programs and Indigenous scholarships. The integrity of those programs is supported by our internal Western process of Indigenous Affirmation through the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII).

The policy was put into effect in the summer of 2025. Full details can be found HERE. The OII will help you affirm your Indigenous status, something you only do once regardless of the number of opportunities you pursue while here.

Indigenous Research at Western

Western has explicit guidelines for conducting Indigenous research including Centering Indigenous Voices: A Guide Towards Allyship in Indigenous Research.

Some of the themes in those resources include:

Definition of Indigenous research: projects you may assume are not Indigenous research (e.g., using a variable “Indigenous” in a statistical model) are Indigenous research.
Start early/plan ahead: the timeframe of a master’s may not be sufficient for Indigenous research.
Indigenous supervisor or Indigenous thesis committee member: to support proper protocols and avoid missteps.
Partner with an Indigenous community: all Indigenous research should have an Indigenous partner organization/community (Western Research can help).
Follow Guidelines for Working with Indigenous Community Members.

Indigenous Allyship and Online Learning

Non-Indigenous faculty, staff, students and community members committed to building meaningful, respectful and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous Peoples at Western and beyond are encouraged to follow a path of allyship.

The OII has created Braiding Truth Into Action: A Guide Towards Indigenous Allyship at Western University (the inspiration for Centering Indigenous Voices: A Guide Towards Allyship in Indigenous Research).

They also acquired the licencing (with Western Libraries) to host two online modules for learning the truth of colonial harms and ways to work together with Indigenous communities in the spirit of reconciliation.

Each online module will soon have an Own Your Future badge signifying completion for digital channels like LinkedIn.

Thesis and Examination Supports for Indigenous Students

“Diverse Formats” Thesis

For research-based graduate programs, Western has a Thesis Format and Content policy that allows for “Diverse Formats”, meaning any format agreed to and approved by the thesis supervisory committee that adheres to the policy.

This provides wide latitude for the artefact a research-based graduate student can produce, as long as certain conditions are met. It is best to have a conversation with your supervisor and thesis committee as early as possible if you want to pursue a non-traditional format.

Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Thesis Examiner

To support Indigenous thesis research and better incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing and being in Indigenous communities we have a designated examiner role set aside for an Indigenous community member.

The Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Thesis Examiner is a member of a recognized Indigenous community or organization with knowledge, experience, and expertise related to the research, scholarship, and/or creative activity.

These examiners lend rigour to an Indigenous thesis, and the arrangement also serves as a form of knowledge sharing/mobilization with Indigenous communities. These examiners are asked to complete the affirmation process described above.

Inviting an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper

The student and particularly the supervisor should plan well ahead to include an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Thesis Examiner.

SGPS provides a helpful guidance document that you can share with potential Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Thesis Examiners while Western Research provides this very useful guide for working with Indigenous community members.

For example, you are asked to provide an honorarium as a gesture of respect and appreciation for their time, expertise, and contribution to the examination process. The exact amount depends on the work required to evaluate the thesis and learn our procedures (i.e., longer than academic examiners). We recommend a minimum of $100/hr.

There are other important protocols that should be respected as well outlined in the above guides and the resources listing below.

Indigenous Resources | For Faculty and Students