Cross-Campus Initiatives
There are several different initiatives and offices across campus that focus on Indigenous issues on and off campus. Below is a comprehensive list which you can follow to find out more about these initiatives:
| Organization | Description |
|---|---|
| Branches Outreach | Branches can help you explore options and map out your academic path, whether you’re undecided about your future, or interested in joining the McGill community. We also facilitate outreach activities in Indigenous communities and schools. Working with school boards, educators, and families, our programming aims to support Indigenous student success and helps students see themselves as lifelong learners. |
| Indigenous Studies and Community Engagement Initiative |
ISCEI is funded by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is designed to increase resources for Indigenous students, faculty, and staff on campus, as well as to support the growth and development of the Indigenous Studies Program. ISCEI is housed in the Faculty of Arts and aims to serve as a nexus for Indigenous scholarship and community-building, and to generate new, cross-University synergies and community partnerships in areas where we can have the greatest impact. ISCEI supports Indigenous Studies and Community Engagement Initiatives -- artists in residence program, elder in residence program; writer in residence; language revitalization; funding opportunities (including for community engagement and research-related travel). |
| First Peoples House | The First Peoples House provides First Nations, Inuit and Métis students attending McGill with a "home away from home", where they can find support and encouragement to succeed in their studies and remain connected to their culture as well as offering subsidized tutoring, monthly workshops, and other resources to ensure student success. McGill's First Peoples' House attempts to provide a sense of community and a voice to Indigenous students who have left their home communities to pursue higher education. |
| Indigenous Access McGill | Indigenous Access McGill (IAM) is a support program for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students in the School of Social Work. Since 2007, IAM has been supporting Indigenous students from recruitment through graduation. |
| Indigenous Studies Program | The Indigenous Studies Program at McGill University was established in 2014 in response to years of research, reflection, and activism on the part of students at McGill and the Indigenous communities on campus. Currently a minor program within the Faculty of Arts, the Indigenous Studies Program is administered by the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC). It is more than courses with Indigenous content — it’s about engagement with Indigenous knowledge, with its distinct methodology, norms, and expectations within the academy. |
| McGill Students Chapter of AISES |
AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society) is an organization based primarily in the U.S. focused on promoting Aboriginal involvement in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (STEM) related fields. The McGill Students Chapter of AISES focuses on directly engaging local Aboriginal youth in any STEM discipline. The goal as members of AISES is not only to participate in various internal and external events at McGill and the surrounding community but also to fundraise and send members to the AISES National Conference and Leadership Summit held annually. |
| Indigenous Mental Health Interest Group | The Indigenous Mental Health Interest Group (IMHIG) brings together researchers, clinicians and students at McGill and other institutions in Quebec to support work in collaboration with Indigenous communities in the broad area of mental health research, policy and practice. The group aims to provide a place to share knowledge, learn from one another, and develop culturally responsive approaches to mental health promotion with Indigenous Peoples. |
| Indigenous McGill Student Alliance | The Indigenous Student Alliance is a community of Indigenous students and allies based at McGill University. The Alliance aims to foster Indigenous community growth, unite Indigenous students and allies, and develop relationships with other marginalized communities. |
| Indigenous Initiatives Office |
Indigenous Initiatives is the central hub for Indigenous strategies and initiatives at McGill University. As the institutional steward of McGill’s vision for Indigeneity, Indigenous Initiatives plays a multi-layered role by working to embed Indigeneity in all facets of McGill life. It also works to strengthen awareness and alignment of various Indigenous initiatives across the University, support Indigenous student and employee success, and support the implementation of McGill's 52 Calls to Action on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education. |
| Faculty of Law Indigenous Initiatives | McGill Law offers students the opportunity to study and complete research with a wide range of legal scholars in English and French. The Faculty is host to a vibrant Indigenous Law Students’ Association and the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism's Aboriginal Human Rights Initiatives. |
| Indigenous Law Association at McGill | The Indigenous Law Association / Association du Droit Autochtone (ILADA) is a bilingual club of the McGill Faculty of Law that advocates for greater awareness of Indigenous living legal traditions as well as issues underpinning relationships on Turtle Island, in particular the dynamics of the settler- colonial state. ILADA also helps law students to gain valuable insights into the practice of Aboriginal law. The club does so by organizing events at the Faculty of Law and by sharing relevant content on social media. It also hosts Rooted – a publication and platform dedicated to Indigenous law. |
