NAIT is on a journey to truth and reconciliation

Madlen Christianson remembers when a consultant came to speak with staff members at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and how it deepened her understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing.

“She used the analogy of people standing in a circle around a tree and the idea that everyone has their own perspective,” says Christianson, manager of diversity and inclusion. “That has been a powerful tool to understand the relationality that is important to Aboriginal people and the importance of incorporating Indigenous world views when working with others. Everyone has a different perspective, but bringing all those perspectives together helps us gain a better understanding of the whole.”

To further this understanding and to heed the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Edmonton-based NAIT created Connecting the Four Directions, a guide to help staff find ways to honour Indigenous knowledge and be more inclusive of Indigenous people and communities. The guide aligns traditional teachings with NAIT’s vision to be a leading polytechnic and seeks to remove barriers to education.

Derek Thunder, manager of NAIT’s Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre, says the guide is not meant to be prescriptive. “Aboriginal people are storytellers. Their stories are alive and they change with the passage of time,” he says. “While we wanted to create a path with the Four Directions, it is a living document and leaves the opportunity for it to adapt and grow with the evolution of what we do.”

The document was named for the four directions held sacred by some Indigenous cultures, including Cree. Some of its strategies include honouring and applying Indigenous knowledge and culture; supporting staff recruitment and retention with Indigenous ways of knowing; identifying and removing barriers to Indigenous student success; building relationships with Indigenous communities; and partnering with Indigenous communities and industry to develop community-based learning opportunities.

The Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre helped create the Four Directions. Nîsôhkamâtotân (Nee-so-ka-ma- to-tan) is a Cree word meaning “let’s help each other.” The centre is a community gathering place where Indigenous and non-Indigenous students can come together to network and study. It has also taken the lead in championing NAIT’s journey to truth and reconciliation and finding ways to take meaningful action.

“The original intent was to create a home away from home for Aboriginal students,” Thunder says. “This has since expanded to becoming more visible across the entire campus. Through partnerships, we create an environment that empowers the students to feel more confident to go outside of their home away from home and use all the services on campus.”

Angela Finlayson, manager of student recruitment, says the Four Directions principles permeate the whole institution, including student recruitment. For example, the Aboriginal Admissions Pathway offers equitable access to programs to identify and remove barriers to Indigenous student success.

“Our Aboriginal student recruitment strategy connects to the Four Directions and to our equity, diversity and inclusion strategy,” Finlayson says. “You will see examples of how Four Directions acts as an overarching guide to everything we do across the institution.”

This commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion also affects what it’s like to work at NAIT.

“People are seeing themselves reflected at an institutional level,” Christianson says. “It makes everyone more comfortable in bringing their whole selves to work.” Finlayson says the atmosphere provides opportunities for learning and teaching and allows people to feel they can take meaningful action toward change.

“It creates a broader sense of community,” Thunder says. “It makes it easier to ask questions and build relationships. It enriches and supports the NAIT values of respect, collaboration, celebration, creativity and accountability for all.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Alberta’s Top Employers winners, published January 25, 2022 in the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.