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CHAE Speaker Series: Reconciliation and Decolonization in the University, Dr. Mike DeGagné
February 25, 2020 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm EST
Reconciliation and Decolonization in the University: The Canadian Experience
The goal of cultural reconciliation is among the highest priorities of the Canadian government. The effort to develop understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians is at the heart of reconciliation. A historical series of reports and Commissions have all arrived at the same general conclusion: reconciliation will mean a process of decolonization leading to greater self-determination. Universities are, then, challenged to advance the aspirations of Indigenous students by focusing on the “indigenization” of the academy and the “decolonization” of the institution. This decolonization will require a fundamental shift in the stories told within the university: the narratives embedded in the curriculum, student services, residence life, and considerations of faculty teaching, research, and community service.
Dr. Mike DeGagné, President and Vice-Chancellor, Nipissing University
Mike DeGagné is the sixth President and Vice-Chancellor of Nipissing University. His career includes work with the federal government in management of Aboriginal programs and as a negotiator of comprehensive claims. Most recently he served as the founding Executive Director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, a national organization that addressed the legacy of Indian Residential Schools. Dr. DeGagné has a Ph.D. in Education focusing on Aboriginal postsecondary success from Michigan State University and Masters degrees in Administration and Law. He lectures nationally and internationally in the areas of Indigenous governance and reconciliation. He is a recipient of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario as well as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2018, he received an Honorary Doctor of Law from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University and an Indspire Award for Public Service.
Event Details:
Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at 1:00PM
Erickson Hall, Room 252