Residents across the Northwest Territories are being asked to give feedback on Aurora College’s plan to establish an Indigenous Knowledge Holders Council.
The council will be part of a three-part governance structure as the college transforms into a polytechnic university, alongside a board of governors and an academic council.
Meetings began in Inuvik and Norman Wells last week, according to a schedule shared on the college’s Facebook page.
In a Tuesday press release, the college said figuring out how the Indigenous Knowledge Holders Council should work was “an important step in the journey” toward becoming a university.
“The main purpose of the council will be to promote policies and operational decisions that foster the success of Indigenous students and staff, and the overall success of Aurora College. It is anticipated to be in place in spring 2024,” the college wrote.
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“The structure is the first of its kind at a post-secondary institution in Canada, and underscores Aurora College’s commitment to incorporate Indigenous perspectives, values, knowledge and traditions into all areas and business of the institution, in a methodical, strategic, and collaborative manner.”
The council’s members will be expected to make recommendations to the board of governors that relate to Indigenous students and staff, the college’s strategic direction, program development and review, and the college’s operational activities, among other topics.
Meetings take place in Fort Simpson on Tuesday, Yellowknife on Thursday, Fort Smith on November 2 and Hay River on November 7.
The Yellowknife meeting will be live-streamed for residents in 11 smaller communities that have community learning centres, the college said.
