Land as teacher : Decolonial practices in equity, diversity and inclusion

At this opening event of this year's EDI Scholars-in-Residence program, we will explore opportunities and wise-practice models for EDI and university library departments, to engage Land-based decolonial community programming and professional development activities, which are aligned with the UBC Indigenous Strategic Plan. Policies regarding decolonial EDI initiatives, and distinct implementation experiences of Indigenous strategic planning within diverse departments at the university remain under-developed. Decolonial, Land-based EDI initiatives for university library departments are also extremely rare. Local Indigenous knowledge systems, relationship building, and Land-based pedagogical frameworks can strengthen EDI initiatives, scholarship, curriculum development and teaching practices. We know that the process of decolonizing academic policy and procedures benefits greatly from local Indigenous worldviews, relationality to the Land and Water, as well as ancestral knowledge, protocols, and teachings. The principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are already intrinsically woven throughout local Indigenous epistemologies, ontologies, and methodologies. This wisdom is drawn from Indigenous relationality to the Land and Water in our ancestral territories. Gathering and synthesizing knowledge about traditional Indigenous approaches within EDI will contribute to informing and advancing initiatives which are supportive of Indigenous students, scholars, and university practice alike. Objectives: Engage university students, staff, and scholars through Land-based activities and local Indigenous cultural protocols; Explore ideas around decolonization, reciprocity, and Land-based teachings in practice; Strengthen relationality and decolonial approaches within university library departments, policies and procedures; Examine linkages between EDI initiatives, the Indigenous Strategic Plan, and local Indigenous cultural knowledge and teachings. Session Learning: How do you perceive decolonial policy and practice in university settings? What role does Land-based education and programming have within university library departments? What are Indigenous students/staff/scholars experiences of EDI at UBC? How can EDI be rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing and being?