McMaster officially opens Indigenous Health Learning Lodge

McMaster University has opened a new Indigenous Health Learning Lodge (IHLL) at the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS). The lodge, which officially opened yesterday, is named Tsi nón:we ayakonniyóhake táhnon aonsayakota’karitehake in Haudenosaunee and Mino Bimaadiziwin Mishkiki Aapjishnik Gamik’ in Anishinaabe. It was developed in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations and will provide a home for Indigenous faculty, staff, and students, as well as a space for those who would like to know more about Indigenization in the health sciences. IHLL will act as a hub for curriculum development, training, and advocacy and awareness initiatives. “There has been a huge increase in collective awareness of what’s happened to Indigenous Canadians, and many students at McMaster are interested in pursuing the conversation about making Canada a safer place for Indigenous people,” said IHLL Executive Director Alexandra Trottier, who is of Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) Wolf Clan and settler heritage. “We are beginning to accrue leadership at the university that can enact future systemic change.”