The University of Saskatchewan recently inaugurated its kihci-okâwîmâw askiy (Great Mother Earth in Plains Cree) Knowledge Centre, which will serve as a resource for Indigenous communities seeking information pertaining to land, resource management, training, and research partnerships. The centre will provide professional development opportunities, will develop an Askiy Research Lecture Series, and will establish an Askiy Mentorship Team to foster relationships between faculty, students, and Indigenous communities. “In our languages are the teachings, stories, and ceremonies that describe our moral obligations to the land,” said kihci-okâwîmâw askiy Knowledge Centre Director Candice Pete-Cardoso. “Land management requires interdisciplinary problem solving, collaborative knowledge, and teamwork across disciplines. It requires braiding both Indigenous knowledge of the askiy (land) and Western knowledge.” The centre comes from the revitalization of the former Indigenous Land Management Institute, and its steering committee is comprised of members of 13 First Nations and six different Indigenous language groups. USask also recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations to advance legal reform in child welfare systems for First Nations communities.
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