February 25, 2026

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) announced that Inuit Nunangat University—the first Inuit-led university in Canada’s Arctic—will be located in Arviat, Nunavut. According to ITK, Arviat ranked highest in several key categories including overall readiness, capacity, and alignment with the university’s vision for a culturally rich learning environment. “We knew we had a really strong proposal, but when we first heard, it was a bit shocking. Very humbling. Very happy,” Arviat Mayor Joe Savikataaq Jr told CBC News. Savikataaq Jr further stated that the community is in full support of the university, which they hope will bring economic benefits to the hamlet. Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated—which represents the Inuit of Nunavut—announced $50M in new funding for construction of the main campus, and the Government of Canada announced a $50M investment in the university’s development. The other locations that submitted detailed pitches to host the university—Cambridge Bay, Inuvik, Iqaluit, Kuujuaq, and Puvirnituq—will now be considered to host regional knowledge centres or satellite campuses.

The Government of Ontario recently announced a new funding model for its higher education system that includes $57M over three years for Indigenous-led postsecondary education and training. The Indigenous Institutes Consortium praised the investment for igniting a “new era for Indigenous institutes” with sustainable, equitable access to Indigenous-led PSE and training. “This investment will unlock the full potential of Indigenous learners and First Nations communities, building a more equitable, diverse, and resilient Ontario economy,” said IIC Executive Director Marsha Josephs. Several institute leaders echoed Josephs’ comments and shared how the funding would be used at their institute to meet student demand, offer culturally-rooted programming and supports, and enhance their operations.

Schools across Saskatchewan celebrated Indigenous Storytelling Month in February with special guests, events, and reading lists. Indigenous Storytelling Month, which is hosted by the Library Services for Saskatchewan Aboriginal Peoples (LSSAP), celebrates First Nations, Métis, and Inuit oral traditions with storytelling, music, and puppet shows across the province. The University of Regina hosted a kick-off event with speaker Randy Morin from Big River First Nation, in addition to holding a book launch and storytelling events throughout February. Regina Public Library, Regina Public Schools, and Regina Catholic Schools co-hosted a series of online storytelling sessions with speakers Dr Blair Stonechild (First Nations University), Harmony Johnson-Harder, Cheyenna “Shy” Sapp, and Kealy Cheyenne. LSSAP Project Coordinator Jessica Generoux said that the month’s organizers are seeing lots of younger storytellers emerging: “They have a lot to share. They have a lot of passion. They have a lot of motivation in building those connections and capacity for intergenerational healing.”

As part of a broader federal announcement, the Government of Canada announced that it would be extending the Inuit Child First Initiative for another year. Indigenous Services Canada will provide $115M to support the one-year continuation while the federal government and Inuit partners forge a long-term approach. “Children’s well-being is one of the core priorities that I have as a minister,” said ISC Minister Mandy Gull-Masty. “Families, leaders, and children themselves have been clear about how critical the Inuit Child First Initiative is.” Nunatsiaq News says that the funding is $7M less than what was provided for the previous one-year extension. Nunavut MP Lori Idlout criticized the funding announcement as “not offering real solutions.”

Red River College Polytechnic has waived its application fee for applicants who are First Nations, Métis, or Inuit. These applicants can now apply to any RRC Polytech program for free. The initiative follows two pilot programs in 2024 and 2025 that showed demand for more accessible application pathways. “One person said they felt like they won the lottery,” said RRC Polytech Director of Student Support Services Laureen Janzen. “By making this a year-round initiative, Indigenous applicants can now also take their time to consider program fit, meet with some of our support services on campus and really understand the programs and the admission requirements.”

At Stelly’s Secondary School in the Saanich School District, a group of students helped to put together their own Indigenous course. Stelly’s student Grace Henry, a member of Paquachin First Nation, told Times Colonist that she was frustrated by the experience of seeing how bored her fellow students were with being taught repetitive classes on the same Indigenous topics. In light of that, she and her fellow students spent the last two years creating a new high school course that reflects the local W̱SÁNEĆ people, culture, and practices and features opportunities to learn on the land. Students will develop a portfolio of work that showcases what they have learned through the program, and teachers will evaluate students’ engagement with the course rather than their knowledge of Indigenous topics.

The University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine has announced a new endowed chair in Indigenous Health that honours the late John Big-Canoe. Big-Canoe was a member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation who worked as a physician, operating a family practice in Sutton and travelling extensively in Northern Ontario and Quebec. The Big-Canoe Chair in Indigenous Health—supported by $5M from anonymous donors—will focus on advancing Indigenous Health and inspiring future generations of physicians. At the naming event in December, Grandmother Alita Sauve welcomed guests with ceremonial smudging and reflections on gratitude.

A student was reportedly the target of racially motivated bullying and assault at Stonybrook Middle School in the Hanover School Division earlier this month. Melissa Johnson said that her son, who is from the Pimicikimak Cree Nation, was the target of racial slurs regarding his Indigenous identity and physically assaulted by other students. “He takes pride in his culture. He dances, he sings, he’s just really proud to be Indigenous,” said Johnson. Indigenous organization Mino Odewin has called for the school division to conduct a formal investigation, implement a comprehensive safety plan, and review supervision policies. HSD issued a statement asserting that violence, racism, and discrimination have no place in the schools and that “every student deserves to feel safe, respected, and supported at school.” The school board also stated that the incident is under investigation, including a review of its lunch-hour supervision practices.

At the Université de Montréal, a project team led by Assistant Professor Kevin Péloquin recently worked to bring the cultural knowledge and voices of the Indigenous community to an anthropological collection at the university. UMontréal’s ethnographic collection includes 500 items that are Indigenous cultural property from the Atikamekw, Innu, and Inuit communities. Cultural experts from each of these Indigenous communities visited the collection and took part in video interviews, where they shared information and recounted memories of the objects. In addition to publishing the interviews online for the general public’s use, the university has integrated the interviews into geography and history teaching courses to help education students learn how to teach the perspectives, knowledge, and skills of Indigenous peoples when they begin their careers in elementary and secondary schools. Péloquin hopes to obtain funding to produce full English translations of the videos.

Several schools held celebrations of Métis culture and Louis Riel in honour of Louis Riel Day. Assiniboine College held “Infinity Week,” a series of special events celebrating the Métis people and culture in the week leading up to Louis Riel Day. The University of Manitoba hosted an event where attendees could learn to finger weave a Métis sash, jig as fiddlers played Métis cultural songs, and participate in a butter churning workshop led by Louis Riel Institute Cultural Programmer Gavin Forbes. At the K-12 level, the Brandon School Division and the Hanover School Division shared information about Louis Riel, while St Maurice School teacher Chris Allard made a Lego portrait of Louis Riel that he hopes will help his students and the wider community reflect on Riel’s history.