Our Mission

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Western’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives and the VP/AVP (Indigenous Initiatives) will lead system-wide change required to advance truth and reconciliation efforts, achieve equitable outcomes for Indigenous Peoples, and implement Western’s Indigenous Strategic Plan. The Office will be committed to building and strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities locally, provincially, nationally and internationally, and fostering an academic environment, where all students, staff, faculty and community members experience the university as a welcoming, supportive, culturally-safe environment in which Indigenous languages, ways of knowing, being and doing are respected and supported.

The Office’s priority areas are:

  • Strategic planning and implementation
  • Communications and reporting
  • Community engagement
  • Policy development and practice
  • Space planning and management
  • Curriculum and training development
  • Student affairs, access and recruitment strategies
  • Faculty and staff recruitment and retention strategies
  • Research and scholarship strategies