Indigenous Advisor

Riley Kucheran (MA) is from Biigtigong Nishnaabeg (Pic River First Nation) and works with YSGS to foster cultural awareness, institutional change, and better inclusion of Indigenous learners.

Graduate education is an exciting time of self-exploration and community engagement. The Office of Aboriginal Initiatives and the Yeates School of Graduate Studies are committed to providing supports for Indigenous graduate students in all faculties. As Indigenous Advisor, Riley is available to advise prospective students on graduate programs and Indigenous student supports, and work with current students on identifying their unique needs as they obtain degrees and transition from TMU.

To schedule an appointment please email riley.kucheran@torontomu.ca.

Many Indigenous learners take alternative pathways to graduate school. We come with different lived experiences and obligations to community. We need culturally appropriate courses, academic supports, professional development resources and strong mentorship, in addition to understanding, appreciation, respect and cultural sensitivity. As we navigate the same colonial institutions that sought to assimilate or exclude us, it is important that we centre our own Indigeneity. TMU is at the intersection of mind and action in the heart of Canada’s largest and most diverse urban centre: its opportunities for Indigenous learners are limitless.

My own pathway has inspired me to identify and create the supports needed for Indigenous graduate students to thrive at TMU. My graduate experience has been transformational. I’ve reconnected with my community and determined the role I need to play in our cultural and economic resurgence—through Indigenous fashion design.

I look forward to seeing how graduate education might transform you, and how you might transform graduate education.

For more information, please visit TMU Aboriginal Student Services.