Indigenous Employee Inclusion

Our Academic Plan outlines respect for Indigenous perspectives as one of its primary values. As an employer, this means embracing Indigenous faculty and staff, and increasing Indigenous representation to reflect the diversity of our students and the community around us.

We recognize that the talents of diverse Indigenous people will drive innovation and help make the university a great place to study and work. We are continuously strengthening our community outreach activities and partnering with varied organizations to attract Indigenous people to apply to work at the university and contribute to the university’s success.

We provide space for using traditional medicines

Toronto Met Aboriginal Student Services (RASS) space is located in the heart of campus in the Kerr Hall West Building (KHW), Third Floor, Room 389 at 31 Gerrard Street East. The space is open to all faculty, staff and students and medicines are available. 

If it’s your first visit, the university’s Indigenous Human Resources Lead Tracey King, is also available to introduce you to the space.

We have a campus Elder (Ke Shay Hayo) and Senior Advisor – Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation

Omushkego Cree Elder Joanne Dallaire, Red Hawk Woman has ancestry from Attawapiskat First Nation. Her appointment as Elder (Ke Shay Hayo) and Senior Advisor – Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation is a significant step towards the university’s commitment to increasing Indigenous representation at the senior level, and to embedding the community’s knowledge and perspectives into the university’s culture.

As Elder and Senior Advisor, Dallaire reports to the provost and vice-president, academic, with a dotted line to the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community and Inclusion. She also attends Board of Governors, Senate and Academic Planning Group meetings, giving her a direct line to the university’s decision-makers and creating an environment for reciprocal learning.

We have a traditional counsellor at RASS

Sloan Miller is the university’s Traditional Counsellor/Cultural Programmer. She can be reached at joanne.miller@torontomu.ca. 

We have a First Nations, Métis and Inuit community group

Formed in April 2015, First Nations, Métis and Inuit faculty, instructors and staff were invited to come together to get to know and learn from each other. Attendees provided input on what different types of support, community socials, speakers and activities participants would like to see in the future.

A sense of community and belonging is important for continued Aboriginal engagement, retention and increasing morale, support and wellbeing. This is a group for and by the university’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit faculty, instructors and staff community. To learn more and get involved, visit the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Community Group webpage.

We are surrounded by a vibrant Indigenous community

Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, the campus is surrounded by a vibrant Indigenous community. We’ve provided a list of Toronto Indigenous organizations.