51猎奇入口

On October 1, SEE welcomed speakers Kamala Todd and Pamela Wolf for a discussion on the importance of land, language, and Indigenous knowledge in shaping how we build and imagine our communities, while exploring how engineering education can advance reconciliation.

Through reflections on the histories of place and the importance of respecting Indigenous communities, the conversation highlighted the value of integrating diverse ways of knowing into both engineering practice and education.

Learn more about the panelists:

Kamala Todd, Associate Professor of Professional Practice, SFU: A M茅tis-Cree Indigenous planner, filmmaker, and educator who weaves storytelling, film, and urban planning to support decolonizing and re-Indigenizing cities, with film credits including Cedar and Bamboo and Indigenous Plant Diva. She has led transformative projects with the City of Vancouver, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

Pamela Wolf, Assistant Professor of Teaching, UBC: A settler actively undertaking engineering education leadership on the decolonization of engineering curriculum, she works at the intersection of communication and design with a focus on collaboration, consultation, and leadership, and leads the Decolonizing Engineering Curriculum and the Reconciliation + Design initiatives that support engineering faculty in embedding Indigenous reconciliation into the curriculum.

Discussion Points:

• Historical Context
  Long-term strategic planning and urban design practices have often overlooked or only superficially engaged Indigenous communities. The integration of Indigenous ways of knowing within these processes has been minimal or entirely absent.
• Role of the Engineering Community
  The engineering profession鈥攊ncluding practitioners, educators, and students鈥攈as the potential to change this trajectory. Achieving meaningful change requires sustained partnerships with Indigenous communities and active engagement with Indigenous knowledge systems.
• Focus for Action
  • Decolonization: This involves dismantling colonial hierarchies and mindsets by deepening recognition of the land, practicing humility within the engineering profession, acknowledging both historical and ongoing harms, embracing systems thinking, and pursuing collective transformation.
  • Indigenization: This means actively inviting Indigenous voices and perspectives into dialogue and practice, while recognizing and valuing the diversity of Indigenous worldviews rather than treating them as monolithic.
• The Role of Universities
  Universities have a crucial role to play in transforming engineering education and practice. Key actions include:
  • Inviting Indigenous speakers and integrating their contributions into teaching, research, and scholarly activities.
  • Revising naming conventions and institutional language in policies and actions, with a scale of change significant enough to create real impact.
  • Acknowledging and addressing the social structures and truths embedded within existing systems.
  • Creating roles or positions that bridge knowledge systems (e.g., 鈥減eace warriors鈥�) between conventional engineering frameworks and Indigenous ways of knowing.
  • Promoting reciprocal and respectful knowledge exchange with Indigenous knowledge keepers, carried out with humility鈥攕ettlers should not speak for Indigenous peoples.
  • Identifying and engaging Indigenous voices, particularly those of youth, to ensure diverse representation and intergenerational continuity.

Some Informational Resources

• , 2022. Pamela Wolf, Ben Harris, and Nika Martinussen.
• . UBC