This course is great. So informative. Thank you so much for the opportunity to learn about Indigenous history. I heard about this course from a friend and I will be forever grateful to her sharing that information. Learning is a life long process and this course provided information, most of which, I have never heard or read before. With knowledge comes some understanding of the events going on in our world and responsibility to not sit idly by but to be called to action, in friendship and respect, towards truth & reconciliation. Thanks again!

This course has been a breath of fresh air to me. It has inspired me to inject more history into my own work as a musician of West Indian descent. When I return home to visit Treaty One, I will view it with completely different eyes - the eyes through which we were not taught history as it really happened. Much gratitude to the entire team at the Native Studies Faculty and to everybody involved with the "Indigenous Canada" course. Dr. Tracy Bear, Dr. Paul Gareau and Dr. Kim Tallbear are my new heroes. Looking forward to the final Q and A sessions.

For me this was an epiphany, especially in terms of my Canadian education. To think what I was originally taught about Canadian history versus the reality which is not based on selected "storytelling" was disconcerting. Many of my so-called heroes have lost their lustre and rightly so!. I appreciated the links to art and the consistency of storytelling in many genres throughout the modules. Thank you for an amazing journey of learning. As they say"better late than never!"

And a heartfelt thank you for your approach of truth and reconciliation!

Excellent! Thank you so much for your dedicated work and attention to detail. Some of the information was known to me but most was a revelation, and unfortunately, not in a positive way. However, I would rather know the truth, both as a person and a fellow educator. Change for the better can never occur unless we know, acknowledge and accept the past in order to create a better present and future. I will definitely recommend this course to others. Once again, many thanks to everyone who helped to create and deliver this course.

Diane Greer

I appreciate that the course was developed and delivered by persons who identity as Indigenous. It covered various aspects of Indigenous life and highlighted the diversity among Indigenous Nations i.e. It shined some light on aspects of different worldviews. It also incorporates aspects of modern life to address misconceptions about Indigenous matters being only about "ancient history". I am now more aware of several recent issues. The deadlines for completing assignments were flexible. Overall, it provided a great learning experience for me.

This course is very well presented by the various presenters, especially Dr. Tracy Bear. It is very informative - both regarding historical issues, as well as contemporary ones. Focussing on different aboriginal people across Canada was very informative for me as I knew very little about the various treaties and their impacts, prior to this course. I learned a lot about the Indian Act with the impact on women and children regarding the issue of status. It is a very comprehensive overview. I will certainly consider further courses in the future.

Indigenous Canada proved to be an important, insightful and timely course. Navigating through 2020 in Canada amidst a global pandemic in combination with global social uprisings and issues, this course presented an honest, difficult and indigenous worldview on the history and ongoing importance of this countries true first settlers. The materials and presenters were engaging, intelligent and matter of fact. I encourage each and every Canadian to take this course. Thank you Native Studies Department at the University of Alberta for my awakening!

For me, this course on Indigenous Canada is just a beginning. I have learned so much and I definitely want to know more. In studying my country from a different perspective, I have felt every emotion. I have cried as my eyes were opened, have stood in awe of First Nations’ resiliency and have even laughed as I watched a satirical performance of the 1491’s. Book titles, Internet links and the names of various artists, writers, scholars and activists have given me enough resources to continue to “dig deeper, look closer, think bigger”. Thank you!

This course is extremely informative. It feels like retaking highschool history classes but told through an Indigenous perspective instead of a European perspective. I started this course out of personal curiosity and in the process it started to feel more like a civic duty. It quickly became clear how little I knew about the history of Indigenous people in Canada. Understanding the contemporary struggles of Indigenous people is almost impossible without understanding what led to them. My perspective definitely shifted while taking the course.

I sincerely aprreciate for allowing everyone to take this course, to make it easy accessable for everyone with a keen interest in Indigenous Canada. I have learned so so much through this course. When I first immigrated to Canada seven years ago, I was unaware of its history. I have gained so much respect for Indigenous cultures now that I have completed this course.

Since English is my second language, I occasionally had difficulty interpreting the questions and answers correctly, therefore I was grateful for the chance to retake the test.

Thank you so much for this course. I thought I understood somewhat but I really had no idea. I am ashamed to say that at 65 years old, I am just now learning of the real struggles of indigenous peoples brought on, not only by my direct ancestors but modern day people as well. I have thought a lot about the aspect of 'what can I do' but I guess educating myself and others is probably the best course of action. From that can grow educated input where appropriate in contributing to dialogue and reconciliation. I feel very ashamed of our history.

I have taken a few Indigenous focused courses throughout my time in school, but none have compared to the vast and in-depth information shared in this Indigenous Canada course. I am so grateful for the time, work, and knowledge shared by the collaborators and educators here. The course is thought-provoking and encourages learners to really internalize what is shared throughout, as well as to overcome whatever misinformation they might hold in their minds in regards to Indigenous histories. This is essential learning, for anyone and everyone.

This was an outstanding course. I had very little prior knowledge of the history of the Indigenous people in Canada as it was not taught when I went through school. My first encounter with any sort of Indigenous history in Canada was when I was given the essay topic of residential schools as part of a college geography course I took a decade ago, and that had a huge impact on me and started the change in my perspective of the Canadian history that I had been taught. I truly believe everyone who lives in this country should take this course.

I am a 60 yo male settlor. I live in a western Canadian city that has a large Indigenous population. I hope others like me will take this course. I appreciate especially the great background provided about the Indigenous worldview, which one needs to understand to appreciate our similarities and differences. Other highlights for me include the history of residential schools (and TRC), and getting a better understanding of the Indian Act and its failings. I will build on this course by reading contemporary Indigenous fiction and non-fiction.

Learning is not always transformative. For me taking this course and personally engaging with the topics has allowed me to reframe my lived experience of growing up in Canada. Personally, it has been an unpararelled transformative learning experience. The bread of material covered in this course provided an alternative perspecitve to the one I had been taught growing up. I imagine that the amount of work that went into curating this course must have been staggering and I am grateful. This is the history I should have been taught in school.

Thank you for this. Given the past and present conditions in Canada, this course can serve as a roadmap in finding one's own identity and purpose in regards to social and political issues. The time to activate is now. I will be extracting and sharing important content and encouraging others to participate in this course. The content sometimes dances on the edge of what might be considered socially acceptable by those in power and, in my own opinion, may end up on a shortlist to censor by our Canadian government.. In Love, Power and Peace.

I absolutely love this course! I have learned so much! I feel like I knew nothing about the Indigenous Peoples prior to taking this course. I also feel that courses like this should be mandatory in all Canadian schools. It is very important to teach children about the Peoples whose lands we live on and about their culture and history. Big thank you for the creators of this course!!! I've enjoyed it very much - the format, the presentation style, the art, the music. I want to learn more and I hope to find more similar courses. Chi-miigwech!

Very informative and useful course, particularly given its Indigenous perspectives on the long, diverse and vibrant history and legacy of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples in northern North America, as well as more recent and ongoing impact of European colonization and contemporary Canadian society. A very worthwhile endeavour especially for non-Indigenous people seeking to understand the truth and engage in this second opportunity to learn from and walk respectfully with Indigenous peoples and create together a better relationship.

I really enjoyed all the new learning I was immersed in this summer by taking this course. I have a much better understanding of how Indigenous Canadians were impacted on every level when the settlers arrived in Canada with their colonial views and practices. I am extremely moved by how resilient Indigenous Canadians are in the face of so much change, trauma, and challenges brought about by settler culture. I plan to do my part to speak up for Indigenous rights and views....I have the upmost respect for these wonderful Canadian people.

The course is exceptional and as a Canadian I feel as though all Canadians should be required to take this course. I am appalled at the lack of education I received about Indigenous peoples whilst attending primary and high school, and I am ashamed that I did not know about residential schools until I was in my 30's. This course fills the gap of knowledge that many Canadians missed out on. Thank you University of Alberta for providing this course - I am very grateful and I am now on a quest to further my knowledge on Indigenous Canada.

I have thoroughly enjoyed learning and analyzing my self awareness on each of the modules. The course was able to connect the dots in my understanding of my own culture. I learned a great deal of information with regard to treaties and governance and even the Indian Act. I learned the history when a child but I enjoyed it much better from an indigenous perspective. I am grateful also to better know what our ancestors lived through to better understand Intergenerational trauma. I will continue to seek a greater way of being. Miigwech!

This was an informative course, teaching the histories of the Indigenous people of Canada. These histories were not taught in the school curriculum when I was in school, so this was all very new to me. It saddens me that these stories and teachings are not shared. It would give everyone a better understanding of the struggles faced.

Thank you the to the facilitators and those interviewed for making this course feel like a one-on-one course. You all should be very proud of the hard work you have done to bring this course to everyone.

Thank you very much to everyone who was involved in organizing and presenting this course. It has been the framework of my work learning about Indigenous Peoples of Canada. I will carry on from here and continue to learn from my Indigenous brothers and sisters. I have learned that I need to say thank you for your perseverance for all of our sakes. Despite terrible adversity. So sorry!

Miigwech!

Christine - a settler - from Ottawa on un-ceded Algonquin Anishinabe territory, covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and the Haldimand Treaty

I loved how much care and expertise was put into this project. Proud to say that certain icons such as Billy Ray Belcourt were amazing choices for cameos and visibility for queer Indigenous folk. This is a super well-rounded course and I am so so so glad to have been able to participate in this and learn among everyone else on the dark histories of Canada. I hope to find more resources on these issues brought up in the class in regards to broken promises, treaty obligations, social movements and urbanization of Indigenous communities.

This course is very well done and laid out. Through video, song, stories, artwork, teachings by Indigenous people and other resources, participants experience the rich history of Aboriginal people. I feel like there is more to learn and this course has inspired me to want to go and find out more about Indigenous people. I appreciated the organization of the course, the lay out as indicated by each week, the quizzes and course notes. Thank you for making this course free for everyone to learn more about Indigenous people and history.