Ombaashi hosted the 2018 National Gathering of Indigenous Graduate students at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) from July 9-13, 2018.
This National Gathering of Graduate Students (NGGS) brings together Indigenous and allied graduate students conducting research in Indigenous health and wellness with the goal of providing support and guidance on their research journey.
You will receive the opportunity to:
- Present and discuss your work with International Indigenous health and wellness leaders
- Meet Indigenous researchers in your field
- Meet Indigenous and Allied graduate students
- Hear from leaders in Indigenous health and wellness research
- Attend professional development seminars with leading Indigenous health and wellness researchers
Tuesday, July 10th
Tuesday, July 10th, 10:00am – 11:00am | HOL 190
Dr. Maree Toombs
Director of Indigenous Health, Rural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland
Dr. Toombs is the Director of Indigenous Health, within the Rural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Toombs holds a NHMRC Early Career Fellowship and leads two NHMRC project grants. She has a strong focus on mental health amongst Indigenous Australians and exploring the interface between Indigenous and Western research methodologies. Her expertise is in Indigenous Mental health and suicide prevention. Dr Toombs is the chair of Carbal Aboriginal Medical Services, a leading health facilities servicing the Darling Downs region. Dr. Toombs sits on a number of national and international committees. Her current role, in addition to research, includes curriculum development. Dr. Toombs has over 20 years’ experience in teaching and developing curriculum with an Indigenous perspective and has published a text book, Indigenous Health perspectives: The wombat in the room’, which widely used in Medical and Health Faculties across Australia. Dr. Toombs is the recipient of a Churchill Fellowship (2011) that focused on working with Universities in Canada to improve retention rates for Indigenous Students.
Wednesday, July 11th
wednesday, July 11th, 10:00Am – 11:00am | HOL 190
Dr. Carrie Bourassa
Scientific Director, Institute of Indigenous People’s Health, CIHR
Dr. Carrie Bourassa is Chair of Northern & Indigenous Health at the Health Sciences North Research Institute in Sudbury. She spent over 15 years as a professor of Indigenous health studies in the Department of Indigenous Health, Education and Social Work at the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) in Regina.
Dr. Bourassa is a member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada and a public member of the Royal College Council of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
In 2012, Dr. Bourassa won the Wiichihiwayshinawn Foundation Inc. Métis Award in Health and Science. Dr. Bourassa is Métis and belongs to the Riel Métis Council of Regina Inc. (RMCR, Local #34). She earned her Master of Arts degree in political science and Ph.D. in social studies at the University of Regina.
wednesday, July 11th, 1:30Pm – 2:30Pm | HOL 190
Dr. Graham Smith
Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi
Professor Graham Smith is a prominent Māori educationalist and advocate who has been at the forefront of alternative Māori initiatives in the education field and beyond. His academic background is within the disciplines of Education, Social Anthropology and Cultural and Policy Studies. More specifically, his academic work has centred on developing theoretically informed transformative strategies related to intervening in Māori cultural, political, social, educational and economic crises.
Professor Smith has been an influential contributor to the development of what he has described in his writings as the ‘twenty-five year Maori educational revolution, 1982 – 2007. This period saw the development of a range of alternative educational strategies by Maori communities, beginning with Te Kohanga Reo (Maori Language pre-school initiative), through the Maori Immersion elementary school development (Kura Kaupapa Maori), Maori Secondary Schools (Whare Kura) and the emerging tertiary option of Wananga. He has had a ‘hands-on’ approach with respect to his participation and commitment with these initiatives. Professor Smith was the foundation chairperson of the Council for Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi: indigenous-university in Whakatāne.
wednesday, July 11th, 3:30Pm – 4:30Pm | HOL 190
Kukpi7 Ryan Day
Bonaparte Indian Band | St’uxwtéws | Secwépemc Nation
wednesday, July 11th, 5:30Pm – 9:30Pm | Mountain Room in Campus activity centre
Dr. Margaret Kovach
University of Saskatchewan
Thursday, July 12th
thursday, july 12th, 1:30-4:30 | Pipsell (Transport available)
Learning on the Land with David Archie & Rhona Bowe
Secwepemc Health Caucus
Detailed Schedule
The National Gathering is using sched.org to organize the speakers and sessions. The full schedule can be found here. Download the app to register for sessions, and use on your mobile device during the conference. https://nationalgatheringofgraduate2018a.sched.com/
The National Gathering of Graduate Students took place this year at Thompson Rivers University on the unceded territory of Secwepemc Nation within Secwepemcul’ecw. There were 156 participants from across Canada, seven keynote addresses from international, national and local peoples, thirty-three student presentations and evening sessions that focused on local knowledge and community practices.
