FIRST NATIONS UNIVERSITY OF CANADA / UNIVERSITY OF REGINA
New Summary Report Released Following National Building Reconciliation Forum

The First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) and the University of Regina have released the Summary Report from the 2025 National Building Reconciliation Forum (NBRF), which took place May 14-15, 2025, in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Photo credit: First Nations University of Canada

The Forum, co-hosted by FNUniv and the University of Regina, brought together more than 250 participants from nearly 60 post-secondary institutions across Canada. Participants included university presidents and senior leaders, Indigenous leaders, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, students, scholars, and community members from coast to coast to coast.

Released during the 10th anniversary year of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's 94 Calls to Action, the Summary Report documents key discussions, reflections, and recommendations from the Forum. Guided by the theme "Responsibility as Reconciliation: Relational Accountability," the report underscores reconciliation as a shared, reciprocal responsibility -- particularly for non-Indigenous institutions within higher education -- and calls for a shift from symbolic commitments toward sustained, accountable action.

"The Summary Report reflects both the honesty and urgency of the conversations held during the Forum," said Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann, President of First Nations University of Canada. "It challenges post- secondary institutions to take responsibility for embedding Indigenous knowledges, governance, and accountability into the systems that shape our universities."

The Summary Report highlights keynote contributions from residential school survivor Eugene Arcand and former Truth and Reconciliation Commissioners Dr. Marie Wilson and Chief Wilton Littlechild, alongside insights from Elders, scholars, artists, and student voices. It also documents the central role of ceremony, cultural practice, and land-based learning as essential components of reconciliation work in higher education.

A pre-conference day held on May 13, 2025, focused on Indigenous university senior leadership and is reflected in the report, alongside community-based learning experiences, artistic expression, and governance-focused discussions.

"Co-hosting the National Building Reconciliation Forum reinforced the roles and responsibilities that universities have in reconciliation and being accountable to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action," said Dr. Jeff Keshen, President and Vice-Chancellor. "The Summary Report provides us with the key takeaways from the event, which will help us make meaningful changes in our institutions and work toward reciprocal, long-term relationships with Indigenous communities that are grounded in trust and respect."

The Summary Report is intended to serve as a practical resource for post-secondary institutions seeking to advance meaningful, measurable progress on reconciliation aligned with the TRC Calls to Action.