Indigenous students at Brandon University are now able to reconnect with their own languages at no charge.
A tuition fee waiver, introduced earlier this year, means Indigenous students can study any of the official Indigenous languages recognized by the Manitoba Aboriginal Languages Recognition Act that are being offered by BU.
"Language is among the most vital and vibrant elements of all cultures, but many Indigenous languages are at risk," said Chris Lagimodiere, Associate Vice-President (Indigenous Initiatives) at BU. "Language is how we describe the world around us, so it also shapes how we experience and understand that world. Fluency in Indigenous languages is required to fully embrace Indigenous ways of knowing."
The tuition fee waiver was passed unanimously by the BU Board of Governors at its January meeting, and places BU among the leading post-secondary institutions in this area. The initiative was launched in Fall 2026, with the first students now participating.
The change represents a meaningful milestone as the University hosts a week of events built around the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Wednesday, September 30.
"This is an act of Reconciliation," said BU President Christine Bovis-Cnossen. "We cannot ignore the role the educational institutions played in settler colonialism, including punishment for children speaking Indigenous languages in school. Despite these assimilationist efforts, Indigenous peoples today retain living languages. It is our responsibility and our privilege to help them thrive."
There are seven languages that will be covered by the tuition fee waiver: Ininew (Cree), Anishinaabemowin (Ojibway), Ansihininiimowin (Oji-Cree), Dene Suline (Dene), Dakota, Michif, and Inuktitut. Although Brandon University does not currently offer full instruction in every one of those languages, it does offer many of them on a rotating basis. This year, BU is running Michif courses, with Cree planned for the Spring semester.
The new tuition fee waiver responds directly to several of the Manitoba Indigenous Education Blueprint Blueprint's commitments, as well as to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.
Brandon University has long been at the forefront of Indigenous instruction. In 1975, BU was the first university in western Canada (and only the second in Canada) to establish a Native Studies department, which has recently been renamed the Department of Turtle Island Studies. BU was a founding partner in the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples' Council in 2010, and in 2015, reaffirmed its commitment by signing the Manitoba Indigenous Education Blueprint.
Indigenization continues to be a priority for the university. Recently, BU has taken strides to add Indigenous course content in many areas and will be hiring an Indigenous Curriculum & Pedagogy Specialist. Indigenous students make up the fastest-growing demographic at Brandon University, at 17 per cent of the student population, and benefit from supports like the Ishkode Saakaykateh Indigenous Student Transition Program. This strong growth is leading the university to pursue a bold expansion of the Indigenous Peoples' Centre, which provides cultural services and supports on campus.
Truth and Reconciliation Week at BU
This time of the year provides many opportunities for members of the BU community to gather and learn:
- On Monday, JUNO and Polaris Prize winning musician Jeremy Dutcher, a Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) member of the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick, will visit the Lorne Watson Recital Hall for a public discussion at 10 a.m. Dutcher will speak about about Indigenous music, language, culture and connection as well as answering questions from the audience.
- The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba and BU CARES will host a pair of Think & Nibble workshops on Wednesday and Thursday, featuring Land-Based Teachings: Natural Dyeing Workshops and Truth-Telling. Wednesday's session at the AGSM has been filled. Information about Thursday's workshop, which begins at 4:30 p.m., in BU's Education building, can be found here.
- Brandon University will be closed on September 30, which is also Orange Shirt Day, but faculty, staff and students are encouraged to wear orange throughout the week. Additionally, the IPC will have paper Orange Shirt cutouts, which people can use to share their thoughts on reconciliation, posting them in their office or outside the IPC.
- Throughout the week, the Survivors' Flag will fly in front of the Brandon University campus. The symbols on the flag honour residential school survivors and all those affected by Canada's residential school system. You can learn more about the meaning of the flag at: https://nctr.ca/exhibits/survivors-flag/.
- This past week, a series of "Lunch and Learn" sessions was hosted in the Indigenous Peoples' Centre over the last week by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, exploring a different topic each day. Additionally, the Library, Archives and IT Services partnered with IPC to host the Fall Equinox Feast on Friday.
- More information about this week's Truth and Reconciliation community events can be found at: BrandonU.ca/indigenous/indigenouslearningopportunities/truth-reconciliation/. All members of the BU community are encouraged to participate.
