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The Centre for Indigegogy workshops are dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous knowledge and practices.
Explore our offerings:
- Custom Offerings
- Certificates
Custom Offerings
For organizations and businesses looking to invest in professional development, our centre delivers a collective learning experience steeped in Indigegogy and hosted in circle pedagogy.
Our professional development programming offers an Indigenous-centred, wholistic approach to critical topics such as:
- Colonial trauma
- Decolonizing/Indigenizing,
- Strategic planning,
- Land-based healing and education,
- Circle work (circle facilitation)
- Community development
Cost
Custom Workshops are priced at $5,500 +taxes (full day) and $2,750 (half day)*. Extra fees are associated with in-person workshops (i.e. travel, accommodations for facilitators).
Want to know more? Schedule a consult with Katie McLellan at kmclellan@wlu.ca.
Indigegogy Certificates
Decolonizing Education Certificate
This certificate program is for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who want to develop their capacity to understand Indigenous perspectives in the history of colonization to contemporary realities in Canada. You must complete a minimum of eighty-four (84) program hours to obtain the certificate.
This foundational module begins to establish the context of contact and colonization from the perspective of Indigenous people. Learners will be introduced to various cultural learning protocols, land protocols and the concept of Indigegogy.
This module covers issues related to governance, policy and land. It may cover topics such as treaties, the Indian Act, reserves, federal and provincial governance jurisdictions, and the United Nations on the Declaration of Rights for Indigenous Peoples.
Module three of the Decolonizing Education Certificate by the Centre for Indigegogy offers a critical Indigenous perspective related to the policies of social control of Indigenous peoples in the late 1800 to 1900s. It may cover topics such as child welfare, foster care, residential schools, criminal justice and intergenerational trauma.
This module begins with cultural history and provides an overview of colonial history. It continues to deepen one's understanding of specific social policies, their impacts and challenges.
This module of the Decolonizing Education Certificate by the Centre for Indigegogy presents the actions of Indigenous peoples towards truth-telling, cultural activism and healing movements. The module will also cover national reports, such as Missing and Murder Indigenous Women, Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, as well social activism towards changing policies. Participants will gain understanding in decolonization, alliance building and reconciliation through the examination of resistance and solidarity movements such as Idle No More, Sisters In Spirit and #NoDAPL.
This module begins to draw attention to one’s positionality in relationship with Indigenous people. It examines structural and critical change, experiences of working with Indigenous people and combating institutional racism toward change.
This workshop of the Decolonizing Education Certificate by the Centre for Indigegogy will explore how to build and sustain pathways and strategies into Black and Indigenous solidarity on Turtle Island and beyond.
Inspired by Octavia Butler's Earthseed: The Books of the Living, this module will explore self and systems, complexity and change-making, historic memories, and Afro-Indigenous Futurisms.
Participants will consider Indigenous and Black perspectives and knowledge in relation to land, water, sky, and universe far beyond the narrow framings of life, death, and freedom enforced by settler colonialism, white supremacy, and anti-Black racism.
In this module participants will have an opportunity to revisit the earlier modules. Participants will have an opportunity to further explore what the process of decolonizing means to them, how the journey has been, what were the turning points and explore what has transformed along the way. This module will strengthen participants learning bundles for the purpose of creating an action plan to move forward.
This module in the Decolonizing Education Certificate, brought to you by the Centre for Indigegogy, will help participants learn about their individual, familial, cultural, nation, and professional position from the lands, waters, and climate they live and work within.
A series of four half-day teachings will be conducted in relation to different places that bring to our attention particular land, being and ancestral relations, and these will be engaged for particular teachings about the history of colonial relations, human responsibilities in creation, and how to hold ourselves in times of climatic changes.
Wholistic Healing Practices and Colonial Trauma Certificate
This certificate is for Indigenous or non-Indigenous practitioners working with Indigenous peoples. We cover practicing from a wholistic lens, and learning about what it means to decolonize and Indigenize trauma work in the context of the politics of colonialism.
You must complete a minimum of eighty-four (84) program hours to obtain the certificate. Modules 1, 2 and 4 are mandatory to complete the certificate.
This one-day module will focus on un-packing internal and external displays of ongoing colonialism. This session sets a foundation for other modules at The Centre of Indigegogy, and participants will be able to apply a decolonizing lens.
This module is mandatory to complete the certificate.
In this two-day module, Indigenizing Trauma work will focus on generating an understanding of ways helpers create culturally safe and informed practices to assist individuals who have experienced colonial trauma. Utilizing a wholistic approach to teaching and learning, participants will enhance their current practice through this wholistic experience.
This module will be experiential in nature and each participant will have an opportunity to understand trauma from an Indigenous wholistic lens and bring their experiences to this session.
This module is mandatory to complete the certificate.
Colonial trauma has plagued Indigenous families, children and communities since contact. Capacity building in communities is key to restoring children’s’ safety and wellbeing. We are currently in positions to create community-informed alternative care approaches to caring for our children in community by generating Indigenous-centred tools for assessment and care.
In this two-day workshop, participants will learn about methods of community engagement and how to build relationships with community-based on trust. We will learn about processes of how to help communities build their own unique processes to alternative care.
Working with children in care is distinct and requires a wholistic lens and Indigenous based practice approaches. Unique approaches inclusive of cultural teachings, ceremony and relationship building guide wholistic practice with children, families and communities.
This two-day module will focus on Indigenous ways of awakening and healing Spirit within. Participants will begin to learn about their own relationship to Spirit and how our Spirits inform our practice. In this session, the Elder will be lifting up the teachings of Spirit and engage participants through circle and ceremony. She will focus on her Anishinaabe knowledge and 8 Grandmother teachings.
This module is mandatory to complete the certificate.
Colonialism, racism, sexism and the over-policing of Indigenous peoples are linked to alarming rates of incarceration of Indigenous peoples. We will discuss the experiences of Post-Traumatic Stress in relationship to the criminalization of Indigenous people and the trauma of incarceration.
In this two-day module, participants will gain a better understanding of symptoms of PTSD and foster wholistic healing knowledge and compassion in working with peoples impacted by incarceration.
This two-day module is created and taught by an Indigenous female-identifying social work educator and researcher with lived experience of violence.
This module is based on a preliminary research project in Toronto, Ontario with family members of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit and trans women and survivors of sexual trafficking, as well as those who offer them support services. It tackles the issues of the current impacts of colonization and structural racism as the root of gender-based violence and offers pathways forward at the grassroots and systemic levels, including best practices based on research, for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous helpers. The trainer also explains why research into gender-based violence towards Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, and trans-women needs to be controlled and owned by Indigenous Peoples and communities but supported by mainstream organizations and agencies.
Knowledge, beliefs, identities, and values are at the foundation of Indigenous ways of helping which are passed on by Elders, Traditional Teachers, healers, and helpers. Such learning continues to be shared in the context of the current time, so that is it applicable to addressing the needs of Indigenous individuals, families, and communities today.
This two-day module will discuss perspectives such as a holistic approach, community-based, interconnectedness and healing justice as they apply to address family violence for those who are harmed, those who do the harming, children, and communities. The information focuses on a family violence healing program which was the first of its kind to be a recognized Indigenous Partner Abuse Response Program. It will include the findings of a research project based on an evaluation over five years of service delivery.
In this two-day module, participants will be taught by an Indigenous school social worker who has worked with incarcerated youth, youth in care and is a youth role model and community leader. Participants have an opportunity to learn from her stories and experiences as she practices from both a wholistic and a colonial trauma-informed lens.
Together participants will share stories of working with and supporting Indigenous children and youth towards building ways of practices based on strengths and resilience.
The colonial imposition has greatly impacted Indigenous nations in the areas of identity, gender and sexuality creating a myriad of challenges for those who do not ascribe to the Western belief of the binary spectrum of sexuality, gender or sex. It is no secret that colonization along with its confounding factors embedded in our history created damaging and lasting effects on Indigenous peoples across many nations, including nations in Canada. These confounding factors served to disrupt, destroy and disconnect Indigenous peoples from their gender identity and expressions.
Topics such as the history of two-spirit people, naming and labels, grappling with an unwelcomed identity, significant timeline events, decades of resurgence, and an approach to decolonizing gender will be covered in this workshop. Knowledge spanning across North America will be the primary focus with a narrowed intent to look at a Canadian-specific context.
In this module, the material will examine some of Canada's history as it pertains to Indigenous food systems, modern day challenges, contemporary efforts to restore and regain sovereignty over Indigenous food systems, resurgence, resistance and best practices for helping professions. Each day will feature a related activity for the cohort to engage in.
This two-day module is steeped in traditional land-based knowledge. The Elder will share teachings and practices of the importance of the land in healing practices.
During this module, participants will be exposed to teachings of plants and medicines. As we sit in Circle, we will be talking about the role of medicines in healing. We will be talking about and sharing the different ceremonies and medicines that help in the healing process.
Participants will have a wholistic land-based healing experience during this two-day module.
In this two-day workshop, brought to you by the Centre for Indigegogy, Kathy’s passion for research will engage participants in a critical examination of euro-western research and its challenges and limitation in and on Indigenous peoples' contexts.
In this first workshop, participants will gain a foundational knowledge-based of the history of research on Indigenous peoples while exploring the continuum of research paradigms toward an Indigenous research paradigm.
This session will transforms ones perspective in how they understand the role and place of Indigenous knowledge in a research journey. Participants will leave with an appreciation and increased understanding of what research is and how one might engage in research. These two days will widen your lens to inspire and ground you in understanding Indigenous research.
In this two-day workshop brought to you by the Centre for Indigegogy, Lori will bring both her experience of sitting on the Research Ethics Review committee and her experience of doing research in her home community of Six Nations of the Grand River. Kathy shares her experiences of SSHRC projects while engaging in dialogue about university and community partnerships in a research journey.
In this workshop participants will learn about the protocols and ethics of working with Indigenous communities. Respectful engagement is essential. For Indigenous peoples, this workshop will help you build confidence and tools for doing research in your community. In this workshop, Lori and Kathy bring their knowledge and skills while sharing invaluable lived experiential knowledge.
This two-day workshop, brought to you by the Centre for Indigegogy, is an overview of what Indigenous research methodologies are. It offers current examples of methods that Indigenous research projects are employing and how Indigenous research projects are restoring Indigenous knowledge, relationships and healing.
This final workshop offers participants a rich opportunity to build their understanding for issues of representation (analysis, interpretation and presentation of findings).
Finally, participants will gain insights into how they can support Indigenous research projects to be rooted in Indigenous worldviews. In this last session, people will have an increased capacity to conceptualize and potentially generate projects in alignment with Indigenous people's worldviews.
In this two-day virtual real-time session, developed and brought to you by the Centre for Indigegogy, participants will learn about the principles and philosophy that informs circle work. This session covers circle protocols, processes and applications to working, teaching and learning in circle.
Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their experience in circle and/or facilitating circle in addition to experiences shared by the facilitator. Circle work offers wholistic ways of teaching, decision making, governance and group work.
This workshop is open to Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants.
Have you already being involved in facilitating and conducting circles as a medium of practice with groups, organizations and community? Do you want to deepen your skill and knowledge set as a circle work facilitator? If so, this advanced two day virtual real time training is for you.
In these two days we will be focusing on building facilitator confidence, competence and knowledge in circle work processes, resolving conflicts and dealing with challenging circle situations. This training will be tailored to participant experiences and contexts. The facilitator will guide participants deeper into circle work facilitation drawing from participant goals to deepen their capacity in circle work. The facilitator has over 30 years of circle work facilitation experience.
This two-day module developed and delivered by the Centre for Indigegogy will focus on engagement with Indigenous Elders in respectful and meaningful ways.
We will learn from each other and consider how to engage with Elders in various contexts while considering relational responsibilities.
Participants will begin to acknowledge the role of institutions in contributing to meaningful recognition of Elder engagement.
Build an understanding of factors to consider when creating a plan to engage Elders.
Participants will use circle methodology to envision wholistic practices in working and engaging with Indigenous Elders in terms of the spirit, heart, mind, and presence of Elders in one’s work.
This two-day module developed and delivered by the Centre for Indigegogy will focus on the training of teachers and trainers in a sense. This module is a transfer of decolonizing knowledge and works with participants toward teaching folks about how to facilitate decolonizing curriculum, decolonizing education, and decolonial practices. This session is in response to a request from participants of the Decolonizing Education Certificate and sets a foundation for decolonial work.
Participants will be introduced and consider how to teach decolonizing knowledge from a conscious and methodological approach
Participants will begin to recognize how imperialism, colonialism, capitalism, and racism underpin colonization
Build an understanding of a systemic and structural approach to colonization toward facilitating decolonizing knowledge
Participants will be engaged in circle methodology to envision decolonial practices.
Joining Us Online?
Circle Process
The Centre for Indigegogy works to maintain the principles of Indigegogy and Indigenous Circle protocols both online and in-person! Consider creating your own sacred space, wherever you're learning from. This can include medicines, a smudge bowl, a drum etc.
Technical Requirements
To reduce any technical difficulties, prior to your scheduled workshop:
- Check your internet connection
- Practice signing in to your Zoom account
- Create your Zoom account (if applicable)
- Check your headphones & microphone
Virtual Giveaway
In a giveaway ceremony, we honour the spirit of all those who have gathered with us, whether they be our learners, or our ancestors. Your virtual giveaway link will be provided to you in an information document prior to attending.