Please note: The office is no longer offering the KAIROS Blanket Exercise. We will continue to update our webpage as more information becomes available. Additional training opportunities at the University are available through the Human Rights & Equity Office /hreo/education and the HR Catalogue.
At this time Walk Talks are the only engagement opportunity available. If you would like to set up a Walk Talk for your unit or group, please read the details below.
If you have a specific training topic in mind, we would be happy to work with you on developing a workshop or training session.
Walk Talks
A Walk Talk will begin with offering protocol. Upon offering our protocol, we will ask a question of the land. As we walk together, we will use all of our senses to pay attention to life around us. Notice what we are experiencing through our senses. Notice our body. Notice how we are feeling. The emphasis is on noticing what is happening around us without actively thinking about the question. Depending on what we encounter during our walk, the facilitator may share teachings, stories, and/or locate medicines. At the end of our walk, we will have a circle. Within the circle you will share what you noticed, and how what you experienced informed your response to the question.
The Walk Talk should be in a natural place with as little development as possible.
For more details, please contact the office at indigenous.initiatives@queensu.ca
Land Acknowledgement Support
A land acknowledgment, while considered a standard practice, should always be updated and personalized to fit with your own personal experiences or engagement with the land and Indigenous peoples.
The OII is happy to offer support in drafting a personalized land acknowledgement for your unit, department, or club. Please contact the OII directly to coordinate a meeting or for additional resources.
From Diversity to Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate
The From Diversity to Inclusion in the Workplace (DIW) Certificate will help staff understand that to build an environment that promotes diversity and inclusion requires active participation of everyone on campus. This certificate is offered through the HR Learning Catalogue.
Intercultural Awareness Certificate
This program is a five-part series of workshops which will help students to recognize that gaining intercultural awareness requires a commitment to life-long learning. To receive a certificate participants must attend five 120-minute workshops in a specific series. Series are offered in the fall and winter terms. Space is limited.
Please note: this is offered through QUIC, not the Office of Indigenous Initiatives.
For more information, visit the .