For me, this course on Indigenous Canada is just a beginning. I have learned so much and I definitely want to know more. In studying my country from a different perspective, I have felt every emotion. I have cried as my eyes were opened, have stood in awe of First Nations’ resiliency and have even laughed as I watched a satirical performance of the 1491’s. Book titles, Internet links and the names of various artists, writers, scholars and activists have given me enough resources to continue to “dig deeper, look closer, think bigger”. Thank you!

This course is extremely informative. It feels like retaking highschool history classes but told through an Indigenous perspective instead of a European perspective. I started this course out of personal curiosity and in the process it started to feel more like a civic duty. It quickly became clear how little I knew about the history of Indigenous people in Canada. Understanding the contemporary struggles of Indigenous people is almost impossible without understanding what led to them. My perspective definitely shifted while taking the course.

I sincerely aprreciate for allowing everyone to take this course, to make it easy accessable for everyone with a keen interest in Indigenous Canada. I have learned so so much through this course. When I first immigrated to Canada seven years ago, I was unaware of its history. I have gained so much respect for Indigenous cultures now that I have completed this course.

Since English is my second language, I occasionally had difficulty interpreting the questions and answers correctly, therefore I was grateful for the chance to retake the test.

Thank you so much for this course. I thought I understood somewhat but I really had no idea. I am ashamed to say that at 65 years old, I am just now learning of the real struggles of indigenous peoples brought on, not only by my direct ancestors but modern day people as well. I have thought a lot about the aspect of 'what can I do' but I guess educating myself and others is probably the best course of action. From that can grow educated input where appropriate in contributing to dialogue and reconciliation. I feel very ashamed of our history.

I have taken a few Indigenous focused courses throughout my time in school, but none have compared to the vast and in-depth information shared in this Indigenous Canada course. I am so grateful for the time, work, and knowledge shared by the collaborators and educators here. The course is thought-provoking and encourages learners to really internalize what is shared throughout, as well as to overcome whatever misinformation they might hold in their minds in regards to Indigenous histories. This is essential learning, for anyone and everyone.

This was an outstanding course. I had very little prior knowledge of the history of the Indigenous people in Canada as it was not taught when I went through school. My first encounter with any sort of Indigenous history in Canada was when I was given the essay topic of residential schools as part of a college geography course I took a decade ago, and that had a huge impact on me and started the change in my perspective of the Canadian history that I had been taught. I truly believe everyone who lives in this country should take this course.

I am a 60 yo male settlor. I live in a western Canadian city that has a large Indigenous population. I hope others like me will take this course. I appreciate especially the great background provided about the Indigenous worldview, which one needs to understand to appreciate our similarities and differences. Other highlights for me include the history of residential schools (and TRC), and getting a better understanding of the Indian Act and its failings. I will build on this course by reading contemporary Indigenous fiction and non-fiction.

Learning is not always transformative. For me taking this course and personally engaging with the topics has allowed me to reframe my lived experience of growing up in Canada. Personally, it has been an unpararelled transformative learning experience. The bread of material covered in this course provided an alternative perspecitve to the one I had been taught growing up. I imagine that the amount of work that went into curating this course must have been staggering and I am grateful. This is the history I should have been taught in school.

Thank you for this. Given the past and present conditions in Canada, this course can serve as a roadmap in finding one's own identity and purpose in regards to social and political issues. The time to activate is now. I will be extracting and sharing important content and encouraging others to participate in this course. The content sometimes dances on the edge of what might be considered socially acceptable by those in power and, in my own opinion, may end up on a shortlist to censor by our Canadian government.. In Love, Power and Peace.

I absolutely love this course! I have learned so much! I feel like I knew nothing about the Indigenous Peoples prior to taking this course. I also feel that courses like this should be mandatory in all Canadian schools. It is very important to teach children about the Peoples whose lands we live on and about their culture and history. Big thank you for the creators of this course!!! I've enjoyed it very much - the format, the presentation style, the art, the music. I want to learn more and I hope to find more similar courses. Chi-miigwech!

Very informative and useful course, particularly given its Indigenous perspectives on the long, diverse and vibrant history and legacy of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples in northern North America, as well as more recent and ongoing impact of European colonization and contemporary Canadian society. A very worthwhile endeavour especially for non-Indigenous people seeking to understand the truth and engage in this second opportunity to learn from and walk respectfully with Indigenous peoples and create together a better relationship.

I really enjoyed all the new learning I was immersed in this summer by taking this course. I have a much better understanding of how Indigenous Canadians were impacted on every level when the settlers arrived in Canada with their colonial views and practices. I am extremely moved by how resilient Indigenous Canadians are in the face of so much change, trauma, and challenges brought about by settler culture. I plan to do my part to speak up for Indigenous rights and views....I have the upmost respect for these wonderful Canadian people.

The course is exceptional and as a Canadian I feel as though all Canadians should be required to take this course. I am appalled at the lack of education I received about Indigenous peoples whilst attending primary and high school, and I am ashamed that I did not know about residential schools until I was in my 30's. This course fills the gap of knowledge that many Canadians missed out on. Thank you University of Alberta for providing this course - I am very grateful and I am now on a quest to further my knowledge on Indigenous Canada.

I have thoroughly enjoyed learning and analyzing my self awareness on each of the modules. The course was able to connect the dots in my understanding of my own culture. I learned a great deal of information with regard to treaties and governance and even the Indian Act. I learned the history when a child but I enjoyed it much better from an indigenous perspective. I am grateful also to better know what our ancestors lived through to better understand Intergenerational trauma. I will continue to seek a greater way of being. Miigwech!

This was an informative course, teaching the histories of the Indigenous people of Canada. These histories were not taught in the school curriculum when I was in school, so this was all very new to me. It saddens me that these stories and teachings are not shared. It would give everyone a better understanding of the struggles faced.

Thank you the to the facilitators and those interviewed for making this course feel like a one-on-one course. You all should be very proud of the hard work you have done to bring this course to everyone.

Thank you very much to everyone who was involved in organizing and presenting this course. It has been the framework of my work learning about Indigenous Peoples of Canada. I will carry on from here and continue to learn from my Indigenous brothers and sisters. I have learned that I need to say thank you for your perseverance for all of our sakes. Despite terrible adversity. So sorry!

Miigwech!

Christine - a settler - from Ottawa on un-ceded Algonquin Anishinabe territory, covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and the Haldimand Treaty

I loved how much care and expertise was put into this project. Proud to say that certain icons such as Billy Ray Belcourt were amazing choices for cameos and visibility for queer Indigenous folk. This is a super well-rounded course and I am so so so glad to have been able to participate in this and learn among everyone else on the dark histories of Canada. I hope to find more resources on these issues brought up in the class in regards to broken promises, treaty obligations, social movements and urbanization of Indigenous communities.

This course is very well done and laid out. Through video, song, stories, artwork, teachings by Indigenous people and other resources, participants experience the rich history of Aboriginal people. I feel like there is more to learn and this course has inspired me to want to go and find out more about Indigenous people. I appreciated the organization of the course, the lay out as indicated by each week, the quizzes and course notes. Thank you for making this course free for everyone to learn more about Indigenous people and history.

I truly appreciate the calm and factual presentation of both the beauty of indigenous culture and the painful truth of the ways in which settler behaviour has, and continues to, undermine, abuse, deny, and resist our duty to honour the peoples who hosted settlers and supported them, and upon whose land we travel together as treaty people. This has helped me to recognize that the presumed attributes of indigenous people that we whites find distasteful all find their source in colonization. Thank you for this mind-expanding presentation.

This was an excellent course if you want to learn more about Indigenous peoples and the much suffering they encountered throughout their lives. They have been treated very badly by colonialists and have had their land taken away from them as well as making their children grow up in residential school systems. They deserve to get their land back and lead their lives in traditional Indigenous fashion. Indigenous people suffered too much and they now deserve to get the money they are getting from Canada for all the years of suffering.

I wish this were taught in school when I was attending school and I think it should be made part of every curiculum in place of the "history" we were exposed to as being true. I was exposed at a young age to indigenous stories and culture in a number of places my family lived and found that what I was being taught in school in later years did not make sense with what I had learned in talking with my friends grandparents and listening to the history of their peoples, Thank you for a most enlightening course. I wish it were longer!

This course thoughtfully covered a very challenging and broad subject. It introduced me to parts of Canadian history and the Indigenous experience that I did not know or understand prior to this course. I hope that additional courses will be organized to go more deeply into the issues introduced by this course - I would especially be interested in learning more about Indigenous land and natural resource management and rights. I would like to express a heartfelt thank you to the instructors and researchers who put this course together.

I didn't imagine that this course would be so enriching for me. I am French and Canada is like a second home to me; and even if I am not Canadian, this course has opened my eyes to incredible stories and amazing facts that blew my mind. Indigenous worldviews have definitely changed the way I see history and the world around me. Thank you for this incredible course. I am a teacher and I will make sure to pass on my newly-acquired knowledge as much as I can to my students, so they too can open their eyes and learn from other worldviews.

Highly recommended! I have always had a strong affinity with Indigenous worldview, culture and traditions, but taking this course was an amazing discovery experience! I just loved the integration between content and art, and Leah Dorion's paintings and explanations were very powerful! The new information I learned not only expanded my horizons but also increased my respect and admiration for Indigenous peoples. Thank you for the opportunity! I hope there will be other modules in the future, maybe one to discuss cultural appropriation?

This course opened my eyes to subjects on which I realize I had only a shallow knowledge. There is a lot to learn here, and I am thankful that there was continuing access to both the lecturess and notes allowing better understanding through review. I am glad you allow participants to reset deadlines as life sometimes gets in the way of uninterrupted time to learn. This has been an extraordinary experience. Thank you all for providing such a well-thought-out plan and a wonderfully accessible presentation. The art works were a delight!