About us
At UVic's Department of Indigenous Education, we are committed to creating a place where students feel at home in their learning. Here, Indigenous languages, cultures and worldviews are visible, valued and woven into everyday teaching and study. Education is connected to identity, community and the responsibilities we carry forward.
Contact us
General inquiries
Phone: 250-721-7826
Fax: 250-853-3943
Office hours
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Mailing address
Indigenous Education
University of Victoria
PO Box 1700 STN CSC
Victoria BC V8W 2Y2
Canada
Courier or in-person address
Our team
Department of Indigenous Education administrative team| Position | Name | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professor & Chair | Jean-Paul Restoule | iedchair@uvic.ca | 250-721-7826 |
| Assistant to the Chair | Pam Bevan | pambevan@uvic.ca | 250-721-7826 |
| Administrative Officer | Mary McCue | memccue@uvic.ca | 250-721-8389 |
| Indigenous Language Programs Manager | Aliki Marinakis | aliki@uvic.ca | 250-721-7855 |
| Program Assistant & Graduate Secretary | Colleen Juricic | colleenjuricic@uvic.ca | 250-721-7824 |
| Program Coordinator, Practicum Placements | Gary Crocker | gcrocker@uvic.ca | 250-721-5698 |
| Professor & Graduate Adviser | Ewa Czaykowska-Higgins (On leave) | eczh@uvic.ca | 250-721-6180 |
Indigenous Education Advisory Board
The Indigenous Education Advisory Board provides advice on all aspects of policy, programming and personnel related to Indigenous education at UVic. Board members bring community expertise and institutional knowledge to help ensure the Faculty of Education's Indigenous programs are responsive, respectful and strong.
Together, they:
- support and strengthen Indigenous teacher education programming;
- address the need for Indigenous educators with knowledge of history, culture, language, and current education issues;
- meet the needs of a growing Indigenous student population in the Faculty;
- ensure education programming competently and respectfully serves Indigenous communities;
- support access and retention of Indigenous students;
- represent the faculty to other agencies and programs serving Indigenous education interests.
How the board works
The board meets regularly, co-chaired by longstanding community members designated by the Dean of Education. All members have an equal voice in decision-making. The board reviews and recommends revision of current policies, programs and practices, and recommends new initiatives to attract and retain Indigenous people in the faculty and increase the prominence of Indigenous issues across the institution.
Board members
- Nella Nelson — Co-Chair, Community Liaison
- Janice Simcoe — Co-Chair, Community Liaison
- Melissa Austin — District Vice Principal, Indigenous Education, School District 63
- Jon Carr — District Principal, NA'TSA'MAHT Indigenous Education, School District 62
- Marlys Denny — District Vice Principal, School District 62
- Kalie Dyer — Education, Esquimalt First Nation
- Anevay Belliveau — Education, Songhees First Nation
- Shelly Niemi — Director, Indigenous Education, School District 61
- Ron Rice — Executive Director, Victoria Native Friendship Centre
- Denise Sam — Post Secondary Coordinator, W̲SÁNEĆ College
- Kendra Underwood — Director, W̲SÁNEĆ College
- Vacant — Tsartlip Elder, WSANEC School Board Member
- Vacant — Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council
- Vacant — Kwakwakaʼwak Territory
- Vacant — Métis Nation of Greater Victoria
- Vacant — Native Student Union
- Vacant — Aboriginal Coordinator/Education Officer, Learning Programs Branch
- Pam Bevan — Assistant to the Chair, INED
- Dr. Darlene Clover — Chair, Education Psychology and Leadership Studies (EPLS)
- Carmen Wiigwaas Craig — Assistant Teaching Professor, INED
- Gary Crocker — Program Coordinator, Practicum Placements, INED
- Dr. Ewa Czaykowska-Higgins — Professor, INED
- Dr. Belinda Daniels — Assistant Professor, INED
- Dr. Leslee Francis Pelton — Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs
- Dr. Lauren Jerke — Assistant Professor, INED
- Colleen Juricic — Program Assistant & Graduate Secretary, INED
- Dr. Mandeep Kaur Mucina — Director, School of Child & Youth Care (C&Y)
- Aliki Marinakis — Indigenous Language Programs Manager, INED
- Mary McCue — Administrative Officer, INED
- Dr. Graham McDonough — Acting Chair, Department of Curriculum and Instruction (EDCI)
- Dr. Onowa McIvor Whitinui — Professor, INED
- Dr. Todd Milford — Acting Dean, Faculty of Education
- Julianna Nielsen — Acting Indigenous Initiatives Coordinator, Indigenous Academic & Community Engagement (IACE)
- Dr. Jean-Paul Restoule — Professor & Chair, Indigenous Education (INED)
- Dr. Carmen Rodriguez de France — Associate Professor, INED
- Dr. chuutsqa (Layla) Rorick — Assistant Professor, INED
- Pia Russell — Librarian, Special Collections — UVic Libraries
- Dr. Kathy Sanford — Associate Dean, Graduate Programs and Research
- Wendy Seager — Administrative Officer, Faculty of Education
- Dr. Dawn Smith — Assistant Professor, INED
- Dr. Edosdi (Judy Thompson) — Associate Professor, INED
- Dr. Hector Vazquez-Cordoba — Assistant Teaching Professor, INED
- Vacant — Indigenous Resurgence Coordinator, INED
News & stories
Explore news and stories from the Department of Indigenous Education. You can also subscribe to the Department of Indigenous Education newsletter.
Mission & vision
Our vision
We envision Indigenous students engaging fully in our programs, feeling welcomed, supported and at home. Their studies reflect both who they are and who they are becoming. They see Indigenous faces, hear Indigenous languages and experience a strong sense of belonging within the Department of Indigenous Education at UVic. Their culture and worldview are recognized, valued and celebrated across the Faculty of Education and the university. Together, the Department of Indigenous Education guides students who are shaping the future.
Our mission
We honour and acknowledge the local First Nations on whose traditional territories we teach and learn, and from whose lands, cultures and languages we continue to gain knowledge. Indigenous Education nurtures learners, community members, staff and faculty, fostering transformative relationships in teaching and learning. By embedding culture, respect, and Indigenous ways of knowing, learning, being and doing throughout the Faculty of Education, we create a welcoming circle where these ways can flourish. In honouring our ancestors, we carry forward the vision of generations of children thriving and flourishing.
Our logo
The customized logo for Indigenous Education was designed by local Coast Salish artist Chris Paul. It symbolizes the Tri-Nations (Coast Salish, Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw and Nuu-chah-nulth) of Vancouver Island, the location of the University as well as the Métis and Inuit.
The logo includes a camas lily, a common flower found on southern Vancouver Island. For centuries the camas lily was a staple in the diet of local Indigenous communities. The baby whale represents the Nuu-chah-nulth; the salmon represents the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw and other First Nations. The Métis Nation is represented by the infinity symbol and the Inuit by the Inuksuk. The circle in the logo represents the drum.