Tâpwewin Symposium: Walking in Relational Truth
The Tâpwewin Symposium, held from June 11–13, 2025, at the University of Victoria and the Songhees Wellness Centre, marked the culmination of a transformative three-year journey funded by the SSHRC Race, Gender, Diversity and Connection Grant. Rooted in Indigenous-led research and resistance to systemic racism in academia, the gathering brought together Indigenous scholars, students, Elders, community leaders, and allies from across Canada. It was more than a symposium, it was a space for truth-telling, deep listening, and imagining futures grounded in relational accountability.
Guided by the principle of Tâpwewin—walking in relational truth—the symposium opened with Spirit-led reflection on the emotional toll of voicing truths long silenced. Keynotes and panels courageously peeled back the layers of colonial systems embedded in classrooms, healthcare, universities, and research institutions. These systems, described as “perfectly designed” to uphold settler-colonial power, were critically examined through lived experience and scholarly insight.
Speakers challenged the framing of Indigenous peoples as a racial category, emphasizing how such labels erase sovereign identities, lands, and governance. Stories of identity fraud, institutional neglect, and the power of student-led accountability revealed how real change often begins with grassroots resistance. Indigenous brilliance—frequently perceived as a threat—was reframed as a gift, essential to reimagining the academy.
Throughout the symposium, resurgence echoed in every session. Scholars rooted their work in Indigenous languages, protocols, and worldviews. Elders and Grandmothers served as living archives, offering wisdom that defied sanitized data and upheld relational knowledge. Community-based methodologies stood in stark contrast to institutional norms, and solidarity with students emerged as a critical force for transformation.
While participants named ongoing challenges—including tokenistic equity statements, opaque data practices, credential gatekeeping, and institutional processes weaponized against dissent—they also celebrated collective strengths: the courage to name harm, a shared vision for change, and the power of community and care. From these dialogues, a bold roadmap emerged. It called for transparent Indigenous data governance, Indigenous-led publishing and funding models, mandatory anti-racism training, and structural reforms that move beyond performative gestures to genuine partnership. Each story shared became an act of resilience and reclamation, turning institutional spaces into fertile ground for Indigenous brilliance and collective liberation.
The symposium’s vision aligned powerfully with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. It embodied directives on Indigenous-led education, anti-racism, cultural resurgence, and institutional reform. From critiquing colonial frameworks in education (Calls #10–12), to affirming the role of language and protocol in research (Calls #13–17) and elevating Indigenous youth through mentorship (Calls #66–67), the gathering translated policy into practice. It also addressed the need for transparency in data and publishing (Call #65) and advocated for reform in funding systems to support Indigenous priorities (Call #8).
Looking ahead, participants envisioned a future shaped by Indigenous sovereignty in academia. They proposed Indigenous-led data governance frameworks, decolonial hiring and evaluation systems, and funding channels guided by community priorities. The embedding of Elders and Grandmothers into curriculum development was seen as vital to sustaining relational knowledge. To expand this work nationally, the symposium called for a network of Indigenous-led academic gatherings modeled after Tâpwewin—spaces of sustained collaboration, truth-telling, and accountability across Canadian campuses. Rather than responding to reconciliation in abstract terms, the Tâpwewin Symposium rooted action in Spirit-led listening and lived experience. It affirmed that the transformation of academic institutions is not only possible—it is already underway, led by Indigenous scholars as sovereign architects of a more just and relational future.
Dr. Amanda LaVallee, Director of the RGD Project & Team Lead of the Symposium
Dr. Raven Sinclair, Co-Director of the RGD Project
(Photos provided by Shiloh Alese Sam Photography)