NIUSLA Summit 2026: Dismantling Anti-Indigenous Racism

NIUSLA Summit 2026: Gathering for Change
Dismantling Anti-Indigenous Racism in Post-Secondary Education
📍 First Peoples Gathering House, SFU (Burnaby, BC)
📅 November 3–4, 2026

• HYBRID with Zoom option ($100) and in-person ($200)
• Simultaneous French–English Interpretation Available

Join Indigenous leaders, educators, and change-makers from across the post-secondary sector for two days of immersive, interactive learning and action. The NIUSLA Summit 2026 is designed to move beyond dialogue toward meaningful systems change—equipping participants with practical strategies to confront and dismantle anti-Indigenous racism in higher education.

Grounded in ceremony, shared experience, and collective accountability, the Summit centres a unique “Learning Bundle” approach, allowing participants to build tools, insights, and strategies they can bring back to their institutions.

What to Expect

• Ceremonial grounding and cultural gathering led by Elders and Host Nations
• Interactive plenaries and sharing circles focused on lived realities, leadership challenges, and resilience
• Strategy sessions covering policy development, legal considerations, accountability, and retention
• Applied Leadership Lab with real-world scenarios and case-based problem solving
• Collaborative outputs, including policy recommendations and promising practices

Outcomes

By the end of the Summit, participants will:

• Deepen understanding of anti-Indigenous racism in post-secondary contexts
• Gain practical tools and leadership strategies for institutional change
• Contribute to a shared national framework and collective action agenda
• Build meaningful connections grounded in trust, knowledge-sharing, and community

Who Should Attend - Attendance Model

This summit is ideal for Indigenous leaders, faculty, staff, administrators, policymakers, and allies, advocates and accomplices committed to advancing equity and systemic change in higher education.

To honour the Indigenous-led nature of this gathering, participation from non-Indigenous attendees is by invitation through nomination or sponsorship from an Indigenous colleague or leader.

We recognize that many allies, advocates, and accomplices are committed to doing this work in meaningful ways. This approach helps ensure that participation is grounded in accountability, relationship, and ongoing collaboration with Indigenous communities.

If you are a non-Indigenous professional interested in attending, we encourage you to:

• Connect with an Indigenous colleague, supervisor, or community partner who can support your attendance, and
• Attend with a commitment to listening, learning, and contributing responsibly to systemic change.

This model supports the Summit’s goal of centering Indigenous voices, experiences, and leadership while fostering respectful, action-oriented partnerships.

Presented in Partnership With

• Canadian Race Relations Foundation
• Mastercard Foundation
• First Nations University of Canada

Info: What to Expect
Day 1 — Grounding, Truth & Critical Dialogue
• Opening Ceremony with Host Nation and Elders
• Exploration of anti-Indigenous racism in higher education
• Facilitated discussions connecting lived experience and institutional realities
• Deep critical dialogue on key tensions:
o Academic freedom vs. responsibility
o Structural change vs. cultural inclusion
o Research vs. lived experience
o Identity and internal dynamics

• Leadership sharing circle focused on:
o Navigating settler institutions
o Resistance, resilience, and leadership realities

Info: • Morning ceremony and reflection
• Keynote: Indigenous leadership and systems change
• Strategy sessions focused on:
o Policy and anti-racism frameworks
o Legal considerations
o Accountability and addressing harm
o Recruitment and retention
o Building accomplices

• Applied Leadership Lab:

o Real-world case scenarios
o Institutional problem-solving
o Decision-making in complex situations

• Collective output session

Event venue & nearby stays

Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive West, Burnaby, Canada

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

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