“Is the Past Present” is a 3-unit intensive, online, cross-institutional course which provides students the opportunity for comparative inquiry of Indigenous experiences of colonization and the manifestations of that experience in the contemporary socio-cultural environment. Through the use of digital interactive technology, students will work together with educators from across the globe. The course will be informed and guided by Indigenous knowledge and will draw upon a range of disciplines such as public health, history, sociology and public policy.

This course is a partnership among many individuals, groups and organizations: UBC Division of Aboriginal People’s Health, Arts Instructional Support and Information Technology (ISIT), First Nations Studies, the College of Health Disciplines; Onemda VicHealth Koori Health Unit, The University of Melbourne; Xay:tem Longhouse Interpretive Centre; and Indian Residential School Survivors Society. We also wish to acknowledge the contributions from faculty members and students at UBC. Most importantly, we honour the contributions of Elders and survivors who willingly told their stories for us to learn, understand, grow and heal.

This is a very short, intense course. The course duration is short to accommodate both the University of British Columbia’s and the University of Melbourne’s school calendar. What this means for you as a learner is that what would normally be a 15 to 16 week course is compressed into half that time. You can expect to spend approximately 6-10 hours per week online, possibly more for the readings.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the course you will have:

• Engaged on an inter-professional basis with colleagues on collaborative decision-making in health education
• Considered key determinants of Indigenous peoples well-being
• Identified, compared and contrasted key processes of colonization in Victoria, Australia and British Columbia, Canada
• Described impacts of colonizing experiences and the correlation to contemporary Indigenous health issues
• Through role play and team engagement, more deeply identified with Indigenous experiences and responses to colonization as experienced in the residential school and mission systems
• Reflected upon your own reactions to historical and current relationships with Indigenous peoples
• Shared knowledge/understanding of local Indigenous experiences
• Engaged in respectful discussions around cultural safety.
• Explored how health professionals can collaborate to positively impact health and health professional-community relationships
• Identified opportunities to advocate and promote healing