Six Nations Polytechnic and Wilfrid Laurier University sign formal agreement

A new agreement between Six Nations Polytechnic and Wilfrid Laurier University aims to offer more educational options to Indigenous students and raise awareness of Indigenous culture for non-Indigenous students. 

The organizations have been working together for nearly 30 years, but on Monday they officially signed a memorandum of understanding to bolster academic ties.  

Pending funding, the agreement will look to offer more educational options, especially for local Indigenous students. The collaboration also wants to raise awareness of Indigenous practices for non-Indigenous students.

Six Nations Polytechnic has around 350 students, not all of whom are Indigenous. Laurier has approximately 400 Indigenous students out of a total student population across campuses around 20,000.

"I find that it's very welcoming to see … some institutions very much open to partnering as part of the way forward," said Rebecca Jamieson, the president and CEO of Six Nations Polytechnic. 

Six Nations Polytechnic has been offering programs since the early 1990s. It offers university-level Ogwehoweh languages courses as well as numerous skilled trades, college-level programs, and a high school level STEAM academy. 

Jamieson has been with the Six Nations Polytechnic since the very beginning and became president in 2009. She said the partnership with Laurier has been in place for so long the memorandum of understanding is just a formality and standard protocol. 

"It has been a long-standing relationship and it's just deepening."

She cited a recent partnership with Mohawk College which supported 40 nursing graduates.

"[A] partnership is a way to get things done. Good partnerships … are lasting," she said.

Whatever follows, Jamieson said, it will be looked at through a win-win lens for both institutions.

The focus of Six Nations Polytechnic has been to meet the needs of the community, she said, and to benefit Indigenous students. Labour market considerations are a factor but Jamieson also emphasized that the student body of nearly 350 is not entirely Indigenous.

"We have people from all backgrounds who study with us who want to learn in our environment. So I think as a way forward, it's an opportunity," Jamieson said.

Darren Thomas, associate vice-president of Indigenous initiatives at Wilfrid Laurier University, said the agreement is a recognition of Six Nations Polytechnic's desire to grow and offer programs.

"Our plan … over the next several years is to construct several agreements. So this memorandum of understanding is an overarching agreement," Thomas said. 

He said this is going to be a lot of work within both institutions, local communities, the provincial government and others. 

"We're laying [the groundwork] out as if we had funding," he said.

Thomas references the more than a dozen Métis councils and 18 First Nations in the region. He said Laurier is really trying to position itself to serve, not just students but also staff and the community in general. 

Both Jamieson and Thomas confirmed it may take a year to finalize the details of this partnership.