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October 18, 2023 at 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Hill Seminar Room
Dr. Suzanne Kresta
Engineering Dean and Professor
University of Saskatchewan
Click here to RSVP.
Abstract:
In Saskatchewan, 20% of the population is indigenous or metis and there is a tremendous need, and will, to address reconciliation in meaningful ways. One of the mandates I was given as a new dean was to provide a course for all engineering students in the indigenization of engineering – a concept I initially saw as at odds with the most colonizing of all the professions. Our journey building a course that provided some of the most fulfilling work of my career included teaching with the help of elders, learning to erect a tipi, understanding the terms of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, and ultimately the design of a six week module that provides a case study in applied equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Learning from our students experiences provided deep wisdom and many surprises. The most important lessons are those that emerge from reframing our profession and seeing it with fresh eyes. Once we start to do this, the edges of our focus on building “things” softens to how those “things” impact people, communities, and our planet. The wisdom available from reframing points to a future where we shift from consultation at the end of a design process, to co-creation and collaboration very early in the process – a place where there is both vulnerability and joy.
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