Mohawk College welcomes Ela Smith, Professor, Teaching and Learning Consultant, CTLI

Sharing on behalf of Amanda White, Acting Director for the Centre of Indigenous Relations, Knowledge, and Learning & Erin Cameron, Associate Dean, Teaching & Learning of the Centre for Teaching & Learning Innovation

As we move forward in implementing the Mohawk College Strategic Plan and prioritizing Meaningfully Advancing Truth & Reconciliation, we would like to take this opportunity to reintroduce Ela Smith to the College community. Ela joined the college this past spring as the Professor, Teaching and Learning Consultant - Indigenous Education within the Center of Teaching and Learning Institute (CTLI), and works closely with the Centre for Indigenous Relations, Knowledge, And Learning (CIRKL).

Ela, Gee waniway eekwe (Whirling wind woman), is bear clan displaced through colonization, and her community is Waterloo Region. She works from a holistic trauma-informed pedagogical perspective that empowers people to critically reflect on how their practice impacts the world. She currently sits on the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies Board of Governors and Ontario College of Early Childhood Educators impacting change from a provincial focus for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children and families. Her role as full-time faculty in CTLI focuses on Indigenous Education, where she continues to demonstrate her passion for Indigegogy. In her role, Ela will support the implementation of the Indigenous Knowledge Learning Outcomes (IKLOs) within all program areas, with CIRKL, across the college.

IKLOs are Indigenous-focused learning outcomes that will help all learners, regardless of their chosen field of study, better understand Indigenous Peoples, histories, cultures, and realities by the time they graduate. IKLOs are an opportunity to decolonize curriculum and education and to make education safe for those underrepresented, such as Indigenous learners.

Ela will connect with identified program areas over the coming year for discussions and to support them during the first phase of the process.

Faculty and staff are welcome to reach out to Ela with any Indigenous curriculum-related questions at ela.smith@mohawkcollege.ca. At this time, more information on IKLOs can be found at https://www.mohawkcollege.ca/indigenous-students/indigenous-knowledge-learning-outcomes. Updates on this initiative will be provided on CIRKL’s new website to be launched in October.