University of Victoria

• VICTORIA, British Columbia, Jan. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier today unveiled the first of many academic collaborations on its trailblazing pan-Canadian and sustainability-focused EcoJet Research Project.
• Bombardier’s long-standing partnership with the University of Victoria Centre for Aerospace Research (CfAR) and British Columbia’s SME Quaternion Aerospace was announced in a press conference hosted by the University.
• “Bombardier is proud to support forward-looking aerospace research all while involving a broad network of academic institutions,” said Stephen McCullough, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Product Development, Bombardier.
• “We are thrilled to contribute our university’s expertise to Bombardier’s groundbreaking EcoJet Research Project, a tangible example of UVic’s dedication to a brighter future for all through innovation,” said Dr. Kevin Hall, President, University of Victoria.

• Until fairly recently, these ways of being and knowing have been largely absent in Canadian higher education structures.
• As part of these plans, there is often an assumption that Indigenous scholars will be better equipped to interface with local Indigenous communities, both inside and outside of universities.
• Multiple changes are needed in universities across departments, related to all faculty members, to address “Indigenization.”

Plans are points of pride

• Reconciliation and Indigenizing plans are often points of pride for their institutions, as our Indigenous Plan is at UVic.
• I have the honour and the distinction of being the first tenure-track Indigenous hire in my department’s 60-plus year history.

Indigenous academics outside own territories

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  As an Indigenous geographer, I teach extensively about relationships with land.

• When it comes to my presence on these lands, or when it comes to any Indigenous academic’s presence on land that is not their own, I argue that relations, and more broadly, relationships are what’s important.
• I refer to scholars such as Mishuana Goeman, William Langford and Katharine Neale, who talk about the ways that Indigenous identity can be shaped and reshaped in new or different places.

Cultural responsibilities, accountabilities

• Although the lands I live on are not my own, I have cultural responsibilities and accountabilities that I carry with me to be a good guest.
• I look to scholars such as Kasey Keeler, who writes about being Indigenous yet not living in our own territories.
• However, these connections are not as simple as saying, “I’m Indigenous, you’re Indigenous, let’s work together.” Rather, they are multifaceted and complex.

Everyone’s work

• I have organizational support in this regard, as my university has instituted new tenure standards that prioritize community-engaged work, particularly in Indigenous contexts.
• It is recognizing that we do our work on Indigenous lands, and that we must involve the peoples on whose territories we reside in meaningful and impactful ways in the work we do.

Meaningful consultation

• Although it is from an American institution, South Dakota State University’s Wokini Initiative provides one potential framework other institutions might learn from or adapt.
• They also mean including meaningful consultation with local Indigenous communities in ways that uplift their perspectives while not burdening them with extra time and labour — and fostering respectful relations with the land itself.

Deondre Smiles does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• Applicants can find more information on the program, project eligibility, and the application process by visiting the Low Carbon Economy Challenge website .
• Through the Low Carbon Economy Fund, the Government of Canada is partnering with climate leaders across the country to cut emissions, cut costs, and create jobs, and will continue to do so through this renewed funding."
• The Low Carbon Economy Challenge is supporting projects across the country that invest in proven, low-carbon technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• On November 14, 2023, the Government of Canada launched the Low Carbon Economy Indigenous Leadership Fund, which will invest up to $180 million in clean energy and energy-efficiency projects led by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities and organizations.

• Chase as the Company’s Chief Science Officer (“CSO”).
• Dr. Chase is a distinguished Research & Development (“R&D”) chemist and seasoned business professional with an impressive academic and industrial track record spanning over 25 years.
• Optimi Health CEO Bill Ciprick conveyed his excitement regarding Dr. Chase's addition to the team, remarking, “Dr.
• Optimi Health warmly welcomes both Dr. Chase and Ms. Ranger to the Optimi team and anticipates an era of remarkable scientific progress under their guidance.