In its 94 Calls to Action published in 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada directed postsecondary institutions to “integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms” and to “develop students’ intercultural competence, empathy, and mutual respect.” including the business schools of Canada. In response, many Canadian universities, including the business schools of Canada rushed in the past years to “Indigenize” their curriculum offerings i.e., inserting Indigenous teachings, pedagogy, culture, language, and history into courses that have long been limited to a Eurocentric perspective. Implementing the relevant TRC Calls to Action for postsecondary institutions is a long journey. The purpose of this symposium is to facilitate an exploratory conversation on a) indigenization progress in Canadian business schools with a specific focus on professional designated programs such as the human resource management (HRM) and accounting. The panelists of this symposium will present on the issues of Indigenous allyship in Canadian business and decolonizing business classrooms, and indigenizing HRM and accounting programs/courses with an aim to achieve actionable recommendations.

Chair: William Wei, Dean and Professor, Faculty of Business and Economics, Algoma University

Mary Wabano- McKay, Vice-President, Nyaagaaniid- Anishinaabe Initiatives, Equity and Student Success, Algoma University

Panelists:
Deborah Hurst, Former Dean and Associate Professor of Faculty of Business, Athabasca University
Doretta Thompson, CPA Canada’s director of Corporate Citizenship and the national director of the CPA Martin Mentorship Program for Indigenous High School Students
Jody-Lynn Rebek, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Economics, Algoma University
Mahbubul Alam, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Business and Economics, Algoma University

Coordinated by the Human Resources division