Understanding the Heartwork of Indigenous Student Services during the Challenging Times of Reconciliation, Decolonization, and Indigenization

Oct 15, 2026

Indigenous Student Centres (ISCs) are student affairs units dedicated to serving Indigenous students and communities through culturally grounded significance on campus. Professionals’ work is rooted in Indigenous Knowledges and cultural protocols, drawing on the 4Rs of Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, and Responsibility and on Archibald’s Indigenous storywork. The article traces histories of Indigenous academic programming and examines how ISCs holistically support students while facing resistance and systemic pressures, including non-Indigenous cultural illiteracy and reconciliation fatigue, concluding with guidance for ally or neighbor support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

Understanding the Heartwork of Indigenous Student Services during the Challenging Times of Reconciliation, Decolonization, and Indigenization Stephanie J. Waterman University of Toronto Shawna M. Cunningham University Calgary Michelle Pidgeon Simon Fraser University Abstract Indigenous Student Centres (ISCs) are student affairs units specialized to serve Indigenous students and communities. These Centres are places of significance on campus for Indigenous students for their cultural relevance and embodiment of Indigenous ways of being. Professionals working in and with ISCs ground their work firmly in Indigenous Knowledges that often evoke distinct cultural protocolsand ways of being. Kirknessand Barnhardt’s (1991) 4Rs of Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, and Responsibility and Archibald’s (2008) Indigenous storywork are the foundation of the co-authors’ research with ISC staff and administrators. The history of Indigenous academic programming is shared to provide the foundation for the evolution of ISCs. The co-authors explore how ISCs holistically support Indigenous students while encountering resistance and systemic challenges, such as cultural illiteracy, by non-Indigenous units and reconciliation fatigue. They conclude with suggestions for supporting reconciliation work as an ally or good neighbour. Keywords: Indigenization, student affairs, reconciliation, cultural illiteracy, higher education Résumé Les Centres étudiants autochtones (CEA) sont des unités de services spécialement conçues pour répondre aux besoins des étudiantes et étudiants et des communautés autochtones. Les CEAoccupent une place importante sur les campus en raison de leur pertinence culturelleet de la manière dont ils incarnent les modes de vie autochtones. Les professionnelleset professionnels des CEA orientent leur travail à partir des savoirs autochtones, qui fontsouvent appel à des protocoles culturels distincts et à des façons d’être propres aux peuplesautochtones. Les 4R de Kirkness et Barnhardt (1991)– Respect, Pertinence (Relevance), Réciprocité et Responsabilité–ainsi que le travail d’Archibald (2008) sur les récitsautochtones constituent les fondements de la recherche des coauteures auprès du personnel et des responsables des CEA. L’histoire des programmes universitaires autochtones y est retracéeafin de mieux comprendre l’évolution des CEA. Les coauteures examinent comment les CEAsoutiennent de manière holistique les étudiantes et étudiants autochtones, tout en faisant face à des résistances et à des défis systémiques, tels que l’illettrisme culturel des unités non autochtones ou encore la fatigue liée au processus de réconciliation. Elles concluent en proposant des pistes pour soutenir ce travail de réconciliation dans un esprit d’alliance et de bon voisinage. Mots-clés : autochtonisation, affaires étudiantes, réconciliation, illettrisme culturel, études supérieures Canadian Journal of Higher Education | Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur 55:3 (2025) INTRODUCTION Heartwork (Minthorn et al., 2023; Winder, 2021) is a term used to describe the deep passion and connection that Indigenous scholars and practitioners have to their work. We evoke this term to speak to the dedication of Indigenous student services leaders and practitioners. Based on story-based research studies within the field of Indigenous Student Services, this article provides an overview of Indigenous Student Centres (ISCs) as places of significance (Cunningham, 2022; Donald, 2009, 2016) in post-secondary institutions (PSIs) and the systemic challenges Indigenous student service professionals face. To understand how ISCs became places of significance, the co-authors provide an overview of the history and impact of culturally relevant academic programs on the evolving role, purpose, and nature of ISCs. Additionally, the co-authors explore the current challenges surrounding the call for reconciliation through education (Truth and Reconciliation Com

FAQs

What does the article mean by “heartwork” in Indigenous student services?

“Heartwork” describes the deep passion and connection Indigenous scholars and practitioners have to their work, which the article uses to frame dedication in Indigenous student services leadership and practice.

Which frameworks and concepts guide the research on Indigenous Student Centres?

The research is grounded in Kirkness and Barnhardt’s 4Rs (Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, Responsibility) and Archibald’s Indigenous storywork, along with story-based research studies in Indigenous Student Services.

What systemic challenges do Indigenous Student Centres face?

The article highlights barriers such as systemic racism, inadequate resources, cultural illiteracy in non-Indigenous units, limited leadership support from good allies, and reconciliation fatigue, which affect equitable inclusion and ISC sustainability.

Oct 15, 2026

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