Indigenous Student Advisors

Roger John

K'alwhalahap/Hello to all of you,

First I wish to acknowledge the Coast Salish and Straits Salish peoples on whose territory I work and live. I am a guest on their lands. I am Tsalashmec (People of the Lakes) from the St'at'imc Nation in the Interior of what is now called British Columbia. My St'at'imc name is T'alhálem ("Becoming Grizzly"). My English name is Roger John and I am the Indigenous Advisor for the Faculty of Human & Social Development (HUMA). I am an alumnus of UVic, having completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (1995) and Masters in Education in Counselling Psychology (2004).

The Faculty of Human & Social Development is the leading Faculty on campus for numbers of Indigenous faculty, numbers of Indigenous students, support staff, programming and collaborative research involving Indigenous peoples. The Faculty of Human & Social Development has been the origin of many Indigenous initiatives at UVic, such as the First Peoples House, the Indigenous Students Recognition Ceremony and the HUMA Aboriginal Students Emergency Measures Fund, good things start here.

My primary responsibilities are:

To maintain and strengthen the welcoming and supportive learning environment for Indigenous students in the Faculty of Human & Social Development by assisting students with information from applying to UVic to graduation.

To provide an Indigenous perspective and advice on cultural protocol and issues of education for HUMA schools and departments currently serving Indigenous students or those who wish to recruit Indigenous students.

To provide protocol and liaising advice to HUMA schools and departments who wish to work with Indigenous communities in educational or research activities.

To create a network for HUMA Indigenous Graduate and PhD students.

If you would like assistance in any of these areas please feel free to contact me or to come by my office in the Human & Social Development Building. Please visit the links in the right bar for information on other services which may be of interest to you.

Kukstamkalhap/Thanks to all of you, Roger John

OFFICE: HSD B240

PHONE: (250) 721-6274

FAX: (250) 721-7067

E-MAIL: rogerj@uvic.ca