Office of Indigenous Engagement
The the Office of Indigenous Engagement, we provide strategic leadership, guidance, and coordination to support SAIT’s ongoing work in truth and reconciliation. Our office works collaboratively across the institution to advance Indigenous initiatives, promote respectful engagement with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, and strengthen institutional approaches to Indigenization, decolonization, ceremony, education, and Indigenous learner success.
Our approach is grounded in respectful relationships, reciprocity, and meaningful collaboration. We work alongside Indigenous communities, Knowledge Keepers, Elders, learners, employees, and partners to ensure Indigenous perspectives, protocols, and ways of knowing are honoured throughout SAIT’s learning, working, and community environments.
About us
SAIT is committed to Indigenous learner success and advancing truth and reconciliation in our role as an educational institution. Through Natoysopoyiis, SAIT supports Indigenous learners with services aligned to traditional ways of knowing and being. Through collaborative engagement with First Nations and Metis communities, SAIT is building strong and productive partnerships while fostering lifelong learning through education across campus.
The Office of Indigenous Engagement was established in spring 2023 to support SAIT’s institutional commitment to advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action through Indigenization, decolonization, ceremony, education, and meaningful internal and external collaboration.
Natoysopoyiis Student Support Centre
Located on the main floor of the Senator Burns Building, Natoysopoyiis is a place for Indigenous learners at SAIT to:
- find career, program and academic support
- get assistance with financial aid and housing
- meet with Elders for cultural and spiritual advising
- gather and connect with peers
- participate in events, network and more.
Specialized programs
Indigenous Foundations program
This two-semester, 15-week program begins at the grade 5 and 6 level and ends with your completion of grade 8 and 9 courses.
Indigenous Pathways program
This three-semester, 12-month program begins at the grade 9 level and ends with your completion of grade 11 and 12 courses.
Indigenous Student Success Program
Recently graduated? Get support in securing meaningful employment through career matching with corporate opportunities tailored to their skills and aspirations.
Truth and Reconciliation initiatives
Learn more about the initiatives, resources, and acknowledgements that support our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and help foster greater understanding, respect, and connection.
Acknowledgement of traditional territories
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a time for Canadians to learn, reflect on the lasting impacts of colonialism, and consider our role in reconciliation. It is also Orange Shirt Day, honouring residential school survivors, their families, and those who never made it home.
SAIT recognizes this federal stat annually with an institutional closure.
Upcoming events
Meet our Elder in Residency
Betty Lou Crazy Boy, known by her Piikani name Misomophkotoka (Long Time Rock), is a respected member of the Piikani Nation and a dedicated advocate for her community. Her life’s work exemplifies a profound commitment to social justice and cultural preservation.
Betty Lou Crazy Boy - Many Feathers stands as a beacon of hope and empowerment within her community. Her lifelong dedication to social work and her role as a cultural mentor highlight her unwavering commitment to uplifting others and preserving the rich traditions of the Piikani Nation.
Indigenous news stories
Indigenous art installation tells the story of Natoysopoyiis
A new artwork on campus brings the story of SAIT’s Indigenous student support centre’s name, Natoysopoyiis, to life.
Elders gather with SAIT to create collaborative training strategy for Indigenous communities and post-secondary institutions
In the spirit of strengthening meaningful Indigenous relations, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) is hosting a two-day Elders Gathering on campus.
‘It feels like home’: Meet SAIT’s Director of Indigenous Engagement
Jennifer Russell, Ksikk inni na ki, reflects on International Women’s Day, safety for Indigenous women and her first year in a new role.
Contact us
Office of Indigenous Engagement
Oki, Âba wathtech, Danit'ada, Tawnshi, Hello.
SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.