TORONTO, March 4, 2026 鈥� 91亚色 and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN), Mazina'iga-ziibing Misi-zaagiwininiwag, signed a Memorandum of Understanding today to work collaboratively in the spirit of reciprocity.

As part of that reciprocity, 91亚色 will advance its ongoing work to address Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and work with MCFN to co-create spaces and learning outcomes. In addition, in support of the University鈥檚 goal to increase access to education, eligible MCFN community members enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at 91亚色 will receive a tuition waiver.

Within the spirit of the agreement, 91亚色 will also continue to highlight the MCFN as caretakers of the land the University sits on.

The University is one of the first post-secondary institutions in Ontario to adopt an Indigenous led and developed land acknowledgement, reflecting how the MCFN community wishes to be represented, for its Keele and Glendon Campuses, along with a different land acknowledgement for its Markham Campus.

The MOU and land acknowledgement mark an evolution in how universities are working with First Nations.

"This MOU reflects a shared commitment to relationship-building grounded in respect, responsibility, and reciprocity. The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation welcome this opportunity to strengthen pathways for Indigenous learners and to ensure our histories, voices and perspectives are meaningfully reflected within academic spaces,鈥� says MCFN Chief Margaret Sault. 鈥淭hrough this partnership, we look forward to creating opportunities that support Indigenous students in achieving their goals while fostering greater understanding for all who learn here.鈥�

The University and MCFN will collaborate on opportunities to support the revitalization of the Michi Saagiig language and culture through research and learning. 91亚色 will also explore opportunities to support community and individual economic and social development. A MCFN councillor will also sit on 91亚色鈥檚 School of Medicine Indigenous Health Advisory Committee, and together, the University and MCFN will create a Faculty of Health course.

鈥淭his Memorandum of Understanding marks an important evolution in how 91亚色 understands its responsibilities as a post鈥憇econdary institution situated on Indigenous lands. Grounded in reciprocity and respect, this partnership with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation reflects our shared commitment to advancing truth and reconciliation in meaningful, enduring ways,鈥� says 91亚色 President and Vice-Chancellor Lisa Philipps. 鈥淏y working together to co鈥慶reate learning spaces, support Indigenous learners, and honour the Mississaugas of the Credit as caretakers of the land, we are strengthening pathways to education while deepening understanding across our community. We are grateful for the trust placed in us and look forward to the work ahead, guided by relationship, accountability and shared purpose.鈥�

In addition, through the Indigenous-led initiative , moccasins will be engraved on pathways throughout 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus. The initiative, which has over 20 installations within the Treaty territory, advances the principles of reconciliation and fosters public awareness of First Nations鈥� treaties, history, culture and traditions through education, collaboration and art.

Last year, Nokiiwin Tribal Council gifted 91亚色鈥檚 Glendon College with a Two Row Wampum Belt, a gift of enduring legal and ceremonial significance symbolizing the deepening relationship between the two. The Two Row Wampum, or Kaswenta, is a formal diplomatic document and living treaty first recorded over 400 years ago.

About 91亚色

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for meaningful life and career paths. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campus in Costa Rica offers students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

About the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation

The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) is an Anishinaabe Nation and the sole and rightful Treaty holder of the Greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe Region of Ontario. Approximately 40 per cent of Canada鈥檚 GDP is generated on MCFN鈥檚 Treaty Lands and Traditional Territory.

MCFN has approximately 2,967 members, with a reserve land base of about 2,400 hectares located near Hagersville, Ontario. Guided by Chief and Council, the Nation is committed to protecting its inherent and Treaty rights, strengthening community well-being, and advancing economic prosperity for current and future generations.

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Federal funding will go towards further developing immersive video game where players learn the Anishinaabe language, culture and ways of life

TORONTO, June 4, 2024 鈥� , a sociology professor at 91亚色鈥檚 Glendon Campus, is the recipient of for her Indigenous-led metaverse project Biskaabiiyaang: Creating a path towards healing and reconciliation. , associate professor in theatre and creative technologies at 91亚色鈥檚 School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD), is a co-applicant. Robyn O鈥橪oughlin joins the team as co-applicant working within the New Brunswick Ministry of Education. 91亚色 and the are also partners in the grant application. The award was created in response to Call to Action 65 to establish a national research program to advance understanding of reconciliation. It is a joint initiative of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Chacaby鈥檚 immersive virtual game is set in a post-apocalyptic world invaded by linguicidals responsible for the death of the Ojibwe language Anishinaabemowin. It challenges players to learn the language 鈥� and save it from extinction 鈥� by exploring ruins, listening to the teachings of Elders and taking lessons from nature. Players discover how Indigenous history and culture have a role in returning beauty and magic to this world where Anishinaabe ways of life prevail. As an Indigenous community-led research project, Nokiiwin Tribal Council guides the work ensuring that Indigenous communities are first and foremost in the project鈥檚 direction.

鈥淢etaverses, as we see them in the Western world, are spaces where Indigenous people do not exist,鈥� says Chacaby, who is Anishinaabe, Beaver Clan from Kaministiquia (Thunder Bay). 鈥淭hat is a form of colonial erasure happening in these new technologies that I really want to disrupt.鈥� Part of the groundbreaking interdisciplinary research program Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society, Biskaabiiyaang works to address the impacts of colonization on Indigenous communities, support culture-based healing practices and encourage language reclamation.

Chacaby, a research associate with the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages, has long promoted Anishinaabe culture and language through courses she鈥檚 developed at Glendon. In 2016, for her online classes, she crafted a Dungeons and Dragons-style, card-based role-playing game in Anishinaabemowin. This gamified approach to learning led to soaring proficiency levels, with grammar and other difficult areas of language acquisition becoming easier as students developed characters and completed quests. But Chacaby wanted anyone to have access to this education. That鈥檚 where the metaverse came in.

An avid gamer, Chacaby noted how within massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) like World of Warcraft and Fallout, players use and coin terms that are only understood by other users and immediate team members. That made her realize these virtual worlds were environments ripe for learning. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥業f young people can talk in this very sophisticated technical language about a made up world, we can do the exact same thing with the culture鈥�,鈥� says Chacaby.

The project uses research-creation methodologies to build an audio and visual archive that is the foundation of the Biskaabiiyaang metaverse. Scott Baker, the education manager for the Nokiiwin Tribal Council, describes his excitement about Elders鈥� teachings making their way into the virtual world. 鈥淲hat the SSHRC grant is going to open up for us is to start collecting these stories,鈥� says Baker.

鈥淲e're actually documenting stories and teachings, and these will live long beyond when I'm gone,鈥� says Audrey Gilbeau, executive director of the Tribal Council. A co-creation with community Elders and Indigenous youth, the virtual world is a community-built and -owned archive that鈥檚 alive, growing and changing. She says that Elders and Knowledge Keepers who have passed away over the past five years, since work on Biskaabiiyaang began, continue to live on in the recordings and stories captured in the project.

The best way for a community to hold an archive is in a format that people can access, says Caines, adding: 鈥淭he metaverse is the archive.鈥� The researchers have partnered with , a virtual world platform, to build the metaverse and bring the archive to life. Content in the metaverse is based upon Anishinaabe worldview and culture as well as family histories and individuals鈥� lived experiences. The virtual world is a place where players learn by undertaking quests and interacting with traditional tools and objects, teachings, and language learning modules using culture-based game mechanics.

In partnership with AMPD鈥檚 new program opening at Markham Campus, undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral research fellows will come together with Indigenous teens from the region to work on the metaverse at the new facilities, as well as gain on-site training in Northern Ontario. Biskaabiiyaang is the first step in a decade-long project running in tandem with the UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages. A multi-year project, it is a direct response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action 65.

Visit the Biskaabiiyaang to learn more and download a free demonstration.

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Study of the Indigenous three sisters gardens and their most important wild bee pollinators by 91亚色 bee experts an important first step

TORONTO, May 22, 2024 鈥� The loss of even one wild bee species can disrupt the reproductive success of certain plants resulting in fewer vegetables, fruits and flowers, say 91亚色 researchers who studied how pollinators and plants rely on each other, specifically in Indigenous gardens in the Great Lakes Region.

Pollination deficits can threaten global food security. A decline in the bounty of plants can in turn lead to fewer resources for pollinators and put their survival at increased danger. Researchers at 91亚色 delved into its significance using a three sisters garden, along with additional culturally significant plants to see what was abuzz.

鈥淭his delicately balanced pollinator-plant network is at risk of future human-caused collapse, but it has not been well studied and there has been little understanding of how this co-reliance works and the threats against it,鈥� says 91亚色 PhD Candidate Shelby Gibson of the Faculty of Science in the of co-author 91亚色 Associate Professor of the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC).

Additional co-authors include , a 91亚色 PhD Faculty of Science graduate now of the Canadian Museum of Nature, and Associate Professor of EUC.

The three sisters garden uses an ancestral Indigenous growing method, a form of intercropping that involves the growth of multiple crops simultaneously, including culturally important medicinal plants. However, land use changes, the use of pesticides and other agricultural practices, the invasion of non-native species and climate change are increasingly impacting how pollinators and plants match up.

The study, , published today in the journal PeerJ, looked at how the pollinator community visiting the garden differed from the surrounding wild pollinator community.

鈥淜nowing what is involved with these pollinator-plant networks can help us minimize future disruptions that could result in the loss of both plants and wild bee species,鈥� says Colla. 鈥淚t can also provide us with baseline information about the role of wild bees and the stability of the network to weather environmental change.鈥�

This delicately balanced pollinator-plant network is at risk of future human-caused collapse, but it has not been well studied and there has been little understanding of how this co-reliance works and the threats against it.

Shelby Gibson

The three sisters garden has corn, common bean and squash, which rely on insect pollination. For squash, the pollination window is short 鈥� their flowers open at dawn and close by noon 鈥� and it is historically pollinated by the hoary squash bee.

Overall, some 37 species or 59 per cent of the about 63 bee species thought to occur in the wider community were identified in the garden. Bumblebees were the most frequent genus with the most frequent species being the common eastern bumble bee. Equally as common as the common eastern bumble bee, was the hoary squash bee. These bees interacted mostly with Patty Pan squash. The hoary squash bee is recognized as a key species for the three sisters garden and an important pollinator to protect. They have specialized hairs for collecting squash pollen and are extremely active during the squash pollination window.

Although the range of the hoary squash bee has grown, it doesn鈥檛 typically include wild squash and its range has been impacted by continued agricultural expansion. In their absence, honey bees and bumble bees are known to be able to pollinate squash, but it is the aptly named hoary squash bee that has co-evolved with the plant.

Recommendations for management of the hoary squash bee within the agroecosystem are to minimize pesticide exposure, provide nesting sites (they are ground nesters), maintain field proximity, monitor populations, parasites, and pathogens, and limit deep tillage of the earth. Many of the things already in practice at the three sister garden.

The researchers say further research is necessary to ascertain how to manage ongoing threats to the common eastern bumble bee and the hoary squash bee, both important pollinators in the three sisters garden system, but also the overall critical role of wild pollinators for culturally significant plants. This could include the role of policies and programs that support and promote conservation and pollinator-plant diversity.

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$318-million Connected Minds initiative to bring equity and inclusion to murky waters of AI

April 28, 2023

A massive seven-year interdisciplinary research initiative led by 91亚色 鈥� backed by substantial federal research funding 鈥� is setting out to tame the unruly world of AI and other disruptive technologies, so humans can benefit equitably from advances in a machine-driven world.

Along with marvellous innovations in medicine, education and entertainment, rapidly emerging technological advancements are also delivering unintended consequences, and some communities are being left behind. Making sure everyone benefits from the technological boom reflects 91亚色鈥檚 signature mission to create positive change in the world, both locally and globally.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to slow progress in technology, but rather, work together to be more thoughtful about the consequences 鈥� and try to mitigate the negative outcomes and optimize the positive ones,鈥� says Doug Crawford, a 91亚色 Distinguished Research Professor in Neuroscience who is the inaugural scientific director of the first-of-its-kind enterprise.

The Connected Minds project will bring together experts from 91亚色聽and Queen鈥檚 University聽who are working across聽many different聽fields including liberal arts, engineering, health,聽law,聽life sciences, and the arts聽to develop a聽framework聽to guide future innovations in technology with a聽focus on聽inclusivity.聽

鈥淩eceiving this second CFREF award in the last two competitions reflects 91亚色鈥檚 leadership as a research-intensive university that from its inception has understood the importance of an interdisciplinary approach in tackling complex, global problems. Connected Minds is particularly timely as we consider the implications of AI for creating a more equitable and inclusive world,鈥� says 91亚色 president and vice-chancellor Rhonda Lenton.

The researchers say putting some parameters around technological disruption would avoid the type of headline-grabbing pitfalls experienced by the AI text generator ChatGPT, almost as soon as it hit the market. Guidelines would also ensure underrepresented groups could enjoy the benefits of our shifting and evolving technologies and play a role in their creation.

鈥�91亚色 is an international leader in interdisciplinary research. The federal government鈥檚 substantial investment will unite 91亚色鈥檚 incredible strengths with Queen鈥檚 health specialties to chart new territory in socially responsible research for a rapidly changing digital world,鈥� says Amir Asif, 91亚色鈥檚 vice-president research and innovation.

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing a changing society with increasing intermingling between humans and machines and a host of different technologies,鈥� says Pina D鈥橝gostino, vice director and founder of 91亚色鈥檚 IP Innovation Clinic at Osgoode Hall Law School and vice-director of Connected Minds. 鈥淭he social framework 鈥� the law 鈥� hasn鈥檛 kept pace. What we鈥檙e trying to do is develop technologies and frameworks that are socially responsible before they are disseminated in society, so we get ahead of the biases that may arise. That way underrepresented communities don鈥檛 get sidelined as technologies progress.鈥�

The initiative鈥檚 equity focus will be applied to many projects that are already underway at the two universities, and also to the issue of Indigenous data sovereignty. Through an Indigenous Advisory Circle and partners, researchers hope to explore a framework for use of Indigenous Peoples鈥� data in a digital environment.

鈥淥ur work will seek to address the unexpected consequences of technological innovation, like the growing digital divide between broader society and Indigenous Peoples in terms of access to internet and also the colonization of it as well,鈥� says Sean Hillier, associate director of 91亚色鈥檚 Centre for Indigenous Knowledges & Language and associate director of Connected Minds.

鈥淲e continue to see researchers in Indigenous communities saying, 鈥榟ow do we implement ownership, access, control and possession of our knowledge in a virtual world?鈥� We don鈥檛 have the capacity to do so.鈥�

Already, more than 50 community groups are stepping up to engage in the research, a signal that the initiative is tapping into a recognized need. The City of Vaughan, for example, has contributed $36 million in land. Mitacs, which funds research and innovation, has contributed $1 million for internships and trainees. The Baycrest Health Centre 鈥� Rotman Research Institute, which studies aging and the human brain, is giving $2 million.

Potential projects include explorations into a more inclusive metaverse, virtual reality and community organizing, technologies for healthy aging and how the human brain functions when people interact with AI versus each other.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to figure out the way machines work, but we also need to understand the way the human brain works,鈥� explains D鈥橝gostino. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the secret sauce in the machines and the technology. As we try and blossom machines, we have to link them up to the way we think. Something like empathy, for instance, will they ever have that?鈥�

Another project is an Indigenous online gaming metaverse in which Indigenous Peoples can learn traditional language and gaming at the same time by engaging in land-based learning that recognizes the physical, mental, and spiritual connection to the land that is part of Indigenous identity.

鈥淲e hope that with our checklist, anytime someone innovates they won鈥檛 only think from a mainstream perspective,鈥� says D鈥橝gostino.

Technological disruption is only going to grow, adds Crawford, and it鈥檚 not too late to create guidelines to shape the future in a way that incorporates the values of equity, diversity and inclusivity.

鈥淗ere at 91亚色 and at Queen鈥檚, we have engineers and scientists involved in a number of technologies, some of them related to health, transportation, communications and computer vision,鈥� Crawford notes.

鈥淲e hope to bring this new perspective to that. The other part is developing the paradigm. If we are successful in that approach, then the aim is to beta test here at 91亚色 and Queen鈥檚 and have a broader effect on the way research is done in Canada and the world,鈥� he concludes.

when combined with the contributions from multi-sector partners, municipal governments, and collaborating partners is valued at $318.4 million, making Connected Minds the biggest 91亚色-led research program in the University鈥檚 history. 

Connected Minds will also expand Canada鈥檚 research power and create opportunities for early career up-and-comers. 

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Together with Queen鈥檚 University, the cross-disciplinary work is backed by $105.7M in federal funding through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund

TORONTO, April 28, 2023 鈥� Is an equitable world that includes humans and machines possible? 91亚色 researchers believe it must be and have set out to make it so through a first of its kind interdisciplinary research initiative called Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society.

From universities to industries, hospitals and policymakers, artists and Indigenous communities, 91亚色鈥檚 Connected Minds will engage 50+ community partners and research collaborators over seven years supported by a historic $318.4 million in funding. Connected Minds has received a combined , announced earlier today by the Government of Canada. Of that, 91亚色 received $82.8 million and institutional partner Queen鈥檚 University received $22.8 million.

Led by 91亚色, Connected Minds brings together experts in multiple fields, including humanities, engineering, law, and life sciences, located across eight 91亚色 Faculties and three Queen鈥檚 Faculties. Researchers will examine the ways in which emerging technology, like Artificial Intelligence, is transforming and entangling society 鈥� dubbed the 鈥榯echno-social collective.鈥� Researchers will work to discover how to balance both the potential risks and benefits for humanity.  

Some of the program鈥檚 proposed projects include explorations into a more inclusive metaverse, virtual reality and community organizing, neurotechnologies for healthy aging, Indigenous data sovereignty, and how human brain function changes when people interact with AI versus each other.  

In addition to supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers conducting research on promoting a healthy, resilient, and just techno-social collective, Connected Minds will fund 35 strategic faculty hires, partner-focused seed, team, and prototyping grants, knowledge mobilization and commercialization activities, and an ambitious multi-institutional micro-credential training program with 385 trainees and cross-sector stakeholders. All activities will require interdisciplinary participation, and projects that benefit Indigenous and other equity-deserving groups will be prioritized.

A key structural component of the program is an Indigenous-led focus and will feature a dedicated Indigenous research space on 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus, as well as employing an overarching decolonization, equity, diversity and inclusion (DEDI) strategy.

The program鈥檚 operations will involve a directorate led by internationally renowned neuroscientist Prof. , as Scientific Director, along with intellectual property and technology law expert Prof.  , as Vice-Director and Indigenous health scholar Prof. as Associate Director. Engineer and neuroscientist Prof. joins as the Vice-Director from Queen鈥檚 University.  

The governance structure of Connected Minds includes a Board of Directors to supervise the program ramp up, oversee its progress towards achieving strategic goals and maintain fiduciary responsibility, an External Advisory Board to advise on the overall strategic direction, knowledge mobilization and commercialization activities, and an Indigenous Advisory Circle to counsel all aspects of Indigenous engagement, including issues of privacy and data sovereignty.

The total value of the Connected Minds projects is $318.4 million with the remaining funds, including in-kind contributions, being contributed largely by multi-sector partners, municipal governments, and collaborating institutions.

QUOTES

鈥淩eceiving this second CFREF award in the last two competitions reflects 91亚色鈥檚 leadership as a research-intensive university that from its inception has understood the importance of an interdisciplinary approach in tackling complex, global problems. Connected Minds is particularly timely as we consider the implications of AI for creating a more equitable and inclusive world.鈥� 鈥� Rhonda Lenton, 91亚色 president and vice-chancellor

鈥�91亚色 is an international leader in interdisciplinary research involving artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies, social justice, and human science like neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. The government鈥檚 substantial investment will unite 91亚色鈥檚 incredible strengths with Queen鈥檚 health specialties to chart new territory in socially responsible, community-engaged research for a rapidly changing digital world.鈥� 鈥� Amir Asif, 91亚色 vice-president, Research and Innovation

鈥淭he current technological revolution will have transformative positive impacts, and likely unintended negative impacts, on humanity for generations to come. To predict these impacts and steer toward positive outcomes, one requires transdisciplinary expertise, multisector community engagement, and research and training at levels that can only occur in a large-scale program. We thank CFREF for providing Connected Minds with the resources to lead Canada and the world in this timely and critical enterprise.鈥� 鈥� Doug Crawford, 91亚色 Distinguished Research Professor in Neuroscience and inaugural Scientific Director of Connected Minds 

鈥淣ew technologies are developing exponentially and systems like the law are simply not keeping up. 91亚色鈥檚 motto, tentanda via, the way must be tried, guides us, in everything we will do.  We believe our inclusive, interdisciplinary approach that aligns with the UN sustainable development goals makes 91亚色 the perfect place for anticipating the way humans and machines will, and should, connect in an equitable society.  This way must be tried.鈥� 鈥� Pina D鈥橝gostino, director and founder of 91亚色鈥檚 IP Innovation Clinic at Osgoode Hall Law School and Vice Director of Connected Minds. 

鈥淐onnected Minds is informed by Indigenous perspectives and priorities to achieve outcomes that are culturally relevant and responsive to Indigenous ways of being and doing that impact how we think about and engage in life, health, and education. Our work will seek to address the unexpected consequences of technological innovation, like the growing digital divide for Indigenous communities to access remote health care, and issues of data sovereignty, ownership and digital colonialism.鈥� 鈥� Sean Hillier, director of 91亚色鈥檚 Centre for Indigenous Knowledges & Languages and Associate Director of Connected Minds

鈥淭he Connected Minds project builds on a history of partnership and collaboration between Queen鈥檚 and 91亚色. Each institution brings unique but complementary research strengths to bear on the important challenges and opportunities that come with disruptive technologies and their impact on Canadian and global citizens.鈥濃�� Nancy Ross, vice principal research at Queen鈥檚 University

鈥淚 look forward to working with Indigenous, community and industrial partners to develop more equitable and socially responsible research outputs for the benefit of all. I am also excited about the many educational and outreach opportunities that Connected Minds will produce 鈥� from school programs to graduate training and professional skills development. We want to democratize education and access to knowledge, with the aim of spreading a new culture of innovation for a more equitable, inclusive, and healthy society.鈥� 鈥� Gunnar Blohm, Professor in Computational Neuroscience and Vice Director of Connected Minds

-30-

For more information:

91亚色 U media contact:

Emina Gamulin

egamulin@yorku.ca

437-217-6362

Queen鈥檚 media contact:

Julie Brown

brown.julie@queensu.ca

343-363-2763

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TORONTO, March 22, 2023 - 91亚色 will launch an autonomous Indigenous Research Ethics Board (IREB) in July, believed to be a first for non-Indigenous post-secondary institutions in Canada, to further work in Indigenizing research and to ensure Indigenous Peoples have a greater say in proposed research projects. 

鈥淭here needs to be Indigenous voices and Indigenous Peoples who have a say and control over all aspects of the approval process and not just a consultative piece to it,鈥� says Faculty of Health Associate Professor , a Mi鈥檏maw scholar, co-chair of the Indigenous Council at 91亚色 and who led the team that established the IREB. 鈥淲hat makes this a fully autonomous Indigenous Research Ethics Board is that we don鈥檛 report to anybody except the University鈥檚 Senate." 

Although 91亚色鈥檚 Human Participants Review Committee (HPRC) helps ensure the safety and health of Indigenous research participants, there was a greater need for Indigenous-specific knowledges and leadership to ensure appropriate sensitivity to cultural and community rights, as well as roles and responsibilities across any research projects, says Hillier.  

The IREB is autonomous from the existing ethics committee. 鈥淲hat makes the IREB different is we鈥檙e not meant to be somewhere where you just fill in an ethics application, send it in and it gets approved or denied,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his is meant to be a process that engages scholars from the moment that they start thinking of research, speaking to them about the ethics and the implications of the work.鈥� 

The IREB will be made up of a council that will include five University faculty members, one undergraduate and graduate students 鈥� all representative of a diversity of First Nations, Inuit and M茅tis Peoples and gender identities. It will also include three external elders and/or knowledge keepers, as well as three non-University affiliated Indigenous community representatives. 

鈥淓stablishing a fully autonomous IREB reflects the kind of relationship Indigenous communities want with universities,鈥� says Faculty of Education Professor Susan Dion, 91亚色鈥檚 associate vice-president, Indigenous initiatives. 鈥淩ecognizing the rights of Indigenous communities to steward knowledge production, it places the responsibility for ethical knowledge creation in the minds and hearts of Indigenous communities, which is where it must be. It is a significant move in returning to Indigenous people agency, authority, and sovereignty in knowledge production on this land.鈥澛�

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While new technologies offer obvious benefits to humanity, concerns over who gets left behind as our world transforms need to be addressed, researchers warn

TORONTO, January 4, 2023 鈥� From basic internet to high-end neurotechnology and everything in between, reliable access to technology is out of reach for millions of Canadians and billions across the globe, and for some equity-seeking communities this will pose new challenges, say 91亚色 researchers, who have joined forces to tackle this pressing issue.

鈥淭echnology now influences the way we communicate with each other, and in many cases, we鈥檙e now interacting with artificial agents,鈥� says Distinguished Research in the Faculty of Health.

Crawford is the director of 91亚色鈥檚 project that blends human science, computer science, humanities and arts for transdisciplinary research and applications.

As a neuroscientist, he sees how neurotechnology is implemented in medical diagnostics and rehabilitation, and as a means for direct communication between the brain and prosthetics to replace lost functions like vision and movement. He also sees how various apps and online platforms can both connect and divide us.

鈥淭hese advances have many benefits for society, health, and the economy, however, they come with serious concerns,鈥� points out Crawford, who has partnered other 91亚色 researchers in the fields of neuroscience, technology, law, arts and social science to come up with solutions.

鈥淔or example, social media, while connecting people, is also driving them apart into bubble like 'echo chambers'. And now, with the advent of brain-machine interfaces, we face new ethical concerns that were the stuff of science fiction until only a few years ago.鈥�

Faculty of Health , Mi'kmaw scholar from the Qalipu First Nation and a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, shares the same view based on his research and personal experiences.

鈥淎 lack of access to internet for Indigenous Peoples in Canada exacerbates long-standing inequities in areas such as health, employment and education,鈥� says Hillier, 91亚色 Research Chair in Indigenous Health Policy & One Health. He highlights the fact that while the threats posed by technology are of concern to everyone, the most impacted are low-income and rural communities. 鈥淗ighspeed and reliable internet connection are not accessible to many Indigenous community members, both in rural and urban settings.鈥�

A lack of reliable internet creates many barriers, including the inability to work from home as employees, conduct transactions within and outside of their communities as business owners, successfully complete post-secondary education, and access health-care services, whether primary care or mental health supports, particularly for those in remote locations, according to Hillier.

鈥淗ow can you be examined or share your health concerns or receive counselling when you live in a household with no privacy and your internet connectivity is unstable? You will be forced into public spaces to do these calls.鈥�

Hillier also points out there are concerns about how Indigenous sovereignty and data are presented that need to be answered. 鈥淲hile information flows more reliably online, what does it mean for Indigenous Peoples' traditional knowledges, how are these knowledges shared and who gets access to them and subsequently use it? How do we effectively implement principals of data ownership and control when communities do not have the recourses or expertise to oversee this?鈥�

When it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI), there is a lack of ethical designing, says Hillier. 鈥淎I designs are created with a western bias, so they are limited in their imagination, frameworks, and effective use of language with diverse Indigenous knowledge systems and our Peoples."

Theatre & Performance Studies , whose research focus is on digital justice for diverse groups, believes the need of the hour is to collectively conduct research to determine how social injustices are embedded in digital technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), and find impactful solutions.

鈥淩esearching barriers to access for those in historically marginalized groups around the world 鈥� from the cost of using certain equipment, to having to don normative avatars, to experiencing surveillance on various platforms 鈥� will ensure that virtual communities can assemble, self-organize, and connect, allowing them to imagine alternative past, presents, and futures,鈥� she says.

鈥淗ow these technologies 鈥� which enable new kinds of interactivity and storytelling 鈥� shape collective thinking, affective experiences, and community care, will be another aspect to explore to better understand social issues produced by interactions between humans and computers. This is especially important in the context of art and educational projects that use immersive features of VR to teach empathy,鈥� says Levin, who is the associate dean of research at the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design at 91亚色.

Levin adds that it is crucial to consider the ethical and political implications of using immersive technologies to give spectators an experience of someone culturally different from themselves (for example, experiencing a migrant鈥檚 or a homeless person鈥檚 perspective), as this can often reinforce Eurocentric, colonial, and capitalist ideologies.

Another challenge such marginalized communities face as technology evolves, shifting toward integration of AI, is access to the legal justice system.

鈥淲ith the onslaught of emerging technologies, the law is ever playing catch up and many in society get left behind,鈥� says Intellectual Property Law , who has been researching IP innovation for more than a decade. To tackle this issue, 鈥渋nformation and services should remain available and accessible to those who need it most to empower them from the ground up, through education and access to information and resources that should be public knowledge.鈥�

Removing monopolies on public knowledge will help foster more innovation and entrepreneurship at the grassroots level, allowing local economies to prosper and growing made-in-Canada companies to better manage and leverage their resources, says D鈥橝gostino. 鈥淎t the same time, special care should be taken to ensure that remote communities and those without stable or consistent internet access are still able to access these resources. This can work through strategic and carefully cultivated partnerships which build trust between knowledge-holders and community members.鈥�

For her part, in 2010 D鈥橝gostino founded the at 91亚色鈥檚 Osgoode Hall Law School, which helps under-resourced entrepreneurs and start-up companies to commercialize their intellectual property. 鈥淢y current IP Innovation Clinic research is targeting barriers disproportionately affecting women and Indigenous communities, two of the most underrepresented among patent holders in Canada,鈥� she says.

鈥淭hrough our new AI-powered chatbot at the Clinic, we are trying to engage with organizations supporting these communities to identify barriers, research answers to their most pressing questions, and refine this AI tool to better respond to these concerns,鈥� says D鈥橝gostino. 鈥淏ottomline, AI will disrupt all aspects of society, so learning how to embrace and interact with it is the best way to keep up with this shift.鈥�

The common element of all these examples is that new technologies, while providing advances in some areas, also create barriers of threats for some communities, the researchers say, emphasizing that a more proactive approach to understanding the potential consequences of novel technological perturbations.

Having this collective goal of narrowing the digital divide that is intensified by the shift in the interaction between human science and machine science, these researchers and others from research centres at the University have come together to plan programs with real-world impact, while making a positive change in the global arena.

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Park will also help build community awareness of reconciliation and Indigenous knowledge

TORONTO, Sept. 22, 2022 鈥� Climate change has emerged as the world鈥檚 most critical environmental issue, as well as one of the most pressing social, economic and health challenges of our time. While it is a global issue, its impacts are felt most acutely at a local level.  

The Town of Penetanguishene partners with Professor  of 91亚色's , to develop a Climate Change Solutions Park (CSP) in the Penetanguishene Ecology Garden at 144 Fox Street. 

This development will create an inspirational location for experiential learning, networking and innovation opportunities for local and visiting students, such as training in precision agriculture and local sustainable development strategies. It will also allow for the development of cutting-edge research and practical applications toward solving climate change.

The project focuses on addressing鈥痗limate change by creating an ecosystem of innovation by involving not only students, but local and Indigenous partners, community leaders and creators. It will provide new practical opportunities for those interested in designing and implementing paradigm-shifting climate change solutions, locally and internationally. The Penetanguishene Ecology Garden was chosen by Etcheverry as an ideal location to commence his nationwide project.

鈥淲e will aim to educate and provide awareness for the public and the community on reconciliation. There is much knowledge left to learn from the Indigenous communities in our country and we are here to support, nourish, and disseminate that knowledge theoretically and experientially,鈥� says Etcheverry, director 鈥� Climate Solutions Park. 鈥淲e will also be working with Land of the Dancing Deer to assist them in the planning, development and execution of the Healing Village and their permaculture gardens through student involvement.鈥�

The Climate Solutions Park is also working with the Rural Urban Learning Association, a registered Canadian charitable organization with a diverse membership, to ensure trust, genuine relationship building, and community engagement remain central to their mandates with the Indigenous communities where the projects are located. 

鈥淭he ecology garden represents a wonderful foundation that the Climate Solutions Park will continue to foster, nurture and evolve over time. We will remain connected with our roots in Penetanguishene 鈥� while reaching towards a greater collective vision for climate change solutions locally and globally,鈥濃�痵ays Codrina Ibanescu, president 鈥� Rural Urban Learning Association. 

There is also a bursary available for some students to participate 91亚色鈥檚 4REAL (4th Renewable Energy & Agricultural Learning) project, which is linked to one of 91亚色鈥檚 renewable energy courses and focuses on local climate change solutions with an emphasis on the United Nationals Sustainable Development Goals. The bursary aims to help domestic students gain experiential opportunities at several farm and green industry sites, including the Climate Solutions Park in Penetanguishene. 

Please visit  to learn more about the bursary.

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91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contacts:

Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-272-6317, sandramc@yorku.ca

Sarah Marshall, Communications and Technology Coordinator, Town of Penetanguishene, smarshall@penetanguishene.ca, 705-549-7453

The post 91亚色 professor partners with Town of Penetanguishene to develop a Climate Change Solutions Park appeared first on News@91亚色.