Requests and Guidelines
The Office of Indigenous Initiatives is dedicated to supporting Indigenous students, faculty, staff, and community members at McGill. We recognize the importance of Indigenous representation and inclusion in academic spaces and are committed to fostering an environment that respects and uplifts Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
Our efforts focus on advancing Indigenous autonomy and participation by collaborating with the university to create meaningful and sustainable change. We’ve created this request page to make it easier for our community to share needs and ideas while ensuring Indigenous practices are respected and supported. Our goal is to create a space where Indigenous voices are heard, traditions are upheld, and meaningful change can happen.
Advancing Indigenous Knowledge and Education Initiative
The Advancing Indigenous Knowledge and Education Initiative (AIKEI) centres Indigenous education and engagement from the McGill community by offering funding to Faculty, staff, and students to invite Indigenous visitors, guests, hold events and to support travel to attend and participate in conferences. The fund is separated into two streams: Stream A – Visitor and Event, Stream B- Travel.
For more information, visit here.
Elder Requests
This initiatives aims to provide the McGill community with opportunity to engage and connect with Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Holders.
As part of McGill 52 Calls to Action, Call #19: Acknowledgement of Traditional Territory and Call #39: Indigenous Curriculum Content, Calls on the University to “introduce Indigenous content and engage with Indigenous pedagogies, epistemologies, values and worldviews in their academic curriculum and programs.” and work in meaningful ways to acknolwedge the traditional territory.
As part of this mission, The Office of Indigenous Initiatives is creating opportunities for people at McGill to request the presence of Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Holders. Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Holders are very important people in many Indigenous communities, often sharing stories, bringing wisdom and looked up to as role models.
Honorarium
Below is our honorarium giude for inviting Elders and Knowledge Holders. It's really important to plan ahead for your event and ensure you have adaquate funding available to accommodate your guest.
| Request | Honorarium |
|---|---|
|
Event Opening/Closing |
$1000 |
| Speaker/Panelist/Keynote | $2500 |
*Honorariums do not include travel fees, accommodations or parking for the guest.
Requesting an Elder/Knowledge Holder
If you are planning an event and would like to invite an Indigenous Elder or Knowledge Keeper to provide an opening or closing, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives now accepts requests through our website.
Please complete the Microsoft Form at least three weeks prior to your event. This timeline ensures we have sufficient time to contact an Elder, confirm availability, arrange honorarium payments, and prepare for the event.
Smudging Guidelines
McGill University’s Call to Action #27 calls on our University to provide suitable cultural spaces for Indigenous students, staff, and faculty and this includes spaces to smudge and carry out other cultural activities. As part of this commitment, we have been working on guidelines to support and strengthen smudging practices on campus, ensuring that Indigenous traditions are honoured and upheld.
Smudging is a common practice for many Indigenous peoples, and involves burning sacred medicines such as ceremonial tobacco, cedar, sage, or sweetgrass in a shell or cast-iron vessel for the purpose of purification and embodying a positive mindset. The smoke emitted from a smudge ceremony is considered safe and it is indeed a powerful and culturally-relevant practice that is integral to Indigenous teaching and learning.
In collaboration with McGill’s Fire Prevention Office (FPO) these guidelines were made to actively and thoughtfully integrate smudging ceremonies into our campus, while respecting the autonomy of Indigenous members in conducting smudging. Given that the ceremony involves flames and smoke, the following guidelines must be followed in order to promote a safe and respectful environment for all.
Recommended steps to follow:
- Follow the appropriate steps for reserving your preferred space on campus using this site.
- Familiarize with the provided
McGill Smudging Guideline 2025 - Fill out the Smudging Request Form (FR)/Smudging Request Form (EN) on the Phoenix Platform.
Instructors may also want to plan in advance as part of course development and submit the requests at the beginning of the term. This would allow for their course calendar to reflect the integrated ceremonies.
Check out these video on protocols and significance of smudging.
