As another summer of research comes to a close, UWinnipeg's Indigenous Summer Scholars Program (ISSP) is celebrating 10 years of inspiring up-and-coming Indigenous researchers to explore the academic and career possibilities of graduate studies.
On July 29, the Program's 10th cohort gathered for a research colloquium and closing ceremony. Each scholar delivered a presentation on their summer research project, which they completed alongside faculty mentors. The scholars then fielded questions family, friends, fellow students, and faculty members.
I used to not know if I belonged in these spaces, and now I know I do.
Juscenta (Jessie) Haligowski
This year's colloquium also marked 10 years of the program. A total of 116 scholars have completed ISSP since its launch in 2017.
ISSP is a 12-week paid summer research program that engages Indigenous students in their third or fourth year of undergraduate study in mentored research projects while they explore graduate studies. It is one of two Indigenous Pathway Programs offered at UWinnipeg.
ISSP scholars have gone on to pursue medical school, enrol in graduate studies across Canada and internationally, and enter careers in a wide range of fields. More importantly, they have become sources of encouragement, confidence, and support for emerging Indigenous scholars and their communities.
Mekala Wickramasinghe, Recruitment, Pathway Programs and Training Lead for the Faculty of Graduate Studies, said several factors have contributed to ISSP's longevity.
"Its success is rooted in our scholars' dedication to academic excellence, in the mentorship provided by our faculty research leads, and in the guidance provided by the Indigenous faculty and staff on our steering committee," Wickramasinghe said. "While I am deeply honored to coordinate this program today, I can only imagine the immense pride it brings to the visionary founders who started it a decade ago."
To celebrate the program's 10th anniversary, Wickramasinghe is surveying ISSP alumni to gather their success stories, to be shared on social media this fall. As ISSP enters its second decade, the program is also seeking external funding partners to support emerging Indigenous talent.
Creating an online dictionary
Juscenta (Jessie) Haligowski is a 2026 ISSP scholar who presented at the July 29 colloquium. Jessie recently completed a four-year BA (Honours) in Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications, and a three-year BA in East Asian Languages & Cultures. She is entering the MA in Cultural Studies program this fall in preparation for doctoral studies.
Jessie Haligowski worked on the Ishkodens Dictionary Project.
Jessie's ISSP project involved working with Prof. Aandeg Muldrewon on the Ishkodens Dictionary Project, a new online dictionary for Manitoba and northwestern Ontario dialects of Anishinaabemowin. Prof. Ningewance, who is overseeing the dictionary's creation, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Coordinator of the Anishinaabemowin Language Immersion Program .
Jessie spent the summer compiling a library of Anishinaabemowin texts, videos, and sources that could inspire new dictionary entries. She scoured everything from file repositories and paper scraps to oral histories and social media platforms, looking for how Anishinaabemowin is spoken and written past and present.
"I also created standardized first-language speaker biographies to ensure their legacy is carried forward to future generations," Jessie said. "This summer truly taught me so much about the challenges and important considerations that go into making a dictionary, about my own cultural values, and the type of work I want to continue being a part of."
"I'm so grateful that ISSP has given me the push into this environment that I really needed. Being mixed, I used to not know if I belonged in these spaces, and now I know I do."
For more information on the Indigenous Summer Scholars Program, visit its website.
