At the heart of this year's celebration is the acknowledgement of a deep, multi-faceted partnership between Nokiiwin Tribal Council and York University's Glendon College, shaped over four years of co-creation. This relationship extends beyond formal education, encompassing digital innovation, language resurgence and community-led healing.
In a practice rarely seen between academic institutions and Indigenous Nations, Nokiiwin Tribal Council and York University's Glendon College will participate in a ceremonial exchange, one that is expected to carry lasting historic significance.
"This partnership reflects what's possible when Indigenous governance leads," says Audrey Gilbeau, executive director of Nokiiwin Tribal Council, who will speak at the ceremony. While the specifics will be revealed during the event, the exchange signals a shared commitment to the kind of cross-institutional alliance that is as uncommon as it is impactful.
"This collaboration with the Nokiiwin Tribal Council is helping us broaden our understanding of education," says Marco Fiola, principal at Glendon. "It extends beyond curriculum encouraging us to listen thoughtfully, support local leadership, and recognize Indigenous governance throughout the process. This work is prompting growth both institutionally and personally. We appreciate the opportunity to move forward together and aim to continue building this relationship into the future."
The years-long collaboration began with the co-creation of the Indigenous Cultural Competency and Trauma-Informed Training Certificate, developed and led by York Sociology Professor Maya Chacaby (Anishinaabe, Beaver Clan from Thunder Bay) with Nokiiwin. The exchange, grounded in Anishinaabe diplomatic tradition, will mark a turning point in this relationship, affirming trust, friendship, and mutual respect.
"This isn't a photo-op. It's the kind of moment that echoes forward rooted in sacred protocols, built over years, and meant to hold through generations," says Chacaby, a research associate with York's Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages. "The strength of this partnership lies in how it feels: respectful, reciprocal, and rooted in something bigger than any one project. We've built this together not just for now, but for all the stories and teachings that still need to find their way home."
Launched as a community-driven initiative, the certificate course has scaled rapidly to become one of York University's largest Indigenous education offerings. Over 700 participants have enrolled in just three years, more than 300 of whom identify as Indigenous.
It is not an understatement to say this course was life-changing. The content is relevant to everyone, whether Indigenous or non-Indigenous, whether you work in the community, private sector, or government. There is so much richness and learning in it for everyone to be a better human and to make the world a kinder place.
Course participant
Delivered online and grounded in trauma-informed, culture-based pedagogy, the course has been accessed by professionals across Ontario, including those in education, health care, social services, law enforcement and government. Its success signals a transformative shift in how universities engage with Indigenous knowledge, not as content to be delivered but as relationships to be upheld.
"This course should be central to any organization that truly wants to embrace understanding of the culture of Canada within its employees, and for any individual that wants to be part of the future of our country."
Nigel, course participant and senior conflict management and values & ethics consultant, Correctional Service Canada
To support the program's expansion, Nokiiwin developed a Spirit Builder apprenticeship model to train community-based facilitators who now deliver the course. Building on this foundation, the Tribal Council has launched both a junior Spirit Builder program for youth and a year-long traditional apprenticeship stream, supported by York, to prepare the next generation of Indigenous educators and facilitators. These initiatives ensure intergenerational continuity and scalable delivery rooted in Indigenous governance.
"Nokiiwin shaped the direction, the delivery, and the spirit of these programs. That's what true collaboration looks like," says Gilbeau.
Director, Professional Development Centre, Glendon College Katie Ablett will also be providing remarks at the ceremony, along with Fiola, Chacaby and others.
Indigenous metaverse project
In addition to the certificate course, the partnership supports the development of Biskaabiiyaang, an Indigenous-led metaverse project. Co-investigators Chacaby and Rebecca Caines, an assistant professor in theatre and creative technologies at York's School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, created the immersive virtual game in collaboration with Nokiiwin, York's interdisciplinary research program Connected Minds, and UniVirtual.
Biskaabiiyaang is part of a $1 million-plus federally funded initiative aligned with the UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032). The virtual world delivers Indigenous knowledge, histories, philosophies, sciences, and Anishinaabemowin in a format that honours sovereignty and kinship-based learning.
"Biskaabiiyaang is a radical reimagining of how Indigenous languages and knowledge systems can live and evolve in digital space," says Caines, who will be speaking at the ceremony. "This work could only happen through authentic partnership, where living archives replace uncontested racist representations of culture, and innovation is grounded in ceremony."
Anishinaabemowin tabletop game
Rooted in Indigenous language education, the partnership also gave rise to the Anishinaabemowin tabletop campaign, a Dungeons & Dragons-style language immersion game piloted in Glendon's courses and now offered through Nokiiwin. The card-based role-playing game transforms grammar learning into narrative play, making language resurgence both accessible and imaginative. As a bilingual campus, Glendon has supported this project by developing a precedent-setting policy that allows Indigenous students to fulfill bilingual requirements by studying their own languages.
Nokiiwin Tribal Council serves five First Nation communities: Animbiigoo Zaagi'igan Anishinaabek, Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek, Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek, Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg and Fort William First Nation. The Council supports holistic community development through governance, legal support and cultural resurgence.
Glendon College, part of York University, is the only fully integrated bilingual faculty of its kind in Canada and one of the only university campuses specializing in liberal arts education. Students take courses in English, French, or both and, increasingly, Indigenous languages.
