A group of high school students visited W.A. Ranches, the University of Calgary's working cattle ranch, for a day of experiential learning in July.
The day was made possible by IndigeSTEAM, an Indigenous-led non-profit that connects youth with mentors in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, combining Western science with Indigenous ways of knowing to create pathways into diverse fields of study.
Sheila Norris, executive director for IndigeSTEAM, opened the day with ceremony and smudge. The morning set a tone of welcome and grounding, with introductions from faculty, staff, and Knowledge Keepers alongside a safety orientation for time on the land.
"Out at W.A. Ranches, I witnessed Indigenous youth step into the world of veterinary medicine with their mentors, hands-on, curious, and full of possibility," Norris says. "Each experience and connection was more than a lesson; it was a bridge between knowledge, culture, and the future they are shaping."
Learning in the field and in the classroom
The day was filled with both time outside in the cattle pasture learning how the ranch operates as well as class time where students were able to use the same simulators Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) students use.
UCVM veterinarian and governor of UCalgary's One Health initiative, Dr. Karin Orsel, DVM, PhD, conducted the tour of the pasture.
"Programs like this are about belonging," says Orsel. "By combining Indigenous knowledge and science, youth can see themselves reflected in veterinary medicine and imagine new possibilities for their future."
The simulators allowed for hands-on experience with veterinarian tools and techniques. This gave the students the opportunity to explore cattle anatomy, identify parasites affecting herds, practise bandaging a horse's leg, stitch a wound, and even feel for a calf's position inside the womb.
Event intersects Indigenous knowledge and science
The students were also taken on a walk across W.A. Ranches land to learn about the plants around them. Dr. Brielle Rosa, DVM, PhD, who has a research project with Elder Brenda Holder about Indigenous knowledge of plants, explained how plants have long been used in human medicine and how animals often self-medicate using the natural resources in their environment. This land-based session showed how Indigenous knowledge and veterinary science intersect through a deep respect for the natural world.
Students were also treated to a special talk by Dr. Savannah Howse-Smith, DVM, a Métis veterinarian who spoke to the youth about her path into veterinary medicine, and shared her stories of working in First Nation communities.
Howse-Smith emphasized the diverse opportunities within the profession, discussed the challenges Indigenous people often face in academic settings, and highlighted the importance of giving back to the community.
The day closed in a circle with Knowledge Keeper Crystal Manyfingers, BGS'01, BEd'03, MEd'08, who shared teachings about animals and the Seven Sacred Teachings, a set of guiding principles for living in harmony with oneself, others, and nature. This final session wove together spiritual, cultural, and veterinary perspectives, reminding participants of the vital connections between people, animals, and the land.
For more information on IndigeSTEAM you can visit the website.
