Richard Atleo with his son Shawn Atleo, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, after receiving the equity award at the CAUT Council meeting in Ottawa Nov. 30.
A distinguished First Nations scholar and elder has been recognized for his work in promoting equity in Canada’s post-secondary institutions.
Dr. E. Richard Atleo was honoured with the Equity Award from CAUT during a recent event held in Ottawa. This marked the second time the association handed out its award.
Atleo, also known by his Nuu-chah-nulth name as Umeek, helped to create the First Nations Studies Department at Malaspina University College (now Vancouver Island University) where he taught from 1994 to 2004. He is currently research liaison at the University of Manitoba, associate adjunct professor at the University of Victoria, a board member of the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources in Winnipeg, senior advisor to Ecotrust Canada, champion to the Indigenous Adult and Higher Learning Association of British Columbia, and served from 1993 to 1995 as co-chair of the BC government’s Scientific Panel for Sustainable Forest Practices in Clayoquot Sound.
At Malaspina he founded an integrated first-year course in First Nations Studies, specifically designed to attract both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, and then built on that success to develop a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree program in First Nations Studies.
“Umeek blazed a trail into the environs of academe historically viewed with suspicion by Indigenous communities who now see post-secondary education not as a hostile place, but rather a welcoming space to affirm, question, challenge and celebrate the human experience in all of our diversity,” said one letter nominating Atleo for the award. “His work has made significant contributions to increasing inter-cultural understanding, improving relationship-building, and promoting Indigenous knowledge systems in our society, all helping to challenge not only exclusionary behaviours but also exclusionary ways of thinking.”
Over the last 14 years Atleo has also immersed himself in equity work in CAUT. From 2001 to 2010 he served on the executive’s advisory committee on equity, and since 2007 on the Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education Working Group — a group he played a key role in starting — and, in the words of a nominator, “an initiative that has been a critical part of CAUT’s ongoing efforts to not only advance Aboriginal post-secondary education in Canada, but also acknowledge the important work that Aboriginal educators play in our institutions and the inclusiveness that they embed in our public system.”
Indirectly, and directly, “Dr. Atleo’s work and commitment to making a real difference in our institutions demonstrate all the qualities we look for in a champion of equity,” CAUT president Wayne Peters told the council audience in attendance during the recognition ceremony Nov. 30. “We are pleased to honour him and congratulate him on his achievement and contributions. Dr. Atleo truly reflects what CAUT’s Equity Award is all about.”