Braiding Sweetgrass: Understanding Indigenous Resilience and Making Space for Indigenous Ways of Thinking

In this interactive presentation, participants will have the opportunity to discuss and learn of ways to incorporate and create space for Indigenous ways of thinking into their work. Indigenous Resilience will be highlighted through examples pertaining to the presenter’s community, and how his Indigenous identity guides his work with Indigenous learners.

Alex Allard-Gray is a member of the Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation located in the Gaspé region of Quebec. From a young age, Alex came to understand the importance of higher education in the Indigenous community and was always encouraged to be an ambitious learner. Alex’s initial exposure to post-secondary education began with his participation in the 2006 Eagle Spirit High Performance Camp hosted at McGill University. This would have a lasting effect on him, as he chose to complete his B.Sc. in Physiology and Kinesiology at McGill. Alex remained involved with the Eagle Spirit Camp throughout his undergraduate studies, while participating in other Indigenous-led initiatives. This would include acting as President of the McGill Chapter of the Canadian Indigenous Science and Engineering Society.