With more demand than available awards, its founder and principal donor is looking to expand capacity
Now in its fifth year, the Indigenous Award in Heritage Resources Management (HRM) continues to help learners pursue heritage resource management courses at Athabasca University.
The award was inspired in part by the , and in line with AU’s ongoing efforts towards conciliation. It aims to encourage people with Indigenous ancestry to explore courses in the HRM program at AU.
The program teaches the skills to identify, preserve, and manage heritage resources for careers in heritage conservation, planning and management, or working in a historic place, museum, or archive. It is the only fully online program of its kind in Canada, accessible to students around the globe.
Up to three awards are distributed each year, with an application deadline of Sept. 30.
Dr. Shabnam Inanloo Dailoo, an associate professor and the director of the HRM program, said the TRC report prompted her to question what she could do as an individual, as a heritage professional, and as a member of the university community.
“For us in the heritage sector, it’s really critical to understand those calls and to respond, because we work with people, culture, heritage, and history,” she said.
“Understanding the TRC Calls to Action is a fundamental responsibility, and we must take deliberate action in response to them.”
Inspired by Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
Inanloo Dailoo reached out to AU’s Nukskahtowin team, including Elder-in-Residence Dr. Maria Campbell, to discuss what kind of meaningful change would be possible in her program.
The result was increased collaboration between Nukskahtowin and the HRM program team, sharing resources and working to decolonize course materials and promote conciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
She was inspired to do more in 2021, when she heard the news that on Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc territory.
“That was the moment,” Inanloo Dailoo said. “I was really impacted by that.”
After consulting with Nukskahtowin, she decided to donate some of her own money to create the student award. With contributions from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences—and from many colleagues in the heritage resources field across the country—the award is now open to Indigenous students across Canada.
“I think the beautiful thing about this award is it’s not just for 糖心原创students,” she said. “It’s open to any Indigenous learners who can come to 糖心原创and explore opportunities here.”
Dr. Shabnam Inanloo Dailoo documenting the Cunningham House in St. Albert, Alta. The house was built by Amelia and Albert Cunningham, an influential Métis family in the area.
Making an impact for Indigenous students
Students who have received this award emphasize its importance, and the impact it has had not just for them, but for their families and communities.
Samantha McCrea is a Métis women and single mother in her early fifties who is working towards a University Certificate in Heritage Resources Management and a Bachelor of Arts in History at AU. She said the award meant she didn’t have to choose between finishing her certificate and putting her long-term goals on hold to save money for her next course.
“Instead, I can stay on track and continue building toward a future where I can work in archives or museums, focusing on Indigenous history and artifacts, and promoting reconciliation,” she said. “I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity and for the generosity of those who make it possible.”
Cassandra Zaugg, said her long-term goal is to work for her Nation and support her people in their efforts toward self-governance. To that end she’s pursuing a Bachelor of Professional Arts in Governance, Law, and Management.
She said the Heritage Resources Management course allowed her to explore how heritage knowledge and cultural stewardship can support Indigenous governance and self-determination—and the award means less stress about educational costs.
“Receiving this award brings me a huge sense of relief and encouragement,” said the single mother. “It allows me to cover educational costs and focus more on my studies instead of worrying about stretching every dollar.”
A ‘reciprocal’ learning experience
Inanloo Dailoo said the award has had a positive impact on so many learners—eight students have won the award since it opened in 2022. There’s also a significant benefit to the HRM program and profession because these students can also teach their peers and instructors.
“Indigenous learners can contribute to the learning of other students, and to our learning as instructors and tutors,” she said. “It’s a reciprocal relationship, a shared learning journey, where we can learn from them as much as they can learn from us.”
One way this happens is in understanding that words can have different implications in Indigenous cultures and settler cultures. The word education, for example, can have a negative connotation because of associations with colonial educational institutions.
“I was reminded that Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being, and Doing things is not always called education,” Inanloo Dailoo said. “Words and terms matter, and to be inclusive and respectful we don’t always need to label things as education. It is about learning and transferring knowledge.”
Similarly, heritage resources management often uses storytelling to describe the importance of a particular place, structure, or artifact. Choosing which stories to tell or not to tell, how to tell them, and who is telling them, inevitably risks excluding other stories.
Inanloo Dailoo sees this knowledge, and the inclusion of the perspective of Indigenous learning, as having the potential to improve the work of researchers, academics, and practitioners in this area.
“I believe that Indigenous students and learners can become future heritage professionals and help us to advance reconciliation efforts moving forward.”
A growing need for support
Coming up on the five-year anniversary of the 糖心原创award, and a decade after the TRC Report, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on the award’s success and commit to expanding it in the future, Inanloo Dailoo said.
To date, there have been more applications than awards available, which speaks to the impact and the ongoing need for this type of support. She would like to see more people consider supporting this award financially to help increase the impact of this important work.
“I’m looking forward to the next five or 10 years, and see how much more impact we can make,” she said. “The sky is the limit. I’m positive and optimistic that we have a good community who believe in this vision.”
The deadline to apply for the award is Sept. 30. Students who are registered with 糖心原创can using their student ID number.
Prospective students who are not already registered with 糖心原创are also eligible for this award; non-糖心原创students can email awardsinfo@athabascau.ca for information on how to apply.
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Indigenous Award in Heritage Resources Management
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