Indigenization and the way forward: SFU experts on National Indigenous Peoples Day

June 21 marks the 25th anniversary of National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada, a day that raises awareness of Indigenous heritage and culture across the country. Simon Fraser University Beedie School of Business assistant professor Dara Kelly and Indigenous programs director Alexia McKinnon can be available to comment on the role of Indigenization and the way forward.

Kelly, an assistant professor of Indigenous Business at the Beedie School of Business, is from the Leq'á:mel First Nation, part of the Stó:lō Coast Salish.

McKinnon was appointed in April 2021 to lead Indigenous programs at the Beedie School of Business. She is an SFU alumnus of the Executive MBA in Indigenous Leadership program and a citizen of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nation.

Kelly can speak on topics that include:
• The effectiveness of initiatives around National Indigenous Peoples Day in driving change.
•  Exploring the scale and depth of damage done by settler ideology in business; for example, the impacts of the extraction industry on Indigenous communities.
•  Imagining a future world where the economy is built on an Indigenous worldview and ‘love-led leadership,’ where love with regards to kinship and ancestral knowledge underpins business decisions.
 
McKinnon can speak on topics that include:
• What business schools and universities need to do to effectively decolonize and Indigenize.
• What does it look like to Indigenize a school curriculum and what are the concrete actions needed to make progress.

AVAILABLE SFU EXPERTS

DARA KELLY, assistant professor, Beedie School of Business | dara_kelly@sfu.ca

ALEXIA MCKINNON, director, Indigenous programs, Beedie School of Business | alexia_mckinnon@sfu.ca 

*Please note that Kelly and McKinnon are not available on June 21

CONTACT

MATT KIELTYKA,  SFU Communications & Marketing 
236.880.2187 | matt_kieltyka@sfu.ca

Simon Fraser University
Communications & Marketing |  SFU Media Experts Directory
778.782.3210

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