University of Lethbridge - Iikaisskini Indigenous Services

10/15/2026

All graduating Indigenous students in attendance at are gifted with a ULethbridge convocation stole to celebrate their achievements! It is custom in many Indigenous communities to honour grads with a special remembrance of their accomplishments.

Our Indigenous stoles are royal blue with white embroidery and featuring four important symbols alongside the ULethbridge shield.

The Buffalo acknowledges Blackfoot Territory and the importance of this animal to the Blackfoot people and to the Great Plains.

The Eagle Feather represents our First Nations graduates.

The Infinity Sign represents our Metis graduates.

The Kuliq represents our Inuit graduates.

Our Indigenous stoles were introduced in 2018 and designed by Charlene Bruised Head-Mountain Horse, Jacinda Weiss & Roy Pogorzelski.

See you at the Iikaisskini Convocation Celebration on Oct. 17 in the Markin Hall Atrium after the ceremony!

10/14/2026

On Thursday Oct. 15, there will be a Blood Tribe Alberta Referendum Information Session in the Iikaisskini Gathering Centre (W650) at the University of Lethbridge.

Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026
Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: W650, Iikaisskini Gathering Centre, ULethbridge

Please note that there will be representatives from the Blood Tribe Tribal Government providing a short presentation on information about the upcoming referendum to students. Refreshments will be provided.

10/08/2026

Join A'tsimaani Blackfoot Language program and learn about the importance of Learning Blackfoot Protocol for ceremonies and spiritual events. An Indigenous Elder will walk you through the process and some of the do's and don'ts of protocol. This event will give you the answers to the questions you have wanted to ask but didn't.

Lunch will be provided. All are welcome.

🗓️ Wednesday October 21, 2026
🕛️ Noon - 1 p.m.
📍 Iikaisskini Gathering Centre (W650)

https://buff.ly/kiwizN0

10/06/2026

On Oct. 7, join A'tsimaani Blackfoot Language and the Department of Indigenous Studies for Welcome Back Blackfoot Bingo (iitaikahtso'pi) to relieve stress and to learn the Blackfoot language number system. All are welcome and lunch will be provided. https://buff.ly/2La45I3

10/05/2026

Our Kaahsinooniks (Grandparents) Elders in Residence has returned for the Fall semester! Check out the Niipístsi otsítainnisi’yihpi (When leaves fall) - October 2026 schedule which begins today.

Elders from the Indigenous community are on campus each week to share knowledge and traditional practices, to offer guidance and support, for storytelling, cultural teaching and spiritual mentoring. Indigenous Elder support is available to any University of Lethbridge student, staff or faculty from any culture.

Dates and locations are subject to change so check the website regularly. No registration necessary, feel free to drop in! To see the full schedule, visit go.uleth.ca/elders

10/02/2026

October 02, 2026 | Sisters in Sprit Faceless Dolls Workshop

Join us for a quiet, reflective hour of creating faceless dolls in honour of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people. Together, we will craft these small figures as an act of remembrance, care, and solidarity—each one carrying our intentions, grief, and hope.
The dolls will be gathered onto a collective blanket, symbolizing the lives impacted by ongoing loss and violence, and the strength of community and brought and donated to the Lethbridge SISV Vigil.
The annual Lethbridge Sisters in Spirit Vigil takes place Sunday October 4. It begins with a gathering outside City Hall at 6:30 p.m. Attendees will then walk to Galt Gardens for a candlelight vigil beginning at 7pm ending at 8pm.

1:00–2:00 PM | all ages | no cost to attend

10/02/2026

Indigenous graduates in the Class of 2026 - in honour of all you have accomplished, please join us for the Iikaisskini Convocation Celebration on Oct. 17 in Markin Hall following the Fall convocation ceremony at ULethbridge!

Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026
12:30 - 2 p.m.
Markin Hall Atrium

Grab a snack, get your photo taken, pick up a gift and celebrate with your family, friends and supporters! https://buff.ly/RxC3u6L

10/01/2026

Meet Elder in Residence Staah’tsi’naims’skaa’ki (Thunder Pipe Woman Under the Sky) Catherine Hunt.

Cathy is an Elder and Knowledge Keeper from the Blood Tribe. In the 50 years that she and her husband Roger have been together, their family has expanded, as they are proud parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Together, they are traditional grandparents for various Blackfoot societies and Thunder Pipe Holders and have been active within their community and in the city of Lethbridge in providing cultural and spiritual support.

Previously, Catherine spent 20 years working for Blood Tribe Social Services as a social worker, which she says helps her in her role as an Elder in Residence.

Learn more at https://buff.ly/g97nToU

10/01/2026

09/29/2026

Students and partners revitalize Roots of Growth campus gardens as part of reconciliation efforts at ULethbridge.

On Sept. 21, ULethbridge faculty, staff, students and community partners came together to harvest to***co plants that were originally planted in the Devonian Gardens and on the University Hall South Patio as part of the Roots of Growth project in a ceremony with Elder Ninna Piiksii (Chief Bird) Dr. Mike Bruised Head ((BASc (BA) '80, BEd '98, PhD '22).

The harvesting of the to***co plants was a full circle moment for the Roots of Growth project which was first established in 2019. The purpose of Roots of Growth is to advance reconciliation on Blackfoot territory through respectful collaborations and to support long-term campus sustainability while connecting people to the land through planting, land-based learning and shared experiences.

Read the full story at https://buff.ly/LxM7PvV