VIU’s Social Work Program is steadfast in its commitment to the education of future social workers in anti-colonial practices that recognize and address the profound effects of historical and ongoing colonialism on First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
- As educators and practitioners, we support the growing self-determination of Indigenous-run services and the vital role they play in healing and strengthening communities. In alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), we uphold this as a critical foundation for reconciliation with justice.
- We are committed to integrating Indigenous place-based worldviews and approaches to health and well-being into our curriculum and practice opportunities. This includes developing strong ties with local Indigenous social service and community organizations.
- We are committed to fostering cultural safety in social work practice, particularly when working with Indigenous families and communities. This commitment extends to ensuring students grasp the importance of equitable access to social services for Indigenous peoples, and the ways that they are offered, designed, and evaluated.
- Our program supports actions that focus on addressing and changing issues highlighted in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) Calls to Action, including those related to child welfare, criminal justice, health care and education amongst others.
- As educators, we commit to teaching and practicing in ways that critically address and resist colonial, unjust, and unfair policies.
- We are committed to improving access for Indigenous people in our program, including opportunities for teaching and research.
- We are committed to conducting respectful research with Indigenous communities.
- Moving forward, we will develop initiatives to honor and commemorate the valuable contributions of Indigenous social work educators, researchers, practitioners, and students in alignment with the TRC Calls for Actions for Educators.
We will continue to strive for a future where social workers practice through anti-colonial lenses, upholding and valuing the rights, cultures, and knowledge of Indigenous women, men and Two Spirit/Queer (2SQI) peoples in the pursuit of a just and equitable society.