Our Story

In response to the growing number of Indigenous graduate students at the University of Calgary and the need to create a supportive community that welcomes ways of knowing, being and doing that may not be commonly represented in graduate, SAGE UCalgary was developed.

SAGE began at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2005 through the combined efforts of Dr. Graham Smith, a Maori scholar from New Zealand, and Dr. Jo-ann Archibald, a member of the Stol:lo Nation. SAGE is nominally based on a similar program Smith worked on in New Zealand, Maori and Indigenous Education (MAI), which aimed to develop 500 Maori PhDs. SAGE began at UBC, which shares its SAGE “pod” with SFU. Based on the UBC-SFU model, other SAGE programs (‘pods’ in British Columbia, ‘nests’ in Ontario) began at the University of Toronto, the University of Guelph, Western University, and Queen’s University. The SAGE pods (or chapters) are comprised of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit graduate students of all disciplines who meet frequently during the academic year through informal and formal gatherings. These  are intended to be safe spaces where Indigenous students can meet, gather, and learn from each other – essentially a mutual peer support network to help each other navigate their paths through grad school.

A similar process to develop and grow a SAGE chapter at the University of Calgary was initiated by Indigenous PhD candidate Vicki Bouvier. Four components were identified in order for the development of SAGE UCalgary to be successful, which included financial commitment, Indigenous faculty involvement, graduate student coordinator, and student interest. All four components were either identified as a need at the University of Calgary or an ask that could be supported. The initial application for funding through the Graduate Student Association’s Quality Money program provided SAGE UCalgary with the capacity to support the hiring of numerous research assistants and program coordinators who are all Indigenous graduate students at the University of Calgary. This financial support was imperative to the initial planning phases of SAGE UCalgary and ensured that we had the capacity to seek guidance from our teachers - our Elders, to ensure that this network of support would be grown in a good way. Presently, SAGE UCalgary is honoured to work closely with Elder Florence Kelly, a member of the Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation. Through the various relationships that the SAGE UCalgary chapter has developed over the years, we are extremely fortunate to be in relation with many Indigenous students, Elders, Traditional Knowledge Keepers, and communities from across Alberta and Turtle Island.

SAGE UCalgary is forever grateful for the endless support and encouragement received from numerous students, faculty, administrators, and community members. It has taken many hands, spirits, and minds to make this space possible. We look forward to the continued growth of this SAGE chapter for the many generations of Indigenous graduate students to come at the University of Calgary.