College Dean's Message

tân'si, nitôtêmak,

As many of you are aware, June in Canada is National Indigenous History Month. It also marks the beginning of Pride Season across Canada and is, no doubt, a special time for other communities as well.

We all celebrate meaningful occasions in ways that are meaningful to us. For my part, I was travelling on June 21 and so I was unable to attend any National Indigenous Peoples Day events, but I was able to spend some time reading the dissertation of one of my Indigenous PhD students. Being the nerd I am, I found this both enjoyable and, in its own way, appropriate.

You may have your own rituals and activities for the month and the day.

As I have noted in previous newsletters and LinkedIn posts, one of the biggest differences I have experienced is moving from a predominantly Indigenous environment to a predominantly non-Indigenous one. And I have definitely felt that difference. It has produced moments of existential loneliness, certainly, but at the same time, it continues to offer surprises and learning opportunities that I have found both refreshing and intensely interesting.

Those experiences have also reminded me that, like all forms of engagement, meaningful Indigenous engagement at a university cannot depend only on individual relationships, personal commitments or moments of learning, important as those are. Ensuring the staying power of any strategic decision requires infrastructure.

Toward that end, Indigenous relationality is a key part of both the University of Alberta’s strategic plan, Shape, and its Indigenous strategic plan, Braiding Past, Present and Future. Indigenous initiatives are also a key element of our commitments to Access, Community and Belonging. For these reasons, I have decided to create a new administrative position within the College of Social Sciences and Humanities: Associate Dean, Indigenous Engagement.

I am also excited to announce that Dr. Kisha Supernant, Métis and professor in the Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts, has agreed to take up the position for a three-year term, beginning July 1, 2026. Learn more about Dr. Supernant and her work in this announcement. 

Please feel free to send her your well-wishes. 

In the meantime, I hope you all had some chance to build some downtime into your June. I wish the same for you in July and August as we begin to ramp back up for the Fall 2026 semester.

Pishshapmishko,

Chris Andersen

College Updates

Office of Research

Save the Date: CSSH Celebration of Research

Join us in celebrating the success and achievements in research across CSSH.

What: CSSH Celebration of Research
Date: Thursday, Oct. 15
Location:  University Commons Atrium
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Performance Corner

Summer Band 2026 Concert

Join us as the Department of Music Summer Band, under the baton of Dr. Angela Schroeder, celebrates our music-making community with a very special Canada Day concert at the U of A Botanic Garden.

Date: July 1
Location: U of A Botanic Garden Amphitheatre
Learn More

Summer Orchestra 2026 Concert

Lidia Khaner conducts the University of Alberta Department of Music Summer Orchestra in a program of Mahler, Vaughan Williams and Rimsky-Korsakov. Free admission, everyone is welcome.

Date: July 12
Location: Saint Albert United Church
Learn More

College News