URL: https://www.coursera.org/learn/indigenous-canada
This Resource
Description: A free, 12-module online course from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Native Studies exploring Indigenous histories, perspectives, and contemporary realities in Canada. Used by Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba as mandatory onboarding for all staff.
Instructor / facilitator: Dr. Paul L. Gareau (Associate Professor, Metis, Faculty of Native Studies)
Publisher: University of Alberta, Faculty of Native Studies
Platform: Coursera
Duration: Self-paced; approximately 21 hours total
Number of modules or sessions: 12 modules
Prerequisites: None (Beginner level)
Certificate offered: Yes – Coursera Certificate of Completion (paid upgrade); also available as NS 201 for university credit at U of A
First year offered: 2017 (updated ongoing)
Language: English (available in 22 languages)
Key topics: Indigenous worldviews and storytelling; the fur trade and pre-contact trading systems; treaty making; the Indian Act and assimilation; residential schools and the TRC; Indigenous political activism and resurgence; Aboriginal title, land rights, and traditional ecological knowledge; Indigenous women and the gendered impact of colonization; urban Indigeneity; social movements (Oka Crisis, Idle No More, MMIWG); Indigenous art and creative expression
Learning outcomes: Critically analyze colonial and Indigenous histories; interpret treaties, land claims, and legal frameworks; understand Indigenous political movements and resurgence; contextualize current events and policy debates; recognize Indigenous approaches to land, environment, and knowledge; engage thoughtfully with Indigenous worldviews and contemporary life
Why this resource matters: It bridges the gap between high-level institutional goals and classroom reality by offering a practical, ready-to-use framework tailored specifically for engineering faculty. It includes concrete examples of how to bring these perspectives into technical courses.
Connection to Indigenous Knowledge
How this resource connects to indigenous perspectives: This course is created and delivered entirely by the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. It centers Indigenous worldviews, storytelling traditions, and lived experiences as the primary lens through which Canadian history is examined. It provides foundational knowledge that engineering educators and practitioners need before they can meaningfully integrate Indigenous perspectives into technical curricula.
Indigenous communities or nations involved: Inuit, Nehiyawak (Cree), Kanien:keha’ka (Mohawk), Tlingit, Metis, Anishinaabe, and others referenced throughout modules
Metadata
Contributor / submitted by: Dr. Farnaz Sadeghpour (as a sample)
Date added: April 30, 2026
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