This presentation was for my CMNS 2290 – Professional Business and Technical Writing course that I took at TRU in the fall of 2018. I really enjoyed giving this presentation orally, because it was the first opportunity where I could speak from my heart on topics that are really important to me: Reconciliation and the Indigenization of TRU. The presentation was a proposal on how TRU can better accommodate Indigenous practices into an academic setting. The main way to do this is to create safe spaces for Indigenous students and faculty, and to incorporate more Indigenous ways of knowledge sharing, for example oral storytelling. I thought that the platform of this presentation fit perfectly with my topic.

I had the amazing opportunity to partake in an Indigenous focused exchange that fostered cultural exposure and education, and knowledge sharing. This program ran three weeks and we made stops in Hobart and Sydney Australia, and Auckland and Hamilton, New Zealand. I got to explore three very unique cultures, but I was shocked by the similarities that all of our Indigenous cultures. Having shared experiences made it easy to connect with others and communicate inter-culturally. I cherish all of the beautiful relationships that I made during this trip. I maintain my global relationships through social media and old fashioned mail. This trip was very much about connecting to the people, the water, and the land to truly understand these Indigenous cultures’ way of life.

Verification Form:

People, Places and Landscapes: Introducing Human Geography

During my time here at Thompson Rivers University, I have taken a Human Geography course. This course introduces and explores a variety of human geography concepts, issues, and processes that influence the dynamic connections among people, places and environments at different spatial scales (TRU). The themes we covered in this class that related to human geography and environmental studies, included:

• population dynamics
• culture and identity
• economic patterns and uneven development
• agriculture and food production
• cities and urbanization
• geopolitics
• globalization
• challenges of environmentally sustainable development

I believe that this course was a good experience and learning outcome for myself. The real life examples of past and current issues in each theme helped clarify the course material. I am more confident with vocalizing my opinion on these topics with others after taking this class.

I have achieved my DELF A2 Certification for the French language. I took French classes throughout my entire high school education, because I saw importance of bilingualism in a multicultural country. I have used my French language skills on my travels, primarily in Canada and France. Having the ability to speak French made it easier and sometimes made it possible to communicate with others. The people I came across appreciated my efforts on trying to communicate with them in their language. I hope to continue using French throughout my journey, and potentially learn more languages.

At Thompson Rivers University, I had the amazing opportunity to join a Secwepemc Language class (FNST 2200). I learned how to communicate casually with other Secwepemc speakers, and the people and language of the traditional land that this university sits on. I learned more about the culture of the Secwepemc through song, dance, story telling, and language. I believe that this class was very important, because it gave me the ability to show respect by addressing others in their language.