Photo by Jesse Herring
Arts Indigenous Student Advisor, Maggie Moore, works closely with a dedicated team to guide Indigenous students through UBC’s systems. With a focus on cultural empathy and growth, Maggie spotlights the importance of active listening, collaboration, and thoughtfulness in her everyday.
Read more to learn about her mind set and how she respectfully approaches working with Indigenous students as an uninvited European settler.
A BIT ABOUT MAGGIE
Title: Academic Advisor, Indigenous Student
Department: Arts Indigenous Academic Advising (AISA), Arts Advising
Summary of your role: I assist Indigenous students to reach their goals at UBC.
BRAINS BEHIND THE WORK
Tell us about the team you work with. What do you admire about them?
I work with such a brilliant team. I deeply admire my AISA colleagues, Karlene Harvey and Amanda Engen. Their commitment and dedication to being navigators for Indigenous students, and their creativity, holistic, and big picture thinking in engaging with UBC’s systems. I so appreciate the opportunity to be part of the consultation, support and rigor they bring to AISA’s work, both student-facing and internally.
How do you develop your cultural empathy?
On cultural empathy, in addition to the day-to-day learning I do, I am an avid reader and learn a lot about others’ experiences through novels, poetry, memoirs, etc., and there are so many Indigenous authors widely available now. Shout out to Iron Dog Books and Massy Books! I have taken training through San’yas, attended events, and listened attentively. Rain Thomas and Chelsea Branch’s Anti-Indigenous Racism courses were particularly important for me in identifying colonial practices and structures and space to think through supportive alternatives. Additionally, I have used mindfulness practices to slow down in a hectic work environment and think more carefully and empathetically about what I was hearing, seeing, experiencing, and critically considering the impact of the systems we work in. Hearing students’ experiences in the What I Learned in Class Today project had a powerful impact on me. I’ve heard good things about CTLT Indigenous Initiatives’ Indigenous Learning Pathways. I am sure there are many more!
WELLNESS THAT WORKS FOR YOU
What is your favourite book, movie and / or TV show?
It’s so hard to choose, there’s so much that’s good! But…if I had to pick a recent one: Bad Cree by Jessica Johns – I read it over the summer. It is has love, horror, history and reconnecting with land, family and community. I highly recommend it.
WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
What is the most important lesson you have learned in your career?
Indigenous students in Arts come from all sorts of backgrounds and forms of cultural connection. As an uninvited settler with European heritage in this role, my approach is to meet students where they are without judging them and their choices, and to try to understand their circumstances from their perspective, not my own. I use my knowledge of UBC to help them to navigate UBC systems that were not built for students in their circumstances, and to take advantage of the opportunities available that will help them reach their goals for their studies.
Check out AISA’s Instagram
Visit Arts Indigenous Student Advising’s Instagram channel to stay up-to-date with all the upcoming events and opportunities made available for Indigenous students in the Faculty of Arts and beyond.
