A course in 17吃瓜网在线鈥檚 Faculty of Engineering is reshaping how students understand their role as engineers, offering a rare opportunity to combine learning through Indigenous knowledge systems with applied engineering practice.
Indigenous Perspectives in Engineering, developed in collaboration with the and an advisory council of Indigenous partners and community members, supports students in understanding both the history and responsibilities of working with Indigenous communities and lands.听
鈥淭he course has really been designed to look at engineering through a non-western worldview," says instructor Levi Morrison (BEng鈥�13), a Dal civil engineering alum, who leads the course jointly with Christopher Googoo, chief operating officer with Ulnooweg. "It introduces Indigenous knowledge systems, governance structures, and what true partnership looks like alongside engineering practice.鈥澨�
Community-centred learning
The course 鈥� offered for the first time this past winter 鈥� combines lectures, case studies, and collaborative discussions designed to encourage students to think critically about the broader impacts of engineering work.
Rather than relying on traditional textbooks, the course centres around Indigenous-authored texts and lived experiences. Many of the case studies focus on projects that have taken place in Mi鈥檏ma鈥檏i and Wolastoqiyik territory, while also expanding to broader examples across Turtle Island (also known as North America).听
Chris and I worked to ensure Indigenous leaders in their fields delivered content throughout the course.
鈥淐hris and I worked to ensure Indigenous leaders in their fields delivered content throughout the course,鈥� says Morrison. 鈥淲e also incorporated talking circles to support reflection and dialogue centred on texts produced by Indigenous authors.鈥�
Through these discussions, students were encouraged to understand that engineering exists across many knowledge systems, including Indigenous ways of knowing, and carries responsibilities that extend beyond technical design to relationships with land and community.听
鈥淭his work is about understanding that Indigenous knowledge frameworks are rooted in relationships with the land, and how those relationships inform engineering practice,鈥� Morrison explains. 鈥淚t also asks students to consider the responsibilities engineers carry in relation to treaties, the duty to consult, and meaningful engagement, and to reflect on how different worldviews shape their approach to the work.鈥�
鈥淎ll of the course content was co-created with knowledge holders, Indigenous educators, and the Ulnooweg Education Centre,鈥� adds Googoo.
Creating pathways
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The course was introduced as part of the Faculty of Engineering鈥檚 Inclusive Pathways to Engineering Careers Program, launched in 2023. In partnership with Ulnooweg, the Faculty established an Indigenous stream within the program to support Indigenous students through academic preparation, mentorship, cultural programming, and career guidance. A dedicated Indigenous student centre opened on Sexton Campus last fall to support this work.
Ulnooweg has played a key role in shaping this work at Dal, helping guide both the development of the course and the broader partnership model behind it.听听
鈥淚t鈥檚 been enlightening to work with them through this process," says Googoo of Dal. "Their openness to not just walk alongside us, but to step back and allow Indigenous leadership to guide this work has been meaningful."
Moving ahead
Googoo says the impact of the course is already being felt within Indigenous communities, which showed strong student interest in the Indigenous Perspectives in Engineering course. Morrison adds that many non-Indigenous students also signed up. With 30 spots initially available, enrolment was increased to 35 as demand for the course grew.听
While the course wrapped up in early April, the co-leads say planning is already underway for next year, including discussions around enrolment, timing within the engineering curriculum, and how the structure may evolve to reflect the needs of the students and how communities can participate.
I hope students leave with a deeper understanding of what is possible when relationships are built with care and respect.
For Googoo, one of the most important goals is also who the course reaches, as well as how students carry that learning forward.听听
鈥淚 hope students leave with a deeper understanding of what is possible when relationships are built with care and respect,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd that they carry that forward, not just in their work, but in how they engage with Indigenous communities.鈥�