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When Michael White saw that the �ؿ�ζSM, his alma mater, was becoming actively engaged in the work of reconciliation through its own Truth and Reconciliation , he wanted to be a part of it.

And now he is.

Michael, who asked that he be referred to by his first name, has joined U of T in the newly created role of special projects officer, Indigenous initiatives.

"It’s now a very different climate to be Indigenous in this space,” says Michael, who graduated from U of T in 2005 with a BA in anthropology. He says the university is more receptive now to Indigenous perspectives and methodologies.

Reporting to Jonathan Hamilton-Diabo, director of Indigenous initiatives at U of T, Michael will play a key role in consulting and implementing projects that support the university’s efforts to enhance Indigenous presence and programming.

He comes to the role with a wealth of experience designing training programs for employers, teaching community-building, and planning events. For the past five years, Michael – a band member of M’Chigeeng First Nation – worked as a trainer for the , travelling around the province working with organizations and institutions to help them answer TRC calls to action, and delivering courses around Indigenous community development.

“I have seen Indigenous issues at a larger scale, and it prevents me from having a narrow perspective being an urban Indigenous person,” says Michael, who has spent most of his life living in Toronto.

Michael says he's thrilled to return to U of T, and to spend more time closer to home with his young family. He is also pursuing a master’s degree in education, language, culture and teaching at York University.

Left to right: U of T students James Bird and Roy Strebel with Michael White at the Elders' Symposium at U of T on Oct. 30 (photo by Hannah James)

"He's very giving of all the gifts and skills he has to offer," says Hamilton-Diabo, who worked with Michael at First Nations House after Michael graduated. "He's also got a very vibrant personality and has a lot of knowledge of U of T from his time here as a student and working in different areas of the university."

The two men are already working on a university-wide strategy to help people at U of T connect with appropriate resources as efforts to respond to TRC calls to action continue.

“The big thing that led me back is Jonathan," says Michael. “He’s a peacemaker and for me professionally, I’m going to learn a lot. I’m hoping we can walk together for a bit.”  

In his short time at U of T, Michael has already organized a major Elders' symposium in October where Elders from various communities came to share traditional knowledges about land, language and "ways of being and doing" with the U of T community, and he is working on cultural competency programs for U of T's faculties and departments.

“The way I see it, it is Indigenous spaces, Indigenous places and the processes that are informing how the university does what it does,” says Michael.