University College of the North Leads with a Vision for Decolonizing Northern Education

As Northern communities across Canada and the Circumpolar world seek more meaningful models of education and research, the University College of the North is emerging as a powerful leader in community-led innovation. Rooted in Northern Manitoba, University College of the North is demonstrating that decolonizing education is not simply changing content, but also requires a transformation of structures, processes, and relationships to reflect Indigenous worldviews and lived realities.

This vision was brought to the global Arctic stage by Dr. Ramona Neckoway, Associate Vice-President of Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation at the University College of the North. Dr. Neckoway introduced a new initiative: a proposed UArctic Thematic Network on Decolonizing Education in the North. The Thematic Network would bring together educators, students, Elders, and institutions across the Circumpolar North to collaboratively reimagine education systems that are truly responsive to the values, languages, and leadership of Northern and Indigenous communities.

“We are driven by a desire to etch out intellectual spaces in higher education that are place-based and rooted in culture, language, and land. This is what drives the change. We are taking up the work of being seen and heard—bringing our rich intellectual traditions into academe in ways that go beyond platitudes and performative gestures. Our approaches to programming, scholarship, and research must reflect the depth, rigor, and vitality of Indigenous knowledge—centering decolonization as a living practice that upholds, celebrates, and fiercely defends our ways of knowing, being, and imagining. Our knowledge does not need validation—it needs space to thrive,” says Dr. Neckoway.

Already, the idea has sparked interest from institutions across Canada, Scotland, and the Nordic countries, where conversations emphasized the need to share practices that challenge colonial legacies in Arctic education while supporting Indigenous language revitalization, land-based pedagogy, and the emergence of Indigenous leadership within post-secondary institutions. For the University College of the North, the network is a natural extension of its longstanding commitment to relational research and community-grounded learning. With two main campuses in The Pas and Thompson, 12 regional centres (nine based in First Nations communities) alongside its Council of Elders and the Mamawechetotan Centre, the institution demonstrates how it weaves cultural knowledge, ceremony, and Indigenous governance into its academic environment. Research is not something done to communities, but with them, emphasizing long-term relationships, trust, and mutual benefit.

As a member of the University of the Arctic (UArctic) since 2004, the University College of the North plays a crucial role in advancing the network’s goals of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and Arctic leadership. Its vision for a Thematic Network on Decolonizing Education in the North reflects UArctic’s broader commitment to inclusive, Northern-led initiatives. 

The impacts of University College of the North’s work extend far beyond Manitoba. Its model of Indigenous-led education is inspiring other institutions to rethink their approaches, while its community-rooted research is informing national and international policy on issues from education to environmental stewardship. With initial planning already underway, University College of the North and its partners aim to launch preliminary activities in fall 2025, with a formal proposal for the Thematic Network to be submitted in early 2027.

For Dr. Neckoway and her colleagues, the goal is clear: to create a shared space for Northern institutions and communities to lead the transformation of Arctic education—together.