Having recently come to Canada from India, a similarly brutalized and colonized society, and having today’s Canadians have totally incorrect views about India encouraged me to take this course. It was worth every penny.

Apart from understanding the reasons why Aboriginal Canadians were called “Indian”, it removed from my mind, misconceptions and European cultural power imposed prejudice against Aboriginals.

Strange as this may sound, I recommend this course to all Indians, to understand what was done to India over a period of 300 years. A very similar time period to the colonization in Canada.

I thank Dr. Tracy Bear for her hard work to put this course together and would request her to add in more Canadian Aboriginal vocabulary into the course.

This is a very informative course that helps build the bigger picture on the contemporary and historical impacts of colonialism. I was glad to see the contemporary art unit at the end. I am so glad to see more public art and place-making by Indigenous artists- it creates ongoing dialogue opportunity. I'd like to see all public places commission art that expresses the land acknowledgements or at the very least add an art print from local indigenous artists to be alongside the words that are in the acknowledgement.

Two more contemporary artists worth looking up: Shelley Niro and Catherine Blackburn, if you are interested in contemporary female artists. I enjoyed looking up the artists that were highlighted and learning more about their art.

I really enjoyed the course and the learning experiences that it provided. I felt it did a very good job of covering the past and present issues, as well as explain the diverse and unique views\experiences of the different indigenous groups across Canada. If I had one critic of the course - I felt like some of the multiple choice questions were sometimes difficult to answer (some wanted very specific answers that were very detailed; others were very vague or complex in which I felt several answers could be considered; and a lot of questions phrased as negatives "which does not apply" or sometimes different vocabulary (i.e names that may be used Mohawk or Kanesatake ) or the use of acronyms (ie MMIW).

Thank you for providing this course.

This is a very good course with the right amount of lesson for each week - not too long/too short. I love that the course provides the insight on indigenous people in Canada through indigenous perspectives, so the harsh truth is not glossed over or romanticized like your average American school lessons. I've got to learn a lot about the First People, their history, geography, arts, and traditions, as well as their social engagement and livelihood in the modern world in just under 2 months (I did about 2 weeks worth of classes weekly). This is definitely a valuable educational experience that I cannot find in my home country. I hope that there will be classes like indigenous arts, languages, and traditional medicine in the future. Thank you.

Excellent course! It is hard history, insightful learning, taught by wonderful educators, willing to share their important cultures, histories, and sacred stories of the Indigenous peoples living on their stolen, extracted and colonized land. It is important learning that I take very seriously and I hope to honor their dedication to this course material and teaching in my own life by recognizing the harm of colonization and the devastation settlers caused in the hopes of returning, honoring and respecting the stolen land on which I am now currently living. It was a very humbling, thought-provoking, and inspiring course. Thank you to all the contributors, that made this course possible, and thank you for making this course accessible to all.

This course was a great introduction that provided thoughtful insight into Indigenous Canada and the experience of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

As a person of European descent I felt it was my duty to learn about the experiences of the people who came before me - this course did just that. I am honoured to be living in a place that has roots of hard-work, love and a focus on evolving.

The instructors were clear and made the course very interesting. This being my first experience with The University of Alberta and Coursera, I really enjoyed the video/visual element. This course was definitely designed for the modern learner as it embodied multiple ways of learning (audio/visual/written/academic/personal experience).

5/5 Stars - Thank you!

I learned a tremendous amount of information - particularly the early history of Canad and how it formed. It gave me a foundation for understanding more about current events and conflicts I enjoyed the Living Traditions and the insight I gained about Indigenous art.

My one suggestion is that Week 2 has way too much information packed into one week. My head was spinning. Sometimes the short quizes ask questions that have not yet been covered by the lecture. Some of the questions in the final quizes have impossible multiple choices - more than one answer could be correct, given what was said in the lecture.

But in total, I recommend this course and feel it is doing a valuable service to the settler communities in Canada. Thank you all!!

Indigenous Studies Canada is such a helpful course. It provides such a deep and thorough insight into the traditional lifestyles of Indigenous peoples of Canada and also gave very thorough lessons into how Indigenous people interact today in this Westernized society while still making sure that their traditions thrive. Now that I have finished this course, not only do I hold more knowledge on Indigenous studies in general, I hold such respect for the Indigenous people in Canada who have experienced and are experiencing severe discrimination and racism yet they persevere and continue to fight for their land and for their rights. Thank you to the instructors for formatting such a brilliant course, I enjoyed it so much. Highly recommend!!

This is an excellent course which would be good for many many people to see and hear - all ages and all people. the historical component is simplified, as it had to have been, yet clear and hits the points which help to start people thinking about the time before and the reasons for the effects of colonization. Not that I know more but, as a researcher at Library and Archives Canada for many years, I have seen copies of so many original documents which hold so much of the recorded goings on by both sides. Great to see more awareness created by the course and to have it presently so accessibly/interactively . Now I will miss all you chatting with us online. All the best, and many thanks From Unceded Algonquin Territory Ottawa

I am not of Indigenous decent, though the history of the Nation we live in has been of great interest to me. I jumped at the opportunity to take this course. Not only to educate myself on the history of Aboriginal peoples, but to better enable myself in educating my child. I am a homeschool parent, and have been for many years. I believe that education has no expiry date. So, as a mother , and woman of over 40 years of age, I felt the need to show my child, that education is always accessible. It is important, and available to all ages, all cultures, and people. I am grateful to The University of Alberta, and The faculty of Native Studies, for making this course so accessible, informative, and interesting. Thank you, Kery Samardzija

This course has been the most wonderful and important experience for me!

The modules were designed logically, building blocks to the end. The videos, interrupted occasionally with a surprise mini-quiz, kept me on my toes. I learned so much more than later had throughout my life and as well, from the Sunday afternoon Sunday casual study group organized by Dan Levy. Dan’s total honesty was refreshing and encouraging. We must confront our shame and sense of responsibility. Thank you so much Dr. Tracy Bear, Dr. Paul Gareau, Sara Howdle, Leah Dorion, video presenters and guest professors at the Sunday sessions. You have all gifted us with your personal time. Dan Levy, you are a very special soul. Forever grateful

Sharon Kirkham, Toronto

I truly appreciated learning about Aboriginal history and culture. I have spoken with many Aboriginal people, including Inuit, and have wondered why there is such a difference between folks from different areas. Now I know some of the answer.

I especially appreciate the Aboriginal concept of everything on earth working together for the good of everything. I also appreciate how sexuality was handled--inclusion and pride vs. exclusion and shame, the way I have seen many people handled. What a disgrace to European ideals.

There are a few editing errors which do not take away from the content. I'm glad I finally had the time to finish the course. I can't get some of the points out of my mind!

Thanks so much for letting me take this course.

I recently had the incredible opportunity to immerse myself in the "Indigenous Canada" course, and I must say, it has been an eye-opening and transformative experience. This course takes you on a profound journey into the diverse and vibrant tapestry of Indigenous cultures, history, and perspectives that have shaped our shared homeland.

Right from the beginning, the course captured my attention with its well-organized modules and captivating content. The instructors' depth of knowledge is truly commendable, and their passion for the subject shines through in every lesson. This course goes beyond surface-level information; it delves deep into the intricate nuances of Indigenous societies, their wisdom, challenges, and resilience.

This was was such an amazing opportunity to close the gap with respect to my pursuit of indigenous literature and art. My understanding of the more subtle concepts presented in the literature are better understood. Reading Thomas King’s, The Inconvenient Indian I was gobsmacked with the reference to Dead Indian and without this course I never would have gotten it. I scour the news daily now with the knowledge of references to Idle No More, AIM, UNDRIP etc., I am so much more capable of expressing empathy, anger and a litany of emotions. Thank you for the opportunity provided to learn, to grow, to feel, and most importantly to share this newfound knowledge with my peer group so they to can help change the channel. Thank you.

Thank you so much. This course has given me the best history lesson I could have hoped for. I knew some things about Indigenous history before I enrolled but I have to say that my eyes have been opened to so much more. The lectures were interesting, engaging, thought-provoking, moving, and they have inspired me to continue with my learning. Your course has raised my awareness of the deeper roots of issues that underlie what concerns Indigenous peoples today (and of environmental issues that should be of concern to everyone). I wish this was how history was taught when I was still in school. As an educator, I hope it is how history will be taught in schools from now on. Again, thank you for this beautiful, amazing course.

Thank you very much for this course. I am an immigrant and have been living in Canada for 15 years. I studied at a local university and nowhere over the span of 15 years I've received a fraction of this important information. I had to study for and pass the Canadian Citizenship test - I would say the study book and the content of the citizenship test would deserve a serious revision to include "all" and not just partial information. To express my gratitude for this course I would like to say thank you for informing me, inspiring me, and motivating me to learn more. Since I've been taking this course I searched and purchased books by indigenous authors. I became a fan of "Unreserved" CBC program and much more. Thank you again.

The course complimented the basic understanding I already had of Indigenous history in Canada. I appreciated how it filled in the blanks and answered some of the questions I had. I am thankful for the opportunity to learn more about our Indigenous community members and learn about the injustices they have had to and in many ways still have to endure due to colonialism. I am encouraging others to take this course. Education is so important. This course also inspires me to do more reading and asking of questions to learn more about Indigenous culture and history. I hope to educate others from their learned misconceptions of the Indigenous. Tracy Bear has an excellent voice for speaking on the various module topics. Thank you.

This course has opened my eyes to so many issues that I was unaware of, and has led to my seeking out further information to help me to continue my learning. This is especially poignant now, given the discovery of children's remains at the residential school in Kamloops. I am able to have discussions with others about some of the history, and I am successfully persuading several to pursue their own learning opportunities in this respect. Amazing that you have offered this course for free. THANK YOU! It is SO IMPORTANT for us to understand our history, and how our country has gotten to this place we find ourselves in now. It's way past time to do better...to be better. This provides real hope for our collective future.

Incredible and much-needed course. My maternal family is Mohawk from Kahnawá:ke. It was really wonderful to go through so much content about my own people. And also to learn more about other nations. There are so many distinct native communities with cultural uniqueness, it would take many courses to look at each one but this course did such a great job of going in depth wherever possible and looking at the larger nation groupings here. This is a really important course for the general public to be utilizing and ought to be required for everyone. The course information covers history, arts, culture, spirituality, family, philosophy, sex and gender as well as socio-political movements, and more. Loved it! Niá:wen, thank you!

I very much appreciated the teachings in this course. It was informative, as a Canadian, for me to understand the colonization of these lands and the effect it has had on the Indigenous communities. It also frustrates me to know that a lot of this has been and is happening and that the education system (particularly as I grew up) didn't teach any of this - it was, and is, happening "on my watch"!

The resilience of the first peoples here, their culture(s) and activism are inspiring, individually and collectively, and I resonate with the systemic injustice that has been demonstrated in this course. I am more aware.

Thank you for this . It has made me a bit less ignorant of the lands and peoples where I was born and raised.

I want to thank everyone involved in producing such an informative course to help educate, inform and teach on Indigenous Canadian history and to current times. I think every Canadian should take this course. May it build unity, understanding, love and respect for our Indigenous brothers and sisters and help in reconcilliation, healing and restoring us all into healthy and loving relationships.

It deeply saddens me that so much pain, injustice and suffering has and continues to be enacted upon Indigenous people. I can stand up and be a voice of change through my actions. It starts with unlearning, relearning and learning all over again. This course was successful in facilitating this change that starts in me. Thank you!

I am internationally educated and had a strong desire to learn about Indigenous culture. Finding this course online is really helpful. Moreover, it is flexible and nicely delivered. I just carefully heard the instructors and enjoyed it while learning. Though at times, I felt a very narrow margin in quiz so far the questions are concerned still in case , I couldn't clear the quiz in 2 or 3 times , it was again thrilling to go over and over again.

I humbly thank Tracy Bear and her team for their perseverance and doing their job so beautifully. I really appreciate Leah's paintings and the way she depicted all shades of indigenous lstruggles against colonism with the help of symbols. Her paintings are really telling a tale!

I loved this course. Besides giving me the possibility to approach a subject I did know little about, it inspired me to go on and search for more information about Indigenous Canada. I liked also the structure of the course, with readings, videos, interviews and the beautiful paintings. Thanks to the teachers and their narratives it was easy to follow. I hope in the future there will be more courses on Indigenous in Canada and North America, that will go deeper into the diversity of the indigenous populations, their culture and uses, their worldviews. Expecially now that we face the consequences of climate change, we should look more and learn from the indigenous perspective on our planet and the universe we live in.

I really enjoyed this course. I started it when the Early Childhood Centre that I am an Early Childhood Educator level 3 at had to close because we had a staff member who contracted COID 19 and we all had to self isolate. I was going crazy and needed something to. I was on Facebook and my niece had posted something about this course and so I decided that I wanted to learn more about Indigenous people and that this would be a good way to do that. I really enjoyed the course and learned a lot. I couldn't afford to pay for the course at the time and so when I saw that I could take it for free I was very happy and very glad that I was able to complete the course, and passed it which I was very proud of myself for.

I was surprised how much I learned from this course. It does an admirable job of balancing traditional culture, history and contemporary concerns. I feel I have a better understanding of their perspectives. Very good. Although I have much to learn about these issues, I became interested in them through credible reports that the “enlightenment” in France and the ideas of Rousseau were likely influenced by Canadian First Nations by their social and legal systems and oratorical elegance. Though only a Small part of a big tapestry, I would have liked to see something about this, as it places the clash of colonial perspectives Into even broader significance. Thank you for your efforts which are appreciated.