Indigenous scholars in Canada have had limited options in Indigenous studies at the graduate level. Today, there are 11 Indigenous studies graduate programs across the country — and the number is growing.

The Varsity spoke to several Indigenous professors at U of T about their experiences applying to graduate school and about the development of a new Indigenous studies graduate program at U of T. 

Indigenous studies at the graduate level 

Brenda Wastasecoot is a member of the York Factory Cree First Nation, born and raised in Churchill, Manitoba.  

Wastasecoot moved to Toronto more than 10 years ago to pursue her PhD at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. She is currently an assistant professor in the Centre for Indigenous Studies. “When I began seeking a graduate program back in 1998, there was not the availability we have today for Indigenous Studies,” she wrote in an email to The Varsity. “I can’t say exactly how many there were back then but today, there are so many more.” 

Dale Turner is a citizen of the Temagami First Nation in northern Ontario. He is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Centre for Indigenous Studies, where he researches Indigenous politics, contemporary Indigenous culture, and contemporary political theory.

Like Wastasecoot, Turner faced constraints when applying to graduate school in 1992. Despite his interest in pursuing a PhD in Indigenous studies, there were no options available in Canada.

“I was considering Indigenous studies at the University of Buffalo at the time, but I chose philosophy [as a graduate program in Canada] because I did my [undergraduate studies] in philosophy,” he explained in an interview with The Varsity. “So the point to make here is that I didn’t have many options to do a PhD in Indigenous studies [in Canada]. So that’s why I chose philosophy.”

Over two decades later, options in Indigenous studies at the graduate level remain scarce. 

In 2013, Tahohtharátye (Joe Brant) — who was born, raised, and resides in the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory — applied to the University of Victoria’s Master’s degree in Indigenous language revitalization: the only such program in Canada and one of just two worldwide. By 2019, when he applied for a PhD in the same field, the University of Victoria still offered Canada’s sole doctoral program focused on Indigenous language revitalization.

He is currently an assistant professor in the Centre for Indigenous Studies and Department of Linguistics, where he specializes in Mohawk language learning and first-language speaker documentation. 

In an email to The Varsity, Tahohtharátye wrote, “It is important that there are options for students to specialize in the particular field of their choice as it relates to Indigenous communities.”

Availability of Indigenous studies 

Graduate programs in Indigenous studies are becoming increasingly available across Canadian universities, with a notable concentration in western provinces. Ontario also hosts several options, including programs at Trent, York, and Queen’s universities. Other institutions, such as First Nations University of Canada, University of Regina, and University of Northern British Columbia, offer specialized graduate programs focused on Indigenous education, social work, and community perspectives.

Wastasecoot emphasized the need for more Indigenous studies graduate programs. She explained that the Centre for Indigenous Studies at U of T — currently focused on undergraduate offerings — is developing a new graduate program, with a potential launch in fall 2027. 

“There is so much work to do here in Canada, and I’m sure everywhere in the world, in terms of bringing our truth to the world,” said Wastasecoot. “I look forward to what our young people will be doing in the next generations.”

Turner believes that Canada has a sufficient number of Indigenous studies programs. He instead stressed, “It’s a matter of empowering [these programs] more in terms of resources.”

Development of Indigenous studies 

Indigenous studies programs have expanded significantly in recent years. Wastasecoot said that, since she joined U of T in 2014, the number of Indigenous professors has more than doubled thanks to the work of Susan Hill — director of the Centre for Indigenous Studies, a Haudenosaunee citizen (Wolf Clan, Mohawk Nation), and resident of Ohswe:ken (Grand River Territory). UTSG now also has over 10 Indigenous professors, with additional hires across all three campuses, according to Wastasecoot.

Turner, who is leading the development of graduate studies at the Centre for Indigenous Studies along with Hill, said that “In order to create a PhD program or a masters program, there’s a process within the university, and it… could take up to three years once the process starts, and we are really at the very beginning of that.” 

Since the graduate program at U of T is in its early stages of development, Turner did not comment on whether the graduate program will offer special scholarships to Indigenous students. However, he noted that the program will likely offer similar scholarships and grants to most other departments that offer graduate students funding packages.