To say Dr. Susan Manitowabi gets a lot done is an understatement. Since she came to Laurentian University in the summer of 2003, she has been a long-standing leader in the Indigenous education community at Laurentian. Susan chaired the (former) Native Human Services Program, was involved in the creation of the Master of Indigenous Relations (MIR) program, co-founded the Maamwizing Indigenous Research Institute, established Indigenous gathering places and ceremony on campus, and catalyzed experiential education (including the Anishnaabemowin Land Based Immersion Courses which will begin this fall)— all the while navigating waves of change at the university. But, in her words, she does not act alone.
Her humility belies the depth of her impact: she has been instrumental to so many programs, relationships, and community-driven initiatives connected to Indigenous education at Laurentian. She explains her involvement as serendipitous, which has helped move Indigenous Programs at Laurentian University to the point of where they are now – as programs rooted in community and Indigenous self-determination. As Susan describes her pathway from Interim Chair of the Native Human Services Program to Founding Director of the School of Indigenous Relations to her role as Interim Associate Vice-President, Academic and Indigenous Programs, it becomes clear that she is a connector – of people, places, and moments. The way she describes her pathway, a spirit of openness and receptivity was what has allowed things to evolve as they should. Often, good things happen because you are at the right place at the right time, with the knowledge to put an idea forward.
“You put it out there; now you have to take it.”
In 2003, Susan had just completed her Masters of Social Work at University of Toronto and was returning to her position with Northeast Mental Health Centre. She found out that she was the only remaining member of the Native Services Team at the Centre, which previously consisted of five people and was being appointed the point person. Unsure of how she felt about this, she put a call out to Creator, asking: “Creator, if I get a call [with a job offer] in the next few minutes, then I’ll take it”. As soon as she had finished that thought, she received a call from her partner telling her that someone at Laurentian University was trying to reach her. Susan contacted Dr. Sheila Cote-Meek who asked if she would be interested in working at the then Native Human Services Program at Laurentian University. Initially, she wasn’t sure if she should take the position. She thought about it for a couple of weeks, and eventually concluded: “You put it out there and asked for it; now you have to take it.”
During this initial nine-month contract, she became the Program Chair of the Indigenous stream under the School of Social Work and was instrumental in creating a separate Native Human Services Program. This unique program grew out of consultation with 32 First Nations communities in the area, as they had often talked about developing a program to meet the needs of their communities. Under her leadership, the program became the School of Native Human Services and was accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Educators.
From there, she worked alongside several colleagues to develop the Masters of Indigenous Relations Program in response to the fact that many program graduates were going into management and administration rather than social work positions. This is just one example of working strategically and responding to a need: creating this unique program differentiated Laurentian from other universities offering a Masters of Social Work Program and gave students a pathway to the careers they were seeking in their communities. The School of Native Human Services changed its name to the School of Indigenous Relations in order to include the Masters of Indigenous Relations Program.
Even as she narrates a loose timeline of her work and tenure at Laurentian, one gets the sense that for each milestone, there are dozens more that she could share. She never refers to herself as a leader, but rather acknowledges her place in the ecosystem of Indigenous Academics. There is a sense of wholeness in the way that she speaks about all that she has done.
“You just pick up and keep going.”
Reflecting on the recent years at Laurentian, as the community continues to navigate the Companies Creditors Arrangements Act (CCAA) process and shifts to online learning with the COVID-19 outbreak, Susan tells us that things have not been easy, but that “Indigenous People are resilient and have a long history of building and re-building; we have always been hardworking and determined in our efforts”. With significant changes to programs of study, there is a risk of losing the energy and passion that faculty, staff, and students have poured into Indigenous programming at Laurentian.
However, the work being done by the larger Indigenous community at Laurentian is helping chart a path forward – ensuring that Indigenous education continues to be available to learners. She tells us that: “It’s been a very stressful time but a hopeful time – we have been able to take stock of what we have and look at what we want to create… it’s an opportunity for change, [to ask ourselves] ‘do we keep the things that we’re not doing well or focus on the things we should continue?’”
Recently, she has been thinking about how we do good work together. Gathering at the Sacred Fire is important. She extended the circles to non-Indigenous people at Laurentian because she could see they were struggling to process and move through change: “Sitting at the Sacred Fire gives people an opportunity to talk about their challenges and they can sit and reflect… people are so busy they don’t take the time to care for themselves; at the fire the expectation is to sit and reflect and work on patience.” Susan recently led an exercise with team members around the four elements, encouraging them to acknowledge both their strengths and weaknesses. “I’ve left with them ways of thinking about the world that change how they view the world…[we need to] think about change, how to grieve and how to say goodbye…those things are part of them now.”
“I think I am a facilitator of things that happen.”
It is clear that Susan has had a remarkable impact on Indigenous education as well as the broader community of people and places connected to Indigenous learning in the Greater Sudbury Area. But what about the impact this work has left on her? She does not really think about her work on those terms: “I think about my life and people always tell me that I make a great big impact on them. When reflecting on how I have interacted with them, I don’t think there's anything specific that I would point to… rather, I am a facilitator of things that happen…. I always leave a little bit of me with them.” She speaks again to shared responsibility, to listening and learning, to leveraging social connections and finding the resources to bring good ideas to fruition.
“Someone else can come in and pick up the torch.”
Susan’s work at Laurentian is not done yet, but she is ready to make way for others to step in and continue to build the Indigenous Academics program. “We’re all here for a certain length of time, we share our knowledge with people and at some point, we move onto the next stage of life… I can offer guidance and support for people; someone else needs to come in and pick up the torch.”
To her students, peers, and colleagues, she offers this advice: think collectively, strategically, and critically, and think about what needs to happen and how to move forward: “If I can leave that with people, I feel confident in the work.” She can begin to let go, knowing that things are set up well for the next generations. “[Good things happen] when we are not overly structured and have an environment of good, creative and safe spaces, where we’re open, honest and respectful of each other.”
To be open, honest, and respectful: that is at the heart of Susan’s legacy at Laurentian. She has accomplished an incredible amount of work, but most importantly is the deep kindness, openness, and caring behaviours that she has modeled for others. Change will continue, but these qualities endure.