Aboriginal Students Health Sciences Office

Located in the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Aboriginal Students Health Sciences Office strives to identify and remove the barriers to success within McMaster University and provides continuous support students and increase awareness of Aboriginal Health issues among the faculty and student body.  For more information about the Aboriginal Students Health Sciences Office click here.

McMaster First Nations Student Association

Purpose:

• To provide a peer support for Native students at McMaster
• To act as a liaison between Native high school students and McMaster University
• To promote and encourage post-secondary education
• To improve the image of Native people at McMaster and increase awareness of Native issues
• To provide extra-curricular social activities, resources, and alternative learning experiences for Native students at McMaster.

Activities:

• The MFNSA involves itself in many aspects of the university life.
• In the past the MFNSA had organized the cultural awareness day where speakers talked on Native issues, culture, and aspects of Native life. At this gathering, Native dancers and drummers performed, as well, Native crafts and food were available. Just this year (2009), MFNSA hosted their first Welcoming Pow Wow. It was a great success!
• MFNSA involves itself in Native conferences in both Canada and the United States. In the past, members of the association have attended conferences at Trent University, University of Toronto, Cornell University and in Hull, Quebec. MFNSA is always involved in the Indigenous Studies Programme's conferences and events such as Drumbeat, Cry of the Eagle, Indigenous Knowledge Conference, and most recently the McMaster Human Rights Awareness Week.

• MFNSA encourages its members to get involved in other Native events, including the Annual Unity Ride (a spiritual journey on horseback), the Native plays such as "Rez Sisters", the Native concerts such as "Susan Aglukark concert", the Native Pow-Wows.
• MFNSA members organized "Christmas Toy Drive" annually to assist local and North American Native organizations and communities. Donations have been sent to different First Nation communities such as the northern Alberta Lubicon Cree Nation, Hamilton Regional Indian Centre, Green Grass Dakota Lakota and most recently Pikangikum First Nation.
• MFNSA is closely associated with the Indigenous Studies Programme and encourages all of its members to take a course in the programme. MFNSA members work with the Indigenous Studies Programme in various ways such as co-organizing the lecture series, assisting elderly speakers, and travelling with the Native student counsellor to speak about university life to Native students interested in attending McMaster University.

We welcome new members who are Native students at McMaster University and non-Native students who are interested in Indigenous Studies. We are located in Hamilton Hall Room 103/D and can be contacted by telephone at (905)525-9140 ext 27637 or by email at mac.first.nations@gmail.com

For more information on the Indigenous Studies Program at McMaster University visit Hamilton Hall Room 103 or contact us by telephone at (905)525-9140 ext. 27426 or 27459 or by email at indig@mcmaster.ca