Conceptual and Cultural models

The foundational components of the Conceptual Model are based on Indigenous perspectives of the universe, which are governed by constant dynamic cycles of transformation and renewal. From this perspective, transformation and renewal are necessary and ongoing parts of life, evident in the natural world and in all of Creation. 

These concepts also point to natural law and the inextricable interconnectedness of the Creator to the cosmos, nature and people; they also capture the innate evolution that is part of growth.

The Conceptual Model emphasizes the conscious evolution, rather than a dramatic revolutionary shift, of our university.

The Cultural Model tells the story of ii' taa'poh'to'p from a unique symbolic perspective. Traditional Knowledge Keepers provided support and guidance throughout the process of developing the Cultural Model; they also recommended Indigenous-based themes that could then be translated into cultural symbols.

Reflective of Indigenous pictographs and petroglyphs from sacred archeological sites in the prairie region, the model aims to be a visual representation of the strategy from an Indigenous perspective. The inclusion of the Cultural Model within the Indigenous Strategy is a manifestation of parallel processes used to develop the strategy.

In keeping with this parallel process, the Cultural Model provides non-textual knowledge-transfer that mirrors the text in the Conceptual Model.