b'STUDENT WELLNESSSTUDENT WELLNESS ADVISORY GROUPPutting Indigenous student voices firstBy Tracie LostE arlier in my career, workinghigh school student paused andmy Indigenous Student Centre. with Indigenous studentssaid quietly, I dont know. No oneInside that space, I felt supported in primary education, I hadhas asked me that before. and understood. But outside of a learning experience that shapedit, decisions about Indigenous the foundation of my practice. I wasThat moment has stayed with mestudents were being made at supporting a student who facedever since. This was a teenager whohigher administrative levels challenges in nearly every part ofhad been involved with multiplewithout our input and without our their life, and learning had becomesystems, and yet, not once hadautonomy. I often wondered how a major barrier.anyone asked them directly whatmany oversights could have been they needed. Choices had alwaysavoided if someone had just asked Despite trying a number ofbeen made for them, or assump- students directly.different interventions with theirtions had been made about what family, things continued to gowould help them succeed. Fast forward to September 2025. poorly. Concerned for their well- I was honoured to take on a new being, I sat down with them oneAs someone committed to anti- project under Indspires Rivers to oppressive, trauma-informed andSuccess mental health portfolio: day. The student was frustratedcommunity-based approaches,the Student Wellness Advisory and angry about the many circum- I realized how often even well- Group (SWAG). For me, it was a stances outside their control. Theintentioned professionals leavechance to put that early lesson conversation felt stuck, so finally,young people out of decisionsinto practice.I stopped and asked: What doabout their own lives. I remem-you need, and what can we do tobered my own undergraduateSWAG was created to ensure that support you? To my surprise, theyears when I leaned heavily onIndigenous student voices are 10indspiration2025'