Julie-Ann Vollant – Contributor

On May. 6, five Indigenous Bishop’s students embarked on a three-week intercultural exchange to Japan to deepen international connections. The group, comprising members from the Innu, Mi’kmaq, Cree and Mohawk nations, brought their unique Indigenous knowledge to the exchange. The Indigenous Student Support Center (ISSC) organized this initiative, and three ISSC staff members accompanied the students to provide support throughout the journey, which took the students through Tokyo, Sapporo, Shiraoi, and Nibutani. The trip created meaningful engagement with Japan’s Indigenous Ainu community. 

The journey began in Tokyo, where students visited international schools, universities and the Canadian Embassy, providing insights into Japan’s education system and Canada’s role abroad.  

In Sapporo, the group’s focus shifted towards learning about the Ainu people. University visits facilitated meaningful exchanges of ideas between Bishop’s students and their Japanese counterparts, laying the groundwork for deeper cultural understanding. 

The most impactful part of the trip occurred in Shiraoi and Nibutani, where students immersed themselves in Ainu culture. At the Upopoy Ainu Museum in Shiraoi, they witnessed traditional dances and songs, and sampled Ainu cuisine. In Nibutani, the group learned Ainu dance, woodworking, embroidery and language from community-led workshops.

This hands-on engagement with Ainu culture allowed Bishop’s students to draw parallels between their own Indigenous heritage and that of the Ainu, highlighting the global nature of Indigenous experiences and the importance of cultural preservation and recognition. Samantha Godard, a participating Mi’kmaq student, reflected on how the trip “has made me realize how similar Indigenous cultures can be around the world. The Ainu people and Indigenous people in Canada are on opposite sides of the world, yet we both utilize the same foods and medicines, similar tools and percussion instruments, and create comparable crafts.”

The exchange not only broadened the students’ perspectives, but it also provided an opportunity for them to share their own Indigenous cultures with the people they met in Japan. This two-way cultural exchange fostered mutual understanding and respect, reinforcing the importance of Indigenous representation on a global scale. As the students returned to Bishop’s University, they brought with them a wealth of new experiences, insights and connections. These collaborations between Indigenous communities in Canada and Japan emphasize the global nature of Indigenous solidarity and cultural exchange.