Dr. Mimi Gellman Named Indigenous Curriculum Initiatives Special Advisor

Artist and associate professor Dr. Mimi Gellman has accepted the role of Special Advisor to the Provost, Indigenous Curriculum Initiatives, supporting institution-wide efforts toward decolonizing and Indigenizing education at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU). Mimi, who has been at ECU since 2012, says this role will help build upon work already underway across the university to strengthen and develop a framework for Indigenous course offerings.

“My goal is to be an advisor who brings forward Indigenous and decolonial perspectives to the school and creates a generative bridge between Western paradigms and Indigenous peoples and their knowledge systems,” says Mimi.

In addition to her faculty duties as an instructor with the Faculty of Culture + Community, Mimi will advise the Provost and work with faculty members to develop processes for approving and integrating Indigenous-focused courses and methodologies into the broader curriculum. She also hopes to build on this work by mapping courses across programs focusing on sustainability, ecological justice, Indigeneity and decolonization for students interested in pursuing these topics.

“What makes Emily Carr University a unique institution is our focus on social justice for both the human and the other-than-human realms. This is embodied throughout our curriculum, which emphasizes pluriversality, sustainability and equity in the world,” says Mimi. “I am looking forward to working with the Provost, alongside my colleagues and to consulting with members of our Host Nations to diversify and expand our course offerings.”

Her teaching practice aligns closely with her advisor role through its thoughtful integration of Indigenous pedagogies into all aspects of the learning experience. For example, her groundbreaking course Indigenous Presence: Locating Ourselves in Place emphasizes the ways Indigenous creativity and influence actively shape today’s cultural and social landscapes.

Diyan Achjadi, Vice-President Academic + Provost, has confidence in Mimi in this new appointment, given her well-known dedication and commitment to Indigenous pedagogy and her diverse courses taught at ECU.

“Mimi brings a full complement of skills and knowledge to this role. For me, curriculum isn’t just about content, it’s equally about pedagogy and approach,” says Diyan. “Mimi understands that deeply. She’s thoughtful in how she engages with this work and her interdisciplinary practice allows her to approach it from multiple perspectives, with care and insight.”

Diyan notes Mimi has been heavily involved in the community, including sitting in the Senate and the Senate Aboriginal Advisory Committee, alongside developing curriculum. Mimi has also collaborated with the Teaching and Learning Center, including via her Braiding Sweetgrass study group, which she opened to all community members during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Mimi won the West Coast Teaching Excellence Award.

Mimi began her appointment as Special Advisor in January 2025.