University of Alberta course focused on Indigenous history seeing spike in enrolment following residential school discoveries
A free online course offered by the University of Alberta focused on "Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada" has seen a spike in enrolment in recent weeks.
The Faculty of Native Studies is offering a 12-lesson online course called Indigenous Canada.
The school says the program, "explores key issues facing Indigenous people today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations."
A spokesperson said for the U of A said this program has been available to anyone since 2017 and its popularity has grown since then due to world events and interest from celebrities such as Dan Levy.
The spokesperson added the school saw a giant spike in enrolment since the discovery of the mass graves in Kamloops, where 215 children from an area residential school were found.
"The week after the discovery, registration went from its normal steady 1,000–2,000 new enrolments per week to over 40,000 new enrolments," the spokesperson said in an email to CTV News.
The course takes roughly 21 hours according to the school and it is flexible based on each person's schedule.
While the spokesperson said they don't know the enrolment numbers per province, they said the course is popular around the world.
"Canada is obviously where it's most popular, followed by the United States," the spokesperson said
For those who want to participate in the course, registration is always open and people can enrol at any time.
People can sign up for the course online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Bob Cole, veteran CBC broadcaster and former voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada,' dead at 90
Bob Cole, legendary CBC broadcaster and former voice of Hockey Night in Canada, has died. He was 90.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.