St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, has released a new five-year research plan meant to weave Indigenous knowledge and community needs into every corner of discovery and innovation. Called “Teliaq ta’n Teluek,” the plan covers 2026 to 2031 and leans heavily on Mi’kmaq guidance and the idea that all research should be a shared effort.
The name “Teliaq ta’n Teluek,” which means “What They are Saying is True,” is a Mi’kmaq translation of the university’s Latin motto. It signals that the plan is built on truth, treaty responsibility, and reconciliation. A guiding principle called “Maw-lukwitiek” (We are working together) pushes researchers to collaborate directly with communities instead of just studying them from a distance.
Dr. Erin Morton, the university’s new Associate Vice President Research, Graduate and Professional Studies, started gathering ideas from across campus in the fall of 2025. The plan was then approved by the Research Advisory Committee and the University Senate. Morton and other university leaders point to the slow progress on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, where only 15 of the 94 calls have been completed nationally after ten years. The plan aims to push that work forward in a practical way, making research partnerships with Indigenous communities a core expectation.
The plan builds on groundwork StFX has already laid. On June 23, 2025, the university signed a formal agreement with the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq to work together on Mi’kmaw language, laws, and self-governance. The Deveau Institute for Indigenous Governance and Social Justice, launched in 2024 with a $5 million transformative gift and a further $5 million in reserve to match future fundraised dollars, anchors the Indigenous-led research the new plan wants to grow. Tyler Sack, who has Mi’kmaw roots in Sipekne’katik and Membertou and previously served as Director of Governance and Director of Aquatic Resources & Fisheries Management with the Confederacy, was named the Institute’s first Director of Research in April 2026.
For Antigonish, a town closely tied to the university and located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw people, the plan promises to shape everything from local environmental projects to community health studies. Researchers will be encouraged to ask how their work can help create a fairer and more sustainable future, whether they are tackling climate challenges, new technology, or social inequalities. The full plan is available on the StFX research website.
