Get ready for paskwâwi-mostos mêskanâs — coming in Fall 2022.

The name of the new digital learning environment was gifted to MacEwan University in a buffalo lodge ceremony attended by the late Knowledge Keeper Roxanne Tootoosis. The idea for an Indigenous name for the new learning environment came early in the planning process, and with help from Tootoosis and Cheyenne Greyeyes, president of the MacEwan Indigenous Students Club, the name was gifted to the university in 2021.

Preethi Gorecki, communications librarian, says part of honouring this gift is to learn how to say, spell and understand the name's meaning. A video was created to help share the pronunciation and celebrate the name in a way that reflects oral storytelling traditions.

Respectful use of paskwâwi-mostos mêskanâs

Here are some things to consider in order to be respectful when using the name:

• You do not need to capitalize any part of paskwâwi-mostos mêskanâs because the language does not use capital letters.
• Use the diacritics (e.g., the accent marks) when spelling out the name — unless it is not possible, like in URLs (e.g., meskanas.macewan.ca).
• You can respectfully abbreviate paskwâwi-mostos mêskanâs to mêskanâs.
• Try to pronounce it to the best of your abilities. You may not always get it right, but be respectful in your attempts.

Preparing for a new digital learning environment

While all faculty and staff who have courses in Blackboard now have access to mêskanâs, it isn't until Fall 2022 that all courses will be taught in the new digital learning environment.

Gorecki says that faculty can prepare by accessing mêskanâs to start acclimating to the new environment and attending training sessions.

Student-specific resources will be available closer to Fall 2022. Gorecki notes that mêskanâs is different from Blackboard in that it’s a much more customizable environment.

"We are excited to welcome everyone to mêskanâs," says Gorecki. "Our project team asked students and faculty what they wanted to see in the new digital learning environment, and so far we have been able to customize mêskanâs so that it will have the majority of the functions and elements that were asked for."