Derek Thompson, Director of Indigenous Engagement for UBC’s Faculty of Medicine and a leader within the Ditidaht First Nation, will join Oliver Mann, Senior Communications Strategist in UBC’s Office of Community Engagement, for an online conversation with Community Campus Engage (CCE) Canada. They will discuss the origins of the Faculty of Medicine’s Indigenous Speaker Series, the importance of ceremony and safety in Indigenous events, and the state of community and Indigenous engagement in Canada.
CCE Canada is a national network that supports authentic partnerships between academic institutions and community organizations, bringing together community engagement professionals, faculty, students, and community partners to exchange practices and advocate for community-driven research and learning.
- Date: Monday, September 29, 2025
- Time: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM (Pacific Time)
- Location: Zoom
- Cost: Free
The Zoom link will be included in your email confirmation upon registration.
Speakers
Derek K Thompson (he/him) – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun is from the diitiidʔaaʔtx̣ – Ditidaht First Nation, one of fourteen Nuuchahnulth communities along the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Derek is the Director, Indigenous Engagement for the UBC Faculty of Medicine, and he brings over 30 years of experience working with First Nations organizations and communities across the province and country to achieve wellness through health and related services.
His mission is to foster trust and mutual respect amongst students, staff and faculty in an effort to create an understanding of the commitments made by the Faculty of Medicine to strengthen the relationship with Indigenous peoples and communities.
Oliver Mann (he/him) leads communications for UBC’s Office of Community Engagement, enhancing its profile and increasing awareness, participation, and diversity across programs. He also produces stories that showcase the impact of reciprocal community-university engagement.
With over a decade of communications experience at UBC, Oliver recently completed an MA in Professional Communications at Royal Roads University. His thesis explores how Canadian universities communicate about Indigenous engagement, advocating for Indigenous-led storytelling and decolonizing communication practices. It also provides actionable recommendations for university communicators.
As a settler of Costa Rican, West African, Spanish, Scottish, and English heritage, Oliver is committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in his work, ensuring that all voices are valued.
Listen to a recent podcast with our speakers: Reciprocal Storytelling in Community-Based and Indigenous-Led Research
At a recent panel at the 2025 UBC Partnering in Research Conference, our guest speakers, Derek Thompson and Oliver Mann, explored how institutions can move beyond transactional storytelling to foster meaningful relationships with Indigenous and community partners. What are the risks and responsibilities when sharing stories from communities with histories of trauma and misrepresentation? How can storytelling support truth and reconciliation efforts and address intergenerational impacts? This conversation was recorded and is available now as a podcast.
Registration is now closed.