Meet FNUniv Research Assistants of the Indigenous Knowledge & Science Program

Two former students, Nathaniel Cook and Vanshita Agarwal, of Dr. Sardarli, worked as Research Assistants for a recent project entitled “Numerical Systems Used by Indigenous People in Various Countries”, completed by Dr. Arzu Sardarli. Dr. Sardarli’s project was supported by the UR² Fellows Program of the University of Regina and conducted in 2023-2024. Within the program, he developed supplementary materials for his introductory mathematics courses.

Meet Nathaniel Cook! He was born in Winnipeg but raised in Pelican Narrows, SK. After completing his grade 10 in Pelican Narrows in 2015, he moved to Prince Albert, SK., to complete his high school diploma in 2017. After high school, Nathaniel enrolled in the Business & Public Administration Program at the First Nations University of Canada. Before receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in the fall of 2024, he had also completed two certifications in Indigenous Language I in the fall of 2023 and Certification in Hospitality Tourism and Gaming Entertainment Management in the summer of 2024. Nathaniel relocated to Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation in 2022 to support his upcoming family with his partner. In his final year of his undergrad, he took a position as a Data Clerk at Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments. After his undergrad in 2024, Nathaniel took on the role of completing a project for the UR² Fellows project. After meeting with a knowledge keeper and arranging an interview for the project, he developed an “Indigenous Perspective on Numbers” essay and presentation. He completed this project at the end of October 2024.

Meet Vanshita Agarwal! Vanshita is a 21-year-old international student currently pursuing a Bachelor of Kinesiology in Human Kinetics. Vanshita likes to juggle multiple things at once. Aside from her academic life, Vanshita likes writing poetry, dancing, and reading novels. One specific achievement she is especially proud of is called “The Numbers: How, When, Where, and Why?”, a research project she worked on under the guidance of Dr. Arzu Sardarli.