Carleton is updating its Indigenous strategy that looks at engagement sessions and university-specific recommendations about the school’s relationship with Indigenous peoples, according to university president and vice-chancellor Benoit-Antoine Bacon.
The university’s current strategy, called the “Aboriginal Co-ordinated Strategy” was developed in the 2011-12 academic year.
Bacon said the strategy is “due for an overhaul.”
Bacon said in a press release that a committee is currently being formed at Carleton to kick off the revitalization process and “re-energize [Carleton’s] relationships with Indigenous communities in the region and across the country.”
The committee will be led by Kahente Horn-Miller, a Carleton Indigenous and Canadian studies professor, and Benny Michaud, assistant director of Equity Services responsible for the Centre for Indigenous Initiatives, who will both act as committee co-chairs.
Jerry Tomberlin, Carleton’s interim provost and vice-president (academic), will also sit on the committee.
“We are building on strength and the committee will first conduct an environmental scan of all the great Indigenous initiatives that are currently taking plan [sic] at Carleton,” Bacon said.
The goal of the committee will be to create a report that gives Carleton-specific recommendations for changes to be made in the school’s Indigenous strategy.
“We are fully committed to ensuring that the final recommendations are implemented to order to support positive long-term change on our campus,” Bacon said.
Wolfgang Wuttke-Stanton, co-chair of the student-led Indigenous group called the First Peoples’ Council (FPC), said Indigenous voices need to be properly included in the revitalization process.
“The administration needs to be a part of hearing voices from Indigenous students about Indigenous issues and co-campaign with how we want to see things done,” Wuttke-Stanton said.
Summer-Harmony Twenish, administrative coordinator of the Carleton University Students’ Association Mawandoseg Centre, said updating the Indigenous strategy is not enough.
“I think it’s a start,” she said. “There’s a lot of things that Carleton is trying to do, but they’re not taking the time to do them in a good way.”
Twenish said the university needs to provide incoming students with classes and services on Indigenous education.
“Oftentimes, the classroom can become a very violent workspace, especially when we’re talking about Indigenous issues,” she said. “For first-year students coming in, things like mandatory Indigenous study classes but also anti-oppression workshops [are needed].”
“Universities do thrive on the displacement of Indigenous peoples, and other racialized students, but I think if these changes were made it would show students that it is a space for them,” Twenish added.
According to Gavin Woodburn, the FPC’s other co-chair, the hiring process for Indigenous faculty also needs to be changed because of the lack of education Elders had received during the residential school period.
“It creates a culture barrier there,” he said.
Although Carleton is updating its strategy, Twenish said that it is a “long process” before real change with Indigenous issues is evident.
“By making the strategy plan an ongoing consultation process, and not just reaching out to faculty, but actually talking to students who go here, [it] creates that dialogue,” she said. “It works for everybody in the end.”
Bacon hopes to have the group fully established and ready to start work by November. The committee is open for nominations until Oct. 26.
Photo by Jasmine Foong
