Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) council meetings will now start by acknowledging council is meeting on unceded Algonquin territory and by thanking the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation for using their land.
This is one of two moves CUSA made towards increasing solidarity with the university’s minorities during its Oct. 9 council meeting.
Third-year social work student Gabrielle Castilloux received applause after delivering a traditional aboriginal greeting by way of introducing her motion.
The motion for increased solidarity with Carleton’s aboriginal students — of which Castilloux said there are probably around 1,000 — was met mostly with support.
“The best thing we can do, the least thing we can do, is remember this shit happened,” public affairs councillor Dillon Black said while speaking in favour of the motion.
Former councillor Brandon Wallingford said he didn’t think it was CUSA’s job to take a stance and compared acknowledging the land is unceded aboriginal territory with acknowledging that the Queen is the head of state and the French were the first to land in Canada.
“Why is it necessary to recognize something that we say is 100 per cent and absolutely true?” he asked. “It seems counter-productive. Why is it necessary to recognize this as opposed to any other fact of life?”
Black said people only need to look at the situation of aboriginal youth today to understand why it’s necessary.
“When you look at populations who over large periods of time experienced trauma, addictions are going to get higher, mental health issues are going to go higher,” Black said. “If we can’t even make a point to remember those things it’s actively erasing all of those experiences plus any experiences in the future if you want to help aboriginal students, queer students . . . just anyone, then you have to acknowledge that these things exist.”
The motion was passed with only two councillors opposed.
In another show of solidarity, council voted in support of hosting a service centre night at Oliver’s Pub.
Although the motion to host a monthly night recognizing service centres was passed, the motion was originally purely geared towards Carleton’s GLBTQ community.
Put forward by arts and social sciences councillor David MacMillan, the motion originally sought to devote one Thirsty Thursday a month as a queer night and to hang a pride flag at Oliver’s.
The motion was in response to comedy performers who held a show at Oliver’s in September whose jokes MacMillan said resulted in the marginalization of queer students.
MacMillan said he often feels uncomfortable dancing with his boyfriend or holding hands with his boyfriend at Oliver’s because of the pub’s atmosphere.
In an attempt to make the idea of a queer night open to all, it was amended to be a service centres night. All service centres will also be able to hang a flag or banner in Oliver’s.
“I think that the outcome of the meeting did deviate from the spirit of the motion,” MacMillan said. “It is apparent that the culture surrounding ‘Thirsty Thursdays’ is one that is reflective of the growing homophobia and transphobia in Ottawa and needs change.”
