Carleton’s recent decision to change the name of the School of Canadian Studies to the School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies is a welcome one, but the change shouldn’t be one in name only. It has limited meaning and significance unless it comes alongside a commitment to genuinely including Indigenous voices, knowledges and worldviews within any academic domain that covers Canadian history and culture.
It’s impossible to have a deep understanding of Canada without a knowledge of the Indigenous peoples of the same land, just as it is impossible to understand First Nations, Inuit and Metis life without telling the story of colonialism.
The relationship between Canada and the Indigenous peoples has too often been presented as one-sided, downplayed entirely or presented as a closed chapter in history. In fact, it is ongoing, and one of the most important aspects of Canada’s political landscape today.
The acknowledgement of this has the potential to be extremely positive for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students alike, as long as it proves to amount to a genuine commitment to respecting Indigenous and Canadian studies as distinct and equally valid fields of study with critical ties to one another. Reconciliation can’t be achieved by lip service alone, and Carleton will have to prove that it means business.
