Last week, The Charlatan reported that the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) has decided to cut the office space for the Mawandoseg Centre—its Indigenous service centre. The association is working to move Mawandoseg’s co-ordinator to the administration-run Ojigkwanong Centre to save on room rental costs.
Considering the colonial history of Carleton, which is built on unceded Algonquin territory, Indigenous students have every right to meet in different places on campus that are specific to them.
While both Mawandoseg and Ojigkwanong offer Indigenous students a place to visit and practice their culture, there’s a disconnect in their mandates that is important to understand. Mawandoseg is run by students, for students, so it allows student leaders and visitors to meet on an equal playing field. Meanwhile, Ojigkwanong is operated by university staff, meaning students might miss out on making their own decisions.
CUSA should reconsider this decision carefully in order to make sure that Indigenous students are not marginalized by the association. It shouldn’t be a matter of saving money since the association operates 10 other service centres to meet different groups’ needs. Whether this means re-introducing the Mawandoseg office or offering students another suitable option, Indigenous students should be consulted every step of the way.
