RE: “University of Winnipeg proposes mandatory Indigenous class,” Feb. 26-March 4.
The University of Winnipeg may soon be considering a proposal from its Aboriginal Student Council, fully supported by the university’s students’ association, that would make it mandatory for all students to take at least one half credit in an Indigenous Studies course. The initiative is bold but necessary for Canada’s future. This is an idea I hold in great respect—it is timely and paramount in anybody’s education in Canada and should be brought to Carleton.
The challenge to making this happen lies with our leadership at every level, from deans to our president, as well as with the Board of Governors, the Senate, and our students’ associations. This new bold effort would require unapologetic conviction that our educational institution must be at the frontline of social change. It is as simple as that.
Many will find reasons against such a mandatory measure around Aboriginal issues: it forces students to pay for and take courses they are not interested in; the subject matter has no relevance to their future career path; other special interest or minority groups would also demand the same attention; education around Aboriginal issues should be dealt with at the high school level; and that racism cannot be stopped by simply forcing students to take a class.
Ours the Task Eternal, says Carleton’s motto. It implies the quest to discover new solutions to our communities’ needs. Our school embraces the obligations of national and international citizenship. It offers opportunities for unique educational experiences in the nation’s capital. But what grade can we give these claims when we apply them to leadership in societal change, especially in changing negative attitudes through education regarding our relationships with the Aboriginal peoples in Canada?
For all of the reasons mentioned above against the idea of compulsory studies, we need to bring forward important realities, as uncomfortable as they may be.
The unfortunate reality in our country today is that most people hold negative attitudes and stereotypes towards Aboriginals. Public policy is shaped by public sentiment and majority views. If young Canadians continue the path of apathy or disdain towards Aboriginal peoples, then not much will change in Canada. Generations of young Canadians continue to pass through Carleton’s convocation process, claiming to have pursued the values this institution espouses, including honesty, integrity, and knowledge.
But many may enter society the same way they came—perpetuating discrimination against the first peoples of Canada through sheer ignorance. Very few will know about past and current Aboriginal lives in Canada, about how Aboriginals have sacrificed their lives for this country’s sovereignty, in civil or military efforts, about how more than 1,000 Indigenous women and girls have been murdered or went missing, or how Aboriginal art makes a name for Canada internationally.
In 2016, Lakehead University will become the first university in Canada to make Indigenous Studies a mandatory course. The University of Winnipeg has also begun this process. Carleton should at the very least open the conversation about it. If students remain bigoted, at least they can’t claim ignorance.
