The following article was published by The Varsity, the University of Toronto's campus newspaper, January 25, 2016. The original article can be found here.
In the wake of the recent
release of the full report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
of Canada (TRC), U of T president Meric Gertler and U of T vice
president and provost Cheryl Regehr have struck a university-wide
steering committee to review and implement the TRC’s conclusions. The
committee was created on January 15.
The TRC released its historic final
report which includes a total of 94 “Calls to Action.” These “Calls to
Action” are recommendations that cover steps institutions and people can
take towards expediting reconciliation. Many of them involve educational reforms.
Jonathan Hamilton-Diabo, coordinator of U
of T’s Council of Aboriginal Initiatives and director of Aboriginal
student services at U of T’s First Nations House, alongside professor
Stephen Toope, director of the Munk School of Global Affairs, are the
steering committee’s co-chairs. Community Elders Lee Maracle and Andrew
Wesley are also confirmed to be providing “guidance and wisdom” to the
committee.
“The steering committee will be guiding
the implementation of the Terms of Reference. I will participate in the
same way all the members of the committee do,” said Maracle.
“The role of the committee is to consider the
recommendations of the TRC and implement those that are relevant to the
university. Students and faculty can become involved in the working
groups attached to the steering committee and projects the committee
proposes to undertake,” Maracle continued.
Other supporters of the committee include
associate professor Sandy Welsh, vice provost, students, and professor
Sioban Nelson, vice provost, academic programs and faculty and academic
life, who will work closely with academic divisions and other
stakeholders following the TRC’s Terms of Reference.
Native Students’ Association calls for mandatory Indigenous Studies class
The Native Students’ Association (NSA)
recently circulated a petition calling on the university to implement a
mandatory Indigenous studies credit across all levels of education. The
petition, which was posted on Change.org last week, had 476 supporters
at press time.
“The topic of Indigenous studies is
relevant to everyone who was born or resides in this country as it is an
often overlooked but essential factor in the search to fully understand
our collective Canadian history and identity, regardless of one’s
ethnic background,” said Matthew Cappella, Maten Clan Leader of the NSA.
“There are so many Canadians that are not
educated on Indigenous people in Canada. I see this everyday in my
classes. The University of Winnipeg and Lakehead University in Thunder
Bay have already approved mandatory Indigenous studies for undergrads,”
said Roy Stebel, Bear Clan Leader with the NSA.
The movement in support of a mandatory
Indigenous studies course now directly responds to Call 62 of the TRC,
which calls for funding and for the inclusion of Aboriginal knowledge on
high school and university curricula.
“The University of Toronto is far overdue
in keeping up to speed on such an important issue. It is about time
that university students begin to have a better understanding of
Indigenous Canadians, this will ensure a stronger more succinct nation
for our future,” said Stebel.
According to the NSA, the steering committee has yet to reach out to them, and NSA members hope to be included in the process.
“At this point we know very little of the
committee. Unfortunately we have not been contacted by anyone yet
either. However, since we are already responding to Call 62 of the TRC
Calls to Action, we are confident that at least one of our members will
be selected for the committee,” said Dhanela Paran, Loon Leader, and
Audrey Rochette, Crane Leader, in a joint statement.
“In fact we are hoping to have at least
three of our council on the committee due to the tangible work we do
everyday, every month, and every year on campus and [the] impact we have
not only through thoughtful discussions but through our events,
campaigns, community work, and dedication to our goals. We do this work
already and our insight could be very valuable as student leaders,” they
added.
Committee set to have “working groups”
“I am Mohawk, so this impacts many people
in Indigenous communities and myself,” said Hamilton-Diabo. We want to
be able to increase the inclusion of Indigenous people in the
post-secondary sector and society where many members have disadvantages.
[This is] me working for my community,” he added.
Hamilton-Diabo says the committee will
look at all mechanisms available to them when considering a mandatory
course in Indigenous studies for all students at U of T.
“First Nations House have been putting it
out there on behalf of the NSA we support any activity the NSA puts
forward to recommend change, and I think it is a important piece and we
are well aware of the work they are doing and interested in seeing
larger discussion that needs to take place. Should this go ahead, it
would need to involve other areas. It sparks a very needed discussion,”
commented Hamilton-Diabo on the NSA’s petition.
“I think we would definitely be looking
at having a wide range of people that can be a benefit to the committee.
[There will be] lots of opportunity for people to get involved. We will
create working groups,” he said on the committee’s development.
For his part, Hamilton-Diabo is looking
forward to exploring Indigenous language courses, which are currently
offered at U of T. Courses teaching Indigenous languages were named in
the 94 “Calls to Action” as an aspect of knowledge that post-secondary
institutions should share and promote.
The committee is expected to present an
interim report to Regehr and Gertler by July 1, 2016 and a final report
by December 31, 2016.
Nominations for faculty, staff, and students to sit on the steering committee will close on January 25, 2016.
Calls to action and universities
The TRC Calls to Action that apply to
post-secondary institutions include: asking universities to create
degree and diploma programs in Aboriginal languages; requiring students
at medical and nursing schools to take a course specifically related to
Aboriginal health issues; requiring law students to take a course in
Indigenous law; and educating future social and child welfare workers
about the effects and legacy of residential schools for Aboriginal
communities and families.
U of T currently offers courses related
to Indigenous issues within these disciplines; however, not all programs
require an Indigenous studies course to graduate.
The university also houses services for
Indigenous students such as the First Nations House, the Council on
Aboriginal Initiatives, the Indigenous Language Initiative, and the
Indigenous Health Science Group. The most recent initiative is the newly established Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous health, a research institute dedicated to the health of Indigenous Canadians.
