Congress 2021 blog edition
By Claire Kroening, University of Alberta human geography alumna and communications professional
Universities are human-made, so with willpower and a commitment from administration and faculty, universities can be transformed from within to reflect and support Indigenous knowledge, consciousness and tradition. As moderator President of Vancouver Island University Dr. Deborah Saucier noted, the panel discussion “Enabling Indigenous Scholarship in Canadian Higher Education” gave everyone who attended “much to chew on.”
Panelist Dr. Frank Deer of the University of Manitoba told a story of a young Indigenous student who desperately wanted to ‘see herself’ at her university; however, the climate and culture didn’t provide the space for her, nor was she given support. Dr. Florence Glanfield, Vice-Provost, Indigenous Programming & Research, University of Alberta, echoed this experience saying when she was a young Indigenous mathematics student she saw no one else on campus like her. Today, she is proud to be tenured at the University of Alberta and working with nearly 50 Indigenous scholars. How do we continue the momentum?
“If we’re not uncomfortable, we’re not doing reconciliation. There’s nowhere this is more true than in post-secondary institutions,” said former Associate Vice-President of Indigenous Engagement and Reconciliation at Yukon University Tosh Southwick. A true commitment to reconciliation in universities requires a commitment to redistributing power among people inside institutions, and those who historically have been left out. “It’s about every aspect of higher education and fundamentally shifting everything in the work we do--the services we offer, spaces we make, programs we run and how we govern.”
“Make the effort to imagine what could be for our university programs and our disciplines. I think you’d be surprised by the number of possibilities there are.” -Dr. Frank Deer
Changes to programming. Faculties decide to which extent their programming includes Indigenous knowledge, consciousness and tradition. Dr. Glanfield, who has sat on program approval committees at the U of A, said she would vote against any program that didn’t have clear commitments to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action. She said “in my position, I make it my mission to support Indigenous scholarship. To do so, I must be brave.” Her colleagues have taken note.
Valuing Elders. Southwick explained how at Yukon University, Elders on staff are paid the same rate as Ph.D. candidates, and panelists argued this should be standard practice for Canadian universities to acknowledge the status and depth of knowledge Indigenous Elders hold.
Supporting Indigenous students. Dr. Glanfield described how she has made a conscious effort to respect the ways Indigenous students want to be involved in potentially triggering conversations. She also called on higher education leaders to put the scholar’s voice first. She explained, “those of us who have already navigated the system have to engage Indigenous scholars and help them navigate it while holding true to who they are.”
Mandatory training for groups. Training programs for staff and students that are developed in partnership with Indigenous communities can be an essential piece of an institution’s commitment to reconciliation. Dr. Deer noted mandatory training would serve certain university groups and operations especially well, giving the example of research ethics boards, who regularly adjudicate research with an Indigenous component.