Practising Reconciliation
Aisha Wilks and E. Scherzinger
Pronunciation
Audio – Haudenosaunee:
Audio – Anishinaabe:
In December 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) issued 94 Calls to Action “to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation” (TRC 1). While reconciliation is, in some ways, outside the scope of the undergraduate classroom, instructors can foster critical engagement with settler colonialism in order to work towards more just relations with Indigenous people.
Strategies
Some strategies to recognize the role of Indigenous land, people, and knowledge in our disciplines and foster respectful engagement with Indigeneity:
- Consider a land acknowledgement at the beginning of the course
- Think of McMaster University’s standard land acknowledgement as a starting point and take the time to discuss the relationship between oneself, the course material, and Indigenous communities, so it’s more than a gesture
- Recognize the value of Indigenous knowledge(s) and if possible, incorporate it in the syllabus
- Provide guidelines for appropriate engagement with Indigenous culture (e.g., no costumes)
Keep in mind that although Indigenous communities in Canada have shared histories, it’s not always possible to transfer knowledge from one context to another because each nation has distinct cultural, spiritual, and legal protocols that govern engagement. In addition to community and online resources, the Equity and Inclusion Office has worked in partnership with the Indigenous Studies Program to foster Indigenous cultural competency, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
Resources
For more information on land acknowledgements, reconciliation, and Indigenous inclusion, please see:
- Native-Land.ca, Territory Acknowledgement
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (.pdf)
- Reclaiming Power and Place: Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit Calls for Justice (.pdf)
- Adam Gaudry and Danielle Lorenz, “Indigenization as inclusion, reconciliation, and decolonization”