Open Letter on Kwigw8mna, in support of the Indigenous Students Alliance

The undersigned faculty and staff stand in solidarity with the Indigenous Cultural Alliance (ICA) and call for fairer treatment and real consultation on the proposed Kwigw8mna Indigenous Student Gathering Space and Resource Centre.

The new name was announced as follows: “Following the announcement of our intention to renovate Divinity House into a new Indigenous Students Gathering Space and Resource Centre, Chief Richard O’bomsawin of the Abenaki Band Council of Odanak proposed Kwigw8mna (pronounced Kwig-wom-na) as the name for the building.” (E-mail from Principal Goldbloom to university community, 19 Dec. 2019.)

An investment of $5.9 M

The government of Quebec has made “an investment of $5.9 M to transform Bishop’s University’s Divinity House into an Indigenous Students’ Gathering Space and Resource Centre.” (Divinity House to become Indigenous Gathering Space, Bishop’s statement, 4 Oct. 2019, https://www.ubishops.ca/divinity-houseto-become-indigenous-gathering-spacequebec-governments-5-9-m-investmentgreenlights-project/). We note that the statement announced to the Eastern Townships and the country that the building “would become [an] Indigenous Gathering Space,” not that it would become an office building with some 25% devoted to an Indigenous Gathering Space inside.

Similarly, Bishop’s social media accounts reported: “This morning, JeanFrançois Roberge, the Quebec Minister of Education and Higher Education, announced an investment of $5.9 M to transform #Ubishops Divinity House into an Indigenous Students’ Gathering Space and Resource Centre.” (Bishop’s University, Facebook post, 4 Oct. 2019, https:// www. facebook. com/ ubishops/ posts/10156592961100936). CBC News reported: “Indigenous students at Bishop’s University have been asking for a designated space on campus for years. Now, the school is going to transform one of the oldest buildings on campus — Divinity House — into a gathering space and resource centre for these students.” (Bishop’s University to transform heritage building into Indigenous gathering space: Students say the renovated building will give them a home away from home, 5 Oct. 2019, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ montreal/ bishops- divinity- houseindigenous-space-1.5309941, emphasis added). We note the repetition of the word “transform” and the references to best serving Indigenous students at Bishop’s – that this new centre was for them.

The impression given to the university community and communities in the Eastern Townships region and beyond, was that the former Divinity House would become a space for Indigenous students at Bishop’s, one that reflected the vision of sharing and mutual dialogue that is central to any renewed and just relationship between Canadian settlers, other newcomers, and Indigenous people. Such a renewed relationship was urged in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendations, which called for “the full participation and informed consent” of Indigenous peoples in programming related to Indigenous peoples and issues ( TRC Canada final report, 2015).

“Consultation” is not the same as consent

A fundamental principle of a new relationship with Indigenous peoples, as affirmed by TRC, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and other key documents, is that of free, prior and informed consent. A “consultation” is not the same as consent. Consent must be obtained in advance, and freely given based on complete understanding.

It is true that there have been numerous consultations. As the ICA has pointed out to the public, however, there has not yet been consent.

The difference between these two concepts is crucial: consulting Indigenous peoples is asking them for their opinion, then making the decisions without them in the room. Consent implies shared ownership of decision-making.

This is truer than ever in a space designated as an Indigenous Students Gathering Space and Resource Centre.

Indigenous student space, after all, is recognized as a major need in the Universities Canada principles on Indigenous education issued in 2019 (https://www.univcan.ca/wpcontent/ uploads/ 2015/ 11/ principleson-indigenous-education-universitiescanada-june-2015.pdf).

According to a recent e-mail to the Bishop’s community by the VP Government Relations and Planning and manager of the Kwigw8mna project: “Since the first consultations started in September 2017, the vision for Kwigw8mna has been to provide a space for Indigenous students as well as a place where Indigenous and nonIndigenous students and community members can gather to learn with and from one another. This vision was developed based on consultations with Indigenous students from Bishop’s University and Champlain Regional College and with representatives from Indigenous communities with whom we have relationships.” The vision is appropriate. The reality is that Bishop’s University has made decisions, without the full agreement of Indigenous students as represented through the ICA.

Structural racism and colonialism The context of structural racism and colonialism towards Indigenous peoples by Canada has seen multiple crimes carried out under the guise of education. Most famously, the state and churches compelled children to attend “residential schools” as part of an effort to assimilate them. Bishop’s University trained individuals for Canadian churches, including priests who worked in residential schools. On the model of other universities that have grappled with their own history, Bishop’s should research its own role in colonial structures, and work to avoid replicating the paternalistic and harmful Indigenous-settler relationship of the recent past in today’s actions.

The university must move beyond “just add Indigenous and stir,” to cite Cree scholar Priscilla Settee of the University of Saskatchewan. We cannot simply be “adding Indigenous peoples to existing institutions and structures and making them a bit more hospitable,” insists Anishinabe scholar Hayden King of Ryerson University. The goal instead needs to be “nothing about us without us,” full involvement and sharing of control with Indigenous people with respect to projects that claim to serve Indigenous people (Sarah Treleaven, How Canadian universities are responding to the TRC’S Calls to Action, Maclean’s, 7 Dec. 2018, https://www. macleans.ca/education/how-canadianuniversities-are-responding-to-the-trcscalls-to-action/).

The presidents of the Universities of Victoria and Algoma agreed: “Senior postsecondary leaders need to recognize that many current assumptions and privileges stand in the way of change…. A new relationship is not an action, a gesture or an accomplishment – and it is definitely not a branding exercise. It is an ongoing commitment and must be sustainable and long-term” (Jamie Cassels and Asima Vezina, Helping one another to advance respect and reconciliation, University Affairs, 26 Sept. 2019).

Indigenous student space is especially “crucial.” They create safe places, services, and “a resilient sense of community” (Paul Davidson and Roberta Jamieson, Advancing reconciliation through postsecondary education, Policy Options, 19 Nov. 2018, https:// www. univcan. ca/ media- room/ mediareleases/ advancing- reconciliationthrough- postsecondary- education/). Indeed, Indigenous student space has been the main request by students in the ICA ever since the organization was formed.

When furniture is removed, there is space for 40 students to gather in the space currently assigned in Kwigw8mna. In 2019, there were 75 Indigenous students at Bishop’s and Champlain. This seems insufficient to the current need, let alone future needs.

Indigenous students are students, being asked to defend their interests against the larger university. This statement aims to support them.

The university must be willing to share and to treat Indigenous students as respected partners in bringing this project to fruition. The university must go beyond “consultation” and namedropping, and move towards true consent, full and ongoing collaboration, relationship building, and decolonizing.

Our vision is that originally announced by Principal Goldbloom: “Our hope is that this Indigenous Students’ Gathering Space and Resource Centre will be a place of discussion, learning and sharing for both Indigenous and non-indigenous members of our community to help foster reconciliation, healing and understanding.” Unfortunately, that has not been the case here. We must acknowledge that the university has caused harm rather than healing to Indigenous students throughout this process. It has not advanced understanding. It has harmed relations. These truths must be acknowledged before Bishop’s can boast of any progress made.

It is not too late to move to a better, more just model in planning Kwigw8mna. We urge the university management to listen, learn and agree to not move ahead without full consent from Indigenous students at Bishop’s. David Webster

Avril Aitken

Vicki Chartrand

Dawn Wiseman

The letter is available online through the following link:

https:// docs. google. com/ forms/ d/ 18Ty6qjhhtow0pv5n-tf35ivmcsb9Zu6d4coq_ mr1aq/ viewform? edit_ requested=true