Panel addreses failures of Reconciliation
There is still a long way to go before we can overcome the history of colonialism
On Tuesday February 20, an interactive discussion session titled “Betraying Reconciliation: Indigenization or Pacification?” was held at the Madeleine Parent room. The event, organized by the Students’ Society of Mcgill University’s (SSMU) Indigenous Affairs office, featured Chelsea Vowel, a writer and educator from Manitowsâkahikan territory (Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta) who is currently a language coordinator at the Faculty of Native studies at the University of Alberta. The event started with a territorial acknowledgement, followed by a discussion of a diverse range of topics including Indigenizing academic environments and a critique of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).
Vowel aimed to answer the following questions: ‘how can we be better guests in the land that we occupy?’ and ‘how can we address our personal behavior without putting the onus on Indigenous people to tell us when we are doing something wrong?’, as well as how academic spaces can be more accessible to Indigenous communities. Attendees then brainstormed possible solutions addressing to the inaction of upperlevel bureaucracy to address the systemic imbalances that make public spaces inaccessible to Indigenous people.
Beyond Land acknowledgments
Vowel challenged a diverse range of practices that are thought to contribute to the Indigenization of our societies, such as a land acknowledgement. Such acknowledgments date back centuries for Indigenous people, but for many non-indigenous Canadian settlers, this is a relatively new concept. Vowel problematized how the notion of territorial acknowledgment can become a way of ‘indigenizing’ without concretely addressing systemic causes. She argues that the initial practice of territorial acknowledgments seemed promising, but now they are sometimes used to diffuse the responsibility for structural change.
“[Land acknowledgements] are something that’s done all the time now, particularly in institutional spaces,” said Vowel, emphasizing that they adress the colonial history of Canada and our own complicity in institutions that perpetuate the occupation.
Vowel mentioned that while acknowledgements have become the easiest and most non-disruptive way to engage in reconciliation, the occupation of Indigenous land is still not recognized in certain spaces, “it’s not being done in rural courtrooms where white men are murdering visibly Native Cree men,” they said, referring to the recent acquittal of Gerald Stanley, a 56 yearold Saskatchewan farmer who shot Colten Boushie, a 22 year-old Cree man on August 9, 2016.
“It was really exciting when [land acknowledgements] first started happening, it made people [settlers] feel uncomfortable. It was being made aware of a presence that was unwelcome. But now it’s really easy to say and listen to and move on. It’s become so rote,” said Vowel.
It is easy to make surfacelevel commitments like land acknowledgements, but Vowel stressed the lack of action by the government of Canada in the postTRC period to enact tangible change in policies. Although the TRC began the Personal Ribbon Campaign and the It Matters To Me campaign, the federal government has yet to take action on important matters such as the systemic impoverishment of Indigenous people.
What is indigenization?
Vowel mentioned that the process of indigenization in the context of Canada specifically refers to a “set of practices that are geared to making spaces more accessible to Indigenous people.” Vowel mentioned that this can involve the incorporation of Indigenous languages in schools and daycares, and establishing spaces for ceremonies on campuses. She emphasized that the process should include the hiring and retaining Indigenous workers and students, and including their voices.
“The underlying principle to the process is that Indigenous voices are heard, respected and acted upon,” said Vowel.
Vowel discussed the constant battles she faced with the administration at the University of Alberta, where she is currently registered in a Master’s program. She mentioned that administrations often stand alongside intolerance, ignorance and bigotry as challenges to indigenization.
Recent efforts towards inclusivity and indigenization at Mcgill include the establishment of the First People’s House, the inclusion of a land acknowledgement on the universities website, and the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education, which published a report on its findings. However, Vowel pointed out that while these initiatives provide a call to action, they run the risk of excusing more widespread inaction and lack of concrete structural change at our university
Participants concluded the event by discussing the micro-level changes that may contribute to creating more accessible spaces.
A participant discussed an Indigenous Education Program taking place at the Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) level, geared towards providing education on the issue and cultural sensitivity training.
“The point was to help teachers and employees who had good intentions but felt disempowered around dealing with Indigenous issues or helping Indigenous students,” said Jacky Vallée, a teacher from Vanier College. According to Vallêe, the program is the first of its kind, and offers an avenue for non-indigenous people to learn more about Indigenous culture. The program currently is facilitated by Indigenous speakers who are hired to discuss specific issues in each session. A three-day learning session was hosted in December of last year, which included discussions of the history of Canada, settler interactions with Indigenous communities and a trip to Kahnawake to learn more about Indigenous worldviews.
“It was way to help people start the process of learning. We made it very clear from the start that it wasn’t about making people experts because Indigenous learning isn’t about expertise, it’s a lifelong process,” said Vallêe.
“Too often institutions seek to maintain the system and sprinkle in some culture,” said Vowel. “They don’t understand the specific needs and expect the one Indigenous person in the room to be the spokesperson [for all Indigenous people] […] Advising and consulting becomes extractive when there is no change,” she concluded.
“Too often, institutions seek to maintain the system and sprinkle in some culture.” -Chelsea Vowel, speaker