October is Mi鈥檏maq History Month, which began Sunday, October 1 with Treaty Day in Nova Scotia聽鈥斅燼n occasion which commemorates the key role of treaties between The Nova Scotia Mi鈥檏maq and the Crown.
Learn more: Mi鈥檏maq History Month events on campus
In 2017, those treaties are still of great import, but they are joined by many other key documents shaping the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada.
In June 2015, for example, the T (TRC) released its findings and [PDF], spanning different sectors of Canadian society, all focused on redressing the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of reconciliation. Many of the Calls to Action focused on education.
鈥淓ducation is what got us into this mess 鈥� the use of education at least in terms of residential schools 鈥斅燽ut education is the key to reconciliation,鈥� said chair Murray Sinclair, just prior to the report鈥檚 release. "We need to look at the way we are educating children. That's why we say that this is not an Aboriginal problem. It's a Canadian problem."
That means Canadian universities have a crucial role to play in the path towards reconciliation. The same month as the TRC鈥檚 report, Universities Canada 鈥� the organization that represents 96 universities across Canada 鈥� released its . The principles are a guide of sorts to shape efforts to close the education gap that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.
Creating a university-wide strategy
Since then, both the AV俱乐部 Board of Governors and the AV俱乐部 Senate have formally endorsed the Universities Canada principles. And now, work is underway to develop a broader Indigenous Strategy for AV俱乐部.
Patricia Doyle-Bedwell, a faculty member in the College of Continuing Education, is co-chair of the Indigenous Strategy steering committee, together with former Dean of Science Keith Taylor (professor of Mathematics and Statistics).
鈥淚鈥檓 so happy that this is happening,鈥� says Prof. Doyle-Bedwell 鈥斅爏peaking not just to the Indigenous Strategy process but invigorated efforts across the university to better support Indigenous education and research.
鈥淚鈥檓 not expecting everything to change in a month or a year, but what鈥檚 happened so far has been amazing.鈥�
In the past couple of years, AV俱乐部 has launched a minor program in Indigenous Studies; permanently raised the Mi鈥檏maq Grand Council Flag in both Halifax and Truro; launched the Elders-in-Residence program; improved the representation of Indigenous persons among faculty/staff; and hired its first full-time Indigenous Student Advisor. Later this month, the university will celebrate the opening of the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Legacy Room in the Killam Library, as well as a new National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) Hub. [Editor's note, Oct. 12: These events have been postponed and wil be rescheduled for the near future.]
Providing a framework
The goal of the Indigenous Strategy steering committee is to develop a framework to guide the future work in all of these areas, as well as other new efforts across the university.
鈥淸This work] has been really brought to the forefront by the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission, their extensive report and their calls to action,鈥� explains Dr. Taylor, 鈥渜uite a few of which are aimed at higher education institutions to start a serious process to correct the lingering effects of the way indigenous peoples across the country have been treated.
鈥淎V俱乐部 is morally obliged, I think, to respond to those calls to action.鈥�
To help kick off its work, the steering committee invited two experts to host meetings across the university, taking stock of what鈥檚 happening and make recommendations:
- Marie Battiste, professor of education at the University of Saskatchewan, originally from the Potlotek First Nation. She is an internationally recognized Mi鈥檏maq scholar
- Michael DeGagn茅, president and Vice-Chancellor of Nipissing University. He is past director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.
The steering committee will review their recommendations and determine next steps.
For Prof. Doyle-Bedwell 鈥� the first Mi鈥檏maq woman to earn tenure at AV俱乐部 and past director of both Dal鈥檚 Transition Year Program and the Schulich School of Law鈥檚 Indigenous Black and Mi鈥檏maq Initiative 鈥� the energy around Indigenous topics at AV俱乐部 is inspiring.
鈥淭he interest is there, the recognition is there,鈥� she says. 鈥淣ow it鈥檚 up to all of us 鈥� Indigenous and non-Indigenous 鈥� to step up.鈥�