Section 1: Understanding Decolonization, Indigenization, and Reconciliation

Summary

Positioning yourself to support the transformation of services and supports for to Indigenous students and Indigenous communities is guided by national processes, provincial priorities, and relationships in your region. Together we can look at how to create an opportunity for privileging Indigenous ways of doing and being to better serve and support Indigenous students and communities at our institutions.

Activities

Activity 1: Locate yourself

Type: Individual

Time: 30 minutes

After reading this section, consider the following questions:

  • How does your personal background and identity impact your knowledge and experience of Indigenous Peoples?
  • What is your current relationship to Indigenous Peoples?
  • What changes do you want to make in my relationship to Indigenous Peoples?
  • How do you view your role in Indigenization at your institution?

Activity 2: Journey towards decolonization

Type: Individual

Time: 30 minutes

Watch this five-minute video entitled Keep Calm and Decolonize. Walking is Medicine.[1] Legendary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin shares a story of decolonization from the Nishiyuu walkers.

  • Why is it important to have decolonization as part of our work in responding to the TRC’s Calls to Action?
  • What work can you undertake to decolonize your practice and views?

Activity 3: Building allyship

Type: Individual

Time: 1 hour

Read the following three blog entries:

Becoming an Ally[2]

Overcoming the Fear of Being Called a Racist: White Student Affairs Professionals Working for Racial Liberation[3]

White People Owning our Whiteness & Resistance[4]

  • What are three intentional practices you could engage in to build/enrich ally relationships with Indigenous colleagues, faculty, Elders, students, and community members?
  • What is the current representation of Indigenous educational leadership and staff at your institution? In your department?
  1. Keep Calm and Decolonize. Walking is Medicine video: https://youtu.be/qxDFtIDliAg ↵
  2. Becoming an Ally: https://web.archive.org/web/20180129135300/http://becominganally.ca/Becoming_an_Ally/Home.html ↵
  3. Overcoming the Fear of Being Called a Racist: https://web.archive.org/web/20200106060858/http://convention.myacpa.org/houston2018/overcoming-fear/ ↵
  4. White People Owning our Whiteness & Resistance: https://web.archive.org/web/20201127112311/http://convention.myacpa.org/houston2018/white-people-owning-whiteness-resistance/ ↵

License

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Pulling Together: A Guide for Front-Line Staff, Student Services, and Advisors Copyright © 2018 by Ian Cull; Robert L. A. Hancock; Stephanie McKeown; Michelle Pidgeon; and Adrienne Vedan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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