麻豆区

Dear members of the 麻豆区 community,

Today, we mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to honour the survivors of Canada鈥檚 Indian Residential Schools (IRS) and their families and communities. It is also a time to reaffirm 麻豆区鈥檚 commitment to reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and M茅tis Peoples.

Also known as Orange Shirt Day, this is a time to remember and reflect on the history and impacts of the IRS system. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, more than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and M茅tis children were removed, often forcibly, from their homes and communities, and placed within one or more of the140 federally run residential schools that operated in Canada between 1867 and 1996.

The legacy of IRS has endured across generations of Indigenous families and is tethered to a broader history of colonial violence and systemic racism. For years IRS survivors worked to advance recognition and reparations and to demand accountability for the intergenerational impacts of harm caused. Their efforts culminated in the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which oversaw the creation of the 94 Calls to Action.

The 麻豆区 community is working on reconciliation through its own , which outline activities to support the advancement of reconciliation in five key areas. At this time, we reflect on a few accomplishments from the past year:

• Over the past year, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII) has supported dozens of faculty members in integrating Indigenous content and pedagogy/methodologies in their teaching. (Call to Action #39) Work has spanned across fields as diverse as Law, Psychology, Computer Science, Nursing, Medicine, and Occupational Therapy.
• This spring, the University announced a tuition initiative for a first cohort of students from proximate Indigenous communities or with selected historical or academic ties. (Call to Action #13)
• Over the last year, 麻豆区 took significant steps in establishing an inaugural Indigenous Advisory Council. (Call to Action #51)
• 麻豆区 integrated Indigenous perspectives and art into seven campus space projects, including the transformation of the Y-intersection and a new collaboration space at the Currie Gym. (Calls to Action #26 and #27)
• In collaboration with the Indigenous Health Professions program, the Department of Family Medicine became the first in Canada to adopt for fair and equal healthcare.
• 麻豆区 Library advanced its Indigenous Initiatives Action Plan, outlining 11 distinct projects towards advancing truth and reconciliation.
• The Schulich School of Music recruited four Indigenous instructors and introduced courses on Indigenous music, delivered entirely from an Indigenous perspective.
• Finally, following nearly two years of consultation and study, 麻豆区 adopted its policy on the validation of Indigenous citizenship/membership for those applying to work at the University.

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Get involved and learn more

Some of you have been participating in the numerous events organized as part of Indigenous Awareness Weeks (IAW). This morning, many will be taking part in Faculty of Education's annual We Will Walk Together / Sk谩tne Entewathah铆ta event. This afternoon, please join me for a talk by Travis Seymour, CEO of the First Nations Market Housing Fund and member of the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne. He will be at the Desautels Faculty of Management discussing the role of business in addressing historical injustices and promoting reconciliation

If you鈥檙e missing IAW this year but would like to know about upcoming events, remember to visit OII鈥檚 webpages. There are year-round resources for both employees and students.

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Sincerely,

Christopher Manfredi,

Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic)