Ã山ǿ¼é

Indigenous Citizenship Verification in Student-Related Opportunities (ICVSRO) Working Group

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Background

The role of the Indigenous Citizenship Verification for Student-Related Opportunities (ICVSRO) Working Group is to provide strategic advice on the development of policies and procedures related to Ã山ǿ¼é’s commitment to ensuring that positions and opportunities for Indigenous students are distributed to them as intended.

The ICVSRO sets out to achieve a draft policy and set of procedures that will guide Ã山ǿ¼é in verifying claims to Indigenous citizenship in student-related opportunities and material benefits.

In achieving this goal, the ICVSRO Working Group will undertake to create a policy that aligns with the Indigenous Citizenship Verification in Employment-Related Opportunities (ICVERO), to not create a double standard, but will also ensure to honour the differences in outcomes.

Documents and Terms of Reference

This Terms of Reference is effective from June 1st, 2023 and continues until the expected date of completion of August 31st, 2023 with the possibility of extension.

  • Accountability to one another and to the collectives from which we come;
  • Trauma-informed lens to ensure the work does not perpetuate harms stemming from previous policies;
  • Honesty;
  • The Four Agreements (Based on work of Don Miguel Ruiz): Be impeccable with your words; never take things personally; never make any assumptions; do your best;
  • Humility (awareness we alone do not hold an absolute truth);
  • Collectivity (working towards the betterment of the whole);
  • Positive regard towards one another;
  • Respect;
  • The Four Gates of Speech in communication (based on work of Odair Faleco): Truth- Is what I have to say true? Necessary-Is what I have to say necessary? Timing- Is now the appropriate time to say this? Kindness- Is what I’m saying kind/is there a kind way to say this?

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Relevant Documentation:

  1. Complete Terms of Reference:ÌýÌýFile Final ICVRSO Terms of Reference
  2. July 12th Update (Students):ÌýÌýPDF icon July 12th Letter to Community
  3. Invitation for Student Community:ÌýPDF icon Student Invitation ICVRSO

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Group Membership

  1. Associate Provost of Indigenous Initiatives (Co-Chair) – Celeste Pedri-Spade;
  2. Associate Director Indigenous Student Success (Co-Chair)- Thomasina Phillips;
  3. One (1) internal Indigenous staff member- Avery Barnaby;
  4. Two (2) Indigenous community representatives: Kevin Kanahsohon Deer, and Lynn Jacobs-Scott;
  5. Four (4) Indigenous Ã山ǿ¼é student representatives: Jenni Makahnouk, Sage Goodleaf-Labelle, Angel Oliver, and Taylor Goodleaf

View Meeting Summaries and Schedule

Thursday, June 1st 2023

On Thursday, June 1st, 2023, the Indigenous Citizenship Verification for Student Related Opportunities at Ã山ǿ¼é (ICVSRO) Student Working Group met for the first time over Zoom. The meeting was facilitated by the Working Group Chair Associate Provost (Indigenous Initiatives) at Ã山ǿ¼é, Celeste Pedri-Spade and Co-Chair Associate Director, Indigenous Student Success at Ã山ǿ¼é, Thomasina Phillips.

The internal Student Working Group members present were: (1) Jenni Makahnouk; (2) Sage Goodleaf; (3) Taylor Goodleaf; and (4) Angel Oliver. The external community-based members present were: (1) Lynn Jacobs Scott; and (2) Kevin Deer.

The group did a round of introduction. The co-chairs provided the group with additional context as to why this policy initiative is taking place, the role of this Working Group, and the role of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives within the University in stewarding this work. This initiative is being signaled as important from both the University and Indigenous communities.

The group reviewed the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the Working Group on Citizenship Verification on Employment-Related Opportunities (ICVERO) as a lead-in to the development of our TOR. The co-chairs facilitated a discussion on how the work of ICVSRO differed from that of the ICVERO, in that students are not in positions of high influence and authority over others and are often in earlier stages of academic and career development. The approach must reflect this difference, but care must be taken not to develop conflicting policies. The group engaged in a discussion about the guiding values and principles that will govern this work (identified in the Terms of Reference).

Thursday, June 15th 2023

On Thursday, June 15th, 2023, the Indigenous Citizenship Verification for Student-Related Opportunities at Ã山ǿ¼é (ICVSRO) Student Working Group met for the second time over Zoom.

The internal Working Group members present were: (1) Jenni Makahnouk; (2) Sage Goodleaf; (3) Taylor Goodleaf; and (4) Angel Oliver. The external community-based members present were: (1) Lynn Jacobs Scott; and (2) Kevin Kanahsohon Deer. The Co-Chair, Thomasina Phillips was in attendance.

The group session began with a discussion of the two documents that were reviewed after last meeting: The Indigenous Screen Office Report- Building Trust and Accountability; and the Queens University Indigenous Identity Final Report- ‘GII-IKIDONAANIWAN’ ‘IT HAS BEEN SAID’. It was discussed how these reports can be useful to understanding how other institutions of higher learning have approached the issue of false identity claims for material benefit and can serve to generate reflection on how Ã山ǿ¼é’s policy may take shape.

The group discussed informed consent, and how all steps in the citizenship verification process must be made clear to students before they choose to self-identify. The idea of a single verification process (as opposed to multiple times throughout the course of one’s academic journey in the example of someone re-applying or seeking a second degree) was discussed, as part of a trauma-informed approach. The working group also continued discussions on the Terms of Reference.

Thursday, June 29th, 2023

On Thursday, June 29th, 2023, the Indigenous Citizenship Verification for Student-Related Opportunities at Ã山ǿ¼é (ICVSRO) Student Working Group met for the third time over Zoom. The meeting was facilitated by the Working Group Chair and Associate Provost (Indigenous Initiatives) at Ã山ǿ¼é, Celeste Pedri-Spade and Co-Chair Associate Director, Indigenous Student Success at Ã山ǿ¼é, Thomasina Phillips.

The internal Working Group members present were: (1) Jenni Makahnouk; (2) Sage Goodleaf; and (3) Taylor Goodleaf. The external community-based members present were: (1) Lynn Jacobs Scott; and (2) Kevin Kanahsohon Deer.

The Student Working Group began their discussion with a round of check-ins of members and then received updates from the Indigenous Citizenship Verification for Employment-Related Opportunities at Ã山ǿ¼é Working group (ICVERO). The ways in which the policy and procedure for hiring Faculty and Staff differ than the policy for students applying at Ã山ǿ¼é were discussed.

The Student Working Group discussed what the process might look like and had a preliminary discussion regarding which documents would be appropriate for citizenship verification moving forward with the policy. The group also explored what accountability mechanisms would need to be developed in order to address cases of misidentification.

For the next meeting, members were asked to review the finalized Indigenous citizenship policy from the University of Saskatchewan for our next discussion. The Student Working Group is set to meet again on Thursday, July 13th 2023.

Thursday, July 13th, 2023

On Thursday, July 13th, 2023, the Working Group on Indigenous Citizenship Verification for Student-Related Opportunities at Ã山ǿ¼é met for the fourth time over Zoom. The meeting was facilitated by the Working Group Chair Associate Provost (Indigenous Initiatives) at Ã山ǿ¼é, Celeste Pedri-Spade and Co-Chair Associate Director, Indigenous Student Success at Ã山ǿ¼é, Thomasina Phillips.

The internal working group members present were: (1) Jenni Makahnouk; (2) Sage Goodleaf; and (3) Angel Oliver. The external community-based members present were: (1) Lynn Jacobs Scott; and (2) Kevin Kanahsohon Deer.

The group discussion started with a round of check-ins and a recap of last meeting. The group proceeded to share feedback and thoughts on the verification policy adopted at the University of Saskatchewan. Members had the opportunity to raise any questions or concerns they may haveÌýafter reviewing the document and identify elements of the policy they feel are appropriate for the context of Ã山ǿ¼é and those that are not.

The next steps are to begin a draft internal policy (produced by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives). Student and community consultations will take place in the future as the policy develops. The student working group is set to meet again on Thursday, July 27th, 2023.

Thursday, July 27th, 2023

On Thursday, July 27th, 2023, the Indigenous Citizenship for Verification for Student-Related Opportunities at Ã山ǿ¼é (ICVSRO) Student Working Group met for the fifth time over Zoom. The meeting was facilitated by the Working Group Chair Associate Provost (Indigenous Initiatives) at Ã山ǿ¼é, Celeste Pedri-Spade and Co-Chair Associate Director, Indigenous Student Success at Ã山ǿ¼é, Thomasina Phillips.

The internal working group members present were: (1) Jenni Makahnouk; (2) Sage Goodleaf; (3) Taylor Goodleaf; and (4) Angel Oliver. The external community-based members present were: (1) Lynn Jacobs Scott; and (2) Kevin Kanahsohon Deer.

The meeting was opened with welcoming remarks and a check-in with members. Co-chair Thomasina Phillips shared with the group that a rough draft of the policy is being drafted and will soon be shared with the student working group members for their review and feedback next session. Discussions continued regarding ways to support students through the verification process. Different options and steps for verifying citizenship were discussed, looking at approaching the process holistically.Ìý

Consultations will be planned for Fall 2023 semester with the Ã山ǿ¼é Indigenous student population followed by community engagement sessions.

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Meeting summary to be uploaded after its occurrence.

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Meeting summary to be uploaded after its occurrence.

Thursday, August 31, 2023

Meeting cancelled.

September- October 2023: Draft Revisions of Policy

(No meetings)

October 2023-Present: Input and Feedback Sessions

Updates and schedule for sessions are communicated by email and First Peoples' House student newsletter. For questions, please contact thomasina.phillips [at] mcgill.ca

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