The recommendations come from an independent review of how Kingston University, Ont assesses indigenous identity when they hire people. Several people are alleged to be connected to the school they falsely claimed to be indigenous. Celeste Pedri-Spade, associate professor and Queen’s National Scholar in Indigenous Studies, said she felt “validated” by the report. The 32-page report by the First Peoples Group, an indigenous consulting firm, looked at “the clear concerns that many indigenous stakeholders had,” Pedri-Spade said, “particularly about how the foundation was not necessarily implementing ways to ensure that the people were what you said they were.” The report’s seven recommendations include developing an indigenous studies department. They also call on the university to establish an accreditation policy for Indigenous faculty that — at a minimum — should include citizenship or membership cards, plus a professional reference and references from a family member and an elected First Nation, Inuit or Métis leader. The report’s authors said the university should address staff who do not meet the new requirements, from finding alternative jobs to firing them. Celeste Pedri-Spade is an associate professor at Queen’s University and a member of the Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation. She says she feels “validated” by the recommendations in Friday’s report. (Celeste Pedri-Spade/provided) After the report was released Friday, principal Patrick Dean said the university would establish an Indigenous Oversight Board to advise the school on how to move forward. While the report’s recommendations are a good step toward addressing the harms caused to Indigenous students, faculty and staff, Pedri-Spade questioned how that oversight committee would be created. “Will they work in a way that … in a very timely manner addresses and implements these recommendations?” asked. “Or is this another bureaucratic layer … that’s more about softening the blow, perhaps, for some of the people who frankly have weak or false claims about Indigenousness in the institution?”
“Ardoch is not First Nation”: report
The report also condemned the university’s ongoing relationship with a non-status community in eastern Ontario, the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, to which three of its staff and associates belong. They include: Ardoch is not considered an Algonquin Nation by the Council of Algonquin Anishinabeg Tribal Nations or the Algonquins of Ontario, nor is it recognized as a band or First Nation by the federal government. “Ardoch is not a First Nation despite positioning itself as such,” the report said. Weldon Coburn, a professor of Indigenous Studies and Political Science at the University of Ottawa, said he was glad the report “said what needed to be said” about Ardoch. “The First Peoples Group has really stepped forward with courage to speak truth to power here,” said Coburn, a member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation and an outspoken critic of Ardoch’s legality. Veldon Coburn, pictured here in 2017, has been an outspoken critic of Queen’s University’s relationship with the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation. (CBC)
The future of the accused partners is uncertain
Despite the report’s recommendation, Queen’s has not committed to cutting ties with Ardoch. “Queen’s recognizes that we have a long historical relationship with Ardoch and that there has been cause for concern by many … about that relationship,” said Janice Hill, the university’s associate vice-chancellor for Indigenous initiatives and reconciliation. The university plans to “review our working relationship with Ardoch and with any individual as the case may be,” he said. Hill would not share what would happen to staff members who allegedly falsely claimed Indigenous identity. The CBC reached out to all staff facing complaints, but did not hear back. The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation office declined to comment when reached by phone.
