An independent report into Indigenous identity issues at Queen’s University says current and future staff should be required to prove their Indigenous citizenship in order to take on certain roles. The report, to be released on Friday, stems from public reaction to a document circulated on social media a year ago that called into question claims about the identity of six indigenous faculty members and people who others are associated with Queen’s. They included people who allegedly based their identity claim on a distant ancestor or their ties to a non-status First Nation not recognized by the federal government, the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation. When the document was released, the nation said it was disappointed by its claims. More than 100 Indigenous academics have signed a letter calling on the university to respond to questions raised in the document, whose author or authors have remained anonymous. The report comes amid scrutiny of notable public figures who claim to be Indigenous, including a University of Saskatchewan professor who resigned last month after a CBC investigation cast doubt on her Indigenous citizenship. Ottawa-based Indigenous consultancy First Peoples Group was commissioned to report on Indigenous hiring practices, based on interviews with Indigenous faculty, students and community members. Their report makes seven recommendations, including the need for an apology for the hurt caused by this issue, the creation of a clear Indigenous recognition policy and the creation of an Indigenous Studies department. Queen’s offers Indigenous studies programs but does not have a department specializing in the field. Queen’s principal Patrick Dean said the university accepted all recommendations in principle. He will now proceed with their implementation “with care and caution”, he said. The first step is to immediately create an indigenous oversight board to draw up an indigenous identity policy, he said. Board members will include Indigenous scholars as well as representatives of the First Nations on whose territory the university is located. The report named four nations: the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, the Alderville First Nation, and the Algonquin of the Pikwakanagan and Kitigan Zibi Anishinaabeg. He said the process will be led by indigenous people and may take some time to complete, but he hopes it will be completed within a year. Next will come the more complex task of policy implementation. The consultants’ report says that, for almost all indigenous nations and peoples, “the identity practiced through citizenship is never difficult to discern.” Self-determination, the honor system that has prevailed for several decades, is no longer considered sufficient by many indigenous peoples, particularly after high-profile cases of academics, writers and others being scrutinized for their claims of indigenous background. But how to prove identity is a thorny question, as one of the ways many First Nations do it is to issue documents and identity cards, which some see as a colonial system. In some cases, people with strong claims may find it difficult to connect with recognized representative organizations because they were forcibly displaced by the residential school system and the Sixties Scoop. Others question why the burden falls on Indigenous peoples to prove their good faith when the issue is fraud perpetrated by non-Indigenous peoples. The Queen’s chancellor, former senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Murray Sinclair, said the Indigenous oversight board should address these issues, but it was clear that self-determination was no longer enough and a more rigorous process had to be devised . “The university is struggling with this issue and has not been able to come to an appropriate settlement of the issue of how to accept indigenous self-determination. Through this process, we hope not only to put Queen’s on a firmer footing, but we hope to set an example for other universities in Canada,” said Mr. Sinclair. Another issue raised in the consultant’s report is what should be done with those already working at the university whose identity claims have been challenged. “We have heard strongly that people whose identity claims are unproven or may be unproven are removed from positions of influence in any Indigenous course or program or related field of study,” the report says. “Opinion here ranges from termination to finding alternative jobs at the university for those found not to meet the new requirements set by Queen’s.” A year ago Mr. Dean said the teachers named in the complaints would remain on staff. This week he said that question would eventually be addressed, but policy direction would come from the work of the Indigenous oversight board. “Our implementations of any set of criteria will have to be done on a case-by-case basis. And we must work within the framework of collective agreements and labor law to bring this process to a fair, just and equitable outcome that satisfies the Indigenous community, but also is fair in its treatment of the individuals concerned.” An earlier version of this article misspelled the name of Queen’s principal. The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
