In receiving “GII-IKIDONAANIWAN - IT HAS BEEN SAID,” the report of First Peoples Group on Indigenous identity, Queen’s accepted the principle that a new process for confirming claims to Indigenous identity is needed when future employment considerations require Indigenous representation. This third party, external report reflects the opinions of community members that engaged in the dialogue process run by the First Peoples Group and the recommendations as presented were developed in light of that qualitative undertaking. The university views the report from that perspective - it is a starting point but it is certainly not determinative in any way. Its contribution is that a new approach is needed and more voices must be engaged in this discussion of Indigenous identity. That is the basis for the university’s acceptance “in principle” of the First Peoples Group report.
We are grateful for the initial work of the First Peoples Group but to be clear, it is only a first step on a long road ahead. The implementation of the report is very much a work in process. The university may choose to accept some of the report’s recommendations in whole or in part or decide to reject them in their entirety. Of note are several issues raised in the report that bear on academic affairs and human resource management and they will need to be carefully considered and further discussed in the coming months. The Office of Indigenous Initiatives will soon be announcing the next steps to helping us determine a new process for confirming claims to Indigenous Identity.
It is important, however, to be clear that whatever decisions are ultimately made, there are certain decisions of the institution that are already determined. First, the university will always act towards its employees with humanity and in good faith, so even if expectations regarding the demonstration of Indigenous identity are evolving, those members of our community employed without misrepresentation under an earlier protocol will continue to be respected, valued and supported for their contributions to the institution. The university has no reason to dismiss current employees unless those employees have egregiously misrepresented themselves and perpetrated a fraud upon the institution. We have no reason to believe that is the case with regard to any of our current faculty or staff. Second, the commitment of the university to academic freedom remains absolute: the only criterion relevant in deciding who shall teach a subject will be the academic expertise of an individual as determined in part by their scholarship as well as acknowledgment and recognition by academic peers.
Queen’s new Strategic Framework, approved in May 2021, states explicitly and unequivocally our commitment to collegiality, civility, generosity, trust, equity, inclusion and respect for all as well as to uphold the principles of academic freedom and defend university autonomy. The university does and will continue to stand by these values.
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Patrick Deane
Principal and Vice-Chancellor