POLICY PAPER Indigenous Students
Fall 2017
Prepared by:
Nadia Bathish, Vice-President, External Affairs Brock University Students’ Union, Brock University
Ryan Deshpande, Vice-President (Education) McMaster Students Union, McMaster University
Piers Kreps, Co-President, Cooperative of Indigenous Studies Students and Alumni McMaster Students Union, McMaster University
Hannah Martin McMaster Students Union, McMaster University
Samantha Powless Brock University Students’ Union, Brock University
Urszula Sitarz, Associate Vice-President: Provincial & Federal Affairs McMaster Students Union, McMaster University
OUSA would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following student groups in the creation of this paper:
Cooperative of Indigenous Studies Students and Alumni, McMaster University
Aboriginal Student Services, Brock University
With files from:
Marc Gurrisi, Research & Policy Analyst Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance
Mickey Calder, Municipal Research Coordinator Brock University Students’ Union, Brock University
Melanie Davis, Internal Affairs Coordinator Brock University Students’ Union, Brock University
Ja’miil Millar, Advocacy Coordinator Brock University Students’ Union, Brock University
ABOUT OUSA
OUSA represents the interests of 150,000 professional and undergraduate, full-time and part-time university students at eight student associations across Ontario. Our vision is for an accessible, affordable, accountable, and high quality post-secondary education in Ontario. To achieve this vision we’ve come together to develop solutions to challenges facing higher education, build broad consensus for our policy options, and lobby government to implement them.
This OUSA Indigenous Students Policy Paper by the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Suggested citation:
Bathish, Nadia, Ryan Deshpande, Piers Kreps, Hannah Martin, Samantha Powless, and Urszula Sitarz. Policy Paper: Indigenous Students. Toronto: Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, 2017. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
INTRODUCTION 4
NON-FINANCIAL BARRIERS 7 EARLY OUTREACH 7 RECOGNITION OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE(S) 9
FINANCIAL BARRIERS 11 POST-SECONDARY STUDENT SUPPORT PROGRAM 11 INDIGENOUS STUDENT BURSARY AND OSAP 12 INDIGENOUS TRAVEL GRANT 15
DECOLONIZING & INDIGENIZING INSTITUTIONS 17 ELDERS-IN-RESIDENCE 17 ELDER-ADVISED TRAININGS 17 INSTRUCTORS AND CONTENT 19 REVITALIZING INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES 20 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING 21 CREATING INDIGENOUS SPACES ON CAMPUS 23
INDIGENOUS SUPPORT SERVICES 24 ACADEMICS 24 HEALTH AND WELLNESS 25 CHILDCARE 27 INDIGENOUS WOMEN’S SAFETY 27
INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 30 TARGETED FUNDING 30 PROGRAM CREATION AND COLLABORATION 32
POLICY STATEMENT 34
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations is not easily achieved. Nevertheless, it is essential. Within the scope of Ontario’s university sector, reconciliation means ensuring that Indigenous peoples are encouraged and enabled to equitably access, engage, and succeed throughout their post-secondary careers and beyond. The best way to ensure that universities can provide engaging and meaningful experiences for Indigenous students is to pursue a path towards reconciliation via ‘decolonization’ and ‘Indigenization’. Decolonization involves the recognition of Indigenous worldviews and pedagogies, deconstructing Western institutional practices, and complementing those with traditional Indigenous knowledge(s) and practices. Indigenization involves the meaningful inclusion of Indigenous knowledge(s) in the very fabric of academia, from policies to practices across all levels, including the curriculum. In short, it has to go beyond Western values and traditions, reconciling the historic and ongoing injustices committed by the province’s colonial structures.
THE PROBLEM Non-Financial Barriers Indigenous students are disproportionately limited in gaining certain forms of information due to the geographic locations of post-secondary institutions and lack of access to internet. Many Indigenous reserve communities also cannot access comprehensive information about post- secondary education, such as the Ontario Universities’ Fair. Indigenous methods of teaching and learning are rarely recognized or valued within the Ontario university sector, and the costs and restrictions to apply for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) at each institution is a major access barrier to post-secondary education for Indigenous students.
Financial Barriers There currently exists a large funding backlog in the federal Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP), and the program does not equitably distribute funds to local Band councils, resulting in reserves with larger populations not having adequate funding for their post- secondary students. Meanwhile, Métis, non-status First Nations, and off-reserve students are considered ineligible for the PSSSP. As a result, Indigenous students with financial need have to apply to multiple separate grants and bursaries in order to finance their education, making it unreasonably difficult to access. The Indigenous Student Bursary (ISB) is distributed to individual institutions, exacerbating this problem, and it does not have enough funds to properly address unmet financial need. At the same time, the Ontario Distance Grant - Travel does not consider the large costs required to travel to remote Indigenous reserve communities, and its requirement for OSAP eligibility fails to consider the other determinants of unmet financial need, or the fact that many Indigenous students choose not to apply for OSAP.
Colonial and Eurocentric Institutions Indigenous students have limited access to elders, whose visits are often infrequent at Ontario universities, due to the fact that institutions often do not have, or do not allocate, sufficient resources to retain elders-in-residence to support their Indigenous student population. Staff that interact frequently with Indigenous populations (e.g. residence life offices, security services, department chairs and faculty deans, university administration, and student staff) are not receiving an appropriate amount of cultural sensitivity training, despite this being outlined in the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Indigenous undergraduate students often feel misrepresented, discriminated, and/or tokenized in classrooms taught by non-Indigenous instructors. At the same time, there is a lack of representation for Indigenous faculty, instructors, and knowledge holders at Ontario universities, and many have 1
2 limited Indigenous language course offerings or resources. Finally, the allocation of on-campus culturally appropriate and safe spaces for Indigenous students is not prioritized.
Underfunded Indigenous Support Services Many post-secondary institutions do not have adequate Indigenous academic services or have defunded these academic services. Difficulties in meeting the standards and style of university education are the most oft cited obstacle for Indigenous students pursuing an undergraduate degree. Traditional methods of healing are not valued as valid forms of wellness in Ontario universities. Nevertheless, 20% of off-reserve Indigenous adults (ages 18-25) have had suicidal thoughts, which is 8% higher than non-Indigenous adults of the same age. Indigenous students are also much more likely to have dependant care responsibilities, and the majority of Indigenous students attending university identify as women who are classified as mature students. Finally, Indigenous women 15 and older are almost three and a half times more likely than non- Indigenous women to report having experienced violence.
Inadequate Experiential Learning Opportunities Many Indigenous students are unable to engage in meaningful experiential learning opportunities due to financial and cultural barriers. There is also currently a lack of funding available for employers to hire both experiential education students and recent graduates. This is compounded by the fact that the Ontario university sector does not have sufficient experiential programming tailored specifically to Indigenous students’ needs, interests or desired outcomes.
RECOMMENDATIONS Early Outreach and Recognition of Indigenous Knowledge(s) All Indigenous students in Ontario deserve equitable access to comprehensive information regarding a university education. As such, outreach programs should cater to the specific needs of prospective Indigenous students, and the province should provide funds for Indigenous secondary schools and Indigenous post-secondary schools in Ontario to bring Indigenous students to visit Ontario university campuses of their choosing. The province should also provide physical information materials in all reserve communities, friendship centres, and regional associations, and increase funding for the Aboriginal Post-Secondary Information Program (APSIP) to allow for more visits to geographically isolated Indigenous communities. At the same time, the province should standardize and subsidize the costs for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) across the Ontario university sector.
Increase Indigenous Student Financial Assistance The provincial government should lobby the federal government to increase funds in the PSSSP to meet the backlog in funding and equitably distribute the funding to local Band councils, as well as to allow Métis and non-status First Nations students to access the PSSSP. The provincial government should also incorporate the ISB application into the OSAP portal to streamline funding processes, while maintaining distinct funds and eligibility requirements that meet the needs of Indigenous students. Ideally, the provincial government should uphold its treaty rights and expand the ISB to cover all Indigenous students’ unmet financial need, but, in the interim, the provincial government should increase the amount of funding allocated to the ISB program from $1.5 million to $37 million in order to address the lack of funding available for Indigenous students. Furthermore, Indigenous students should have access to adequate, grant-based funding for the sake of travel to and from their home, whether on or off reserve. To achieve this, the provincial government should create an Indigenous Travel Grant that is distributed to institutional Indigenous Student Services offices and is specifically tailored to the needs of Indigenous students. This grant should be exempt from the OSAP financial aid requirement and 2
3 be designed to allocate funding to students on a per-kilometer basis, from their home to institution of choice, taking into account the unique needs of Indigenous students.
Decolonize and Indigenize Institutions The province should mandate that institutions increase funding for Elders-in-Residence programs, as well as facilitate connections amongst institutions to improve the diversity of representation amongst them. Furthermore, the provincial government should mandate that all faculty, administration, and university-employed staff complete cultural sensitivity training; advised by local Indigenous communities and their elders. Meanwhile, universities should recognize Indigenous knowledge(s) in their accreditation standards for Indigenous faculty and knowledge holders and there should be Indigenous representation on OUCQA. The province should also mandate that a recognized IEC, Indigenous faculty member, or local Indigenous community review new and existing Indigenous content. The COU should also advise its members to develop a selection of Indigenous courses to serve as a substitute of any given context credit at an institution. Concurrently, the provincial government should, through eCampus Ontario, invest in the development of open-educational resources for Indigenous languages. The provincial government should also mandate that all IECs be held accountable to their neighbouring Indigenous communities by providing them with annual reports and measurable outcomes on efforts within each institution. Furthermore, the COU must, in collaboration with IECs, allocate and design on-campus Indigenous spaces to provide core services and safe spaces for Indigenous students. Finally, the provincial government should encourage institutions to raise appropriate and relevant Indigenous flags next to the Canadian and Ontario flags in a prominent location on all campuses, as well as increase visibility of Indigenous cultures on campus, including Indigenous art, language, etc.
Consistently Fund Indigenous Support Services The Government of Ontario should provide guaranteed funding through the Postsecondary Education Fund for Aboriginal Learners (PEFAL) to ensure the continuity and quality of Indigenous services, which should be set based on the number of Indigenous students attending a given institution. At the same time, the province should, in partnership with traditional healers, establish and develop culturally relevant health programs for Indigenous students in both on and off campus health networks, as well as commit sustainable funding for the creation and cultivation of traditional medicine gardens through each institution’s IEC, and develop culturally based suicide prevention and crisis intervention strategies for Indigenous children and youth. Meanwhile, the provincial government should fulfill its commitment to fund Indigenous child care to include licensed and culturally relevant spaces on, or within, an accessible distance to campus. The provincial government should also mandate that all universities must incorporate Indigenous-developed programs and strategies into their respective Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Policies.
Develop Indigenous Experiential Learning Opportunities The provincial government should establish targeted grants for universities to design and implement experiential learning programs tailored for Indigenous students in local businesses, industries, and organizations in both on and off reserve communities. At the same time, the provincial government should establish upfront grants for non-Indigenous employers that provide experiential learning opportunities to – or hire recently graduated – Indigenous students. Meanwhile, the COU should task each institution’s IEC to develop an experiential programming framework that will promote culturally relevant skills development for Indigenous students. Finally, the provincial government should incentivize partnerships between Aboriginal Institutes and Ontario universities that offer culturally relevant and field-specific experiential learning opportunities.
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INTRODUCTION
OUSA would like to acknowledge that its member schools and home office reside on the traditional and ancestral lands of the Haudenosaunee, Anishnaabeg, Attawandaron, Wendat, Huron, Mississaugas of the New Credit, Métis, and Atikameksheng Anishnaabeg nations.
Reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations – as a federal, provincial, municipal, and personal goal – is not easily achieved. Nevertheless, it is essential. According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, “reconciliation must inspire Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples to transform Canadian society so that our children and grandchildren can live together in dignity, peace, and prosperity on these lands we now share.”1 Within the scope of Ontario’s university sector, reconciliation means ensuring that Indigenous peoples are encouraged and enabled to equitably access, engage, and succeed throughout their post- secondary careers and beyond. OUSA’s students recognize the importance of striving for reconciliation with the province’s Indigenous population, particularly within the context of Ontario’s institutions of higher education. We are both honoured and excited to share our vision for enhancing the Indigenous experience at Ontario’s universities, which was developed in collaboration with Indigenous students and support staff across the province.
It is important to address the limitations of this collaboration process. The Indigenous student perspective and experiences that influenced this paper came primarily from McMaster University, Brock University, and Wilfrid Laurier University (Waterloo and Brantford campuses). The Indigenous staff perspectives that influenced this paper came from Queen’s University, Western University, Wilfrid Laurier University (Waterloo and Brantford campuses), McMaster University, and Brock University. As such, not all Indigenous students and staff from each of OUSA’s member institutions are wholly represented in this policy paper.
For the purposes of this policy, an Indigenous student will be defined as any student who self- identifies as First Nations, Métis, or Inuit, in Canada. First Nations may include status and non- status Indigenous individuals, in consistency with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.2
At present, there are approximately 6,500 self-identified Indigenous students attending an Ontario university,3 and about a total of 16,000 attending a publicly funded college or university.4 As such, Indigenous students only represent around 1% of the Ontario university student population (including both undergraduate and graduate programs). This is concerningly low, especially when we consider the fact that 42% of Ontario’s Indigenous population are under the age of 25 (12% higher than Ontario’s non-Indigenous population in the same age group).5 Furthermore, only 11% of Indigenous peoples aged 25 to 64 have a university certificate, diploma or degree at a bachelor level, in comparison to 29% of non-Indigenous people in the same age bracket.6 These numbers clearly illustrate a need for the provincial government to invest in bolstering Indigenous student access and participation in the university sector.
1 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Honouring the Truth, Reconciling the Future: Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, (Ottawa, ON, 2015), p. 7. 2 Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, "Non-Status Indians," accessed September 20, 2017, https://www.aadnc- aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100014433/1100100014437 3 Council of Ontario Universities, “Student Services: Aboriginal Learners,” accessed October 1, 2017, http://cou.on.ca/key- issues/student-services/aboriginal-learners/ 4 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, “Indigenous OSAP Update: Sector Consultation – Net Billing,” December 15, 2016. 5 Statistics Canada, “Aboriginal Peoples: Fact Sheet for Ontario,” March 14, 2016, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-656- x/89-656-x2016007-eng.htm 6 Ibid. 4
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However, various financial and non-financial barriers hinder this goal. Indigenous students, particularly those from reserve communities, often live in areas distant from Ontario’s universities. As such, travelling from their homes to attend university can be both financially and emotionally challenging. This is further problematized by the insufficiency of financial aid provided to them. Currently, the federal assistance program is seriously underfunded and has precipitated not only stagnancy in accessibility, but also in affordability. Living allowances provided through federally based band council funding is incredibly low, forcing Indigenous students to experience lower quality living conditions, cope with unhealthy diets, and seek in- study part-time employment to cover the costs of living.7 At present, the provincial government has yet to address these gaps. Furthermore, informational barriers permeate throughout the province for Indigenous youth. Almost two thirds of Indigenous students are first generation and the majority of Indigenous students do not trust the public education system as a whole.8 Furthermore, 72% of Indigenous students report not feeling prepared for the demands of post- secondary programs from their secondary schools.9 These barriers, in tandem, drastically inhibit the capacity for Indigenous youth to consider a university education as a genuine possibility.
The barriers do not just exist at the doors of institutions, but also throughout their campus spaces. For instance, a third of Indigenous students report not having opportunities to take university courses that contain Indigenous content during their undergraduate education.10 This often causes Indigenous students to feel alienated and disconnected to the material covered in their programming. On a related note, Indigenous content is all too often misrepresented, insensitively communicated, ignored, denied, and/or taught by a non-Indigenous faculty member.11 It is no wonder, then, that 90% of Indigenous students report experiencing racism on campus,12 while also being statistically more likely to report feeling uncomfortable in their campus environments.13 These issues are further propagated by the fact that on-campus support services are not tailored to the needs of Indigenous students. Essential services, such as academic, financial, and career advising, as well as counselling and wellbeing services, are only available based on the amount of funding provided to the Indigenous Services offices at each institution. Due to how underfunded these offices tend to be, Indigenous support staff are overworked and expected to provide support in areas beyond their positions’ responsibilities.14 This not only negatively impacts the level of attention each Indigenous student can receive, but it also hinders the sustainability of these offices in many institutions. Elders in-residence, for example, are rarely available on a full-time basis at any Ontario university, despite the fact that they are viewed as essential knowledge holders and respected advisors to Indigenous youth. Finally, it is important to note that Indigenous students from reserve communities experience ‘culture shock’ when entering Eurocentric university institutions. This is compounded by the fact that many also do not speak English as their first or preferred language, which can make adjusting to campus environments very difficult. In short, Indigenous students face substantial barriers to persistence, engagement and success during their undergraduate education experiences.
Students believe that the best way to transcend these barriers and ensure that universities can provide engaging and meaningful experiences for Indigenous students is to pursue a path towards reconciliation via ‘Indigenization’. The ‘Indigenization’ of institutions of higher education, at its
7 Indigenous students focus group in discussion with authors, Aboriginal Student Centre, Brock University, September 13, 2017. 8 Restoule, Jean-Paul, Angela Mashford-Pringle, Maya Chacaby, Christine Smillie, Candace Brunette, and Gail Russel, “Supporting Successful Transitions to Post-Secondary Education for Indigenous Students: Lessons from an Institutional Ethnography in Ontario, Canada,” The International Indigenous Policy Journal 4(4): pp. 1-10, 2013. 9 Ibid. 10 Gurrisi, Marc, Quality: Results from the 2015 Ontario Post-Secondary Student Survey, Research Report, (Toronto: Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, 2017). 11 Multiple consultations with Indigenous students and support staff in discussion with authors, July-September, 2017. 12 Restoule et al., 2013. 13 Gurrisi, 2017. 14 Multiple consultations with Indigenous support staff in discussion with authors, July-September, 2017. 5
6 root, is about decolonizing the university sector in a holistic manner. Decolonization involves the recognition of Indigenous worldviews and pedagogies, deconstructing Western institutional practices, and complementing those with traditional Indigenous knowledge(s) and practices. Decolonization also has positive impacts on both Indigenous peoples and other racialized groups. Indigenization refers to the meaningful inclusion of Indigenous knowledge(s) in the very fabric of academia, from policies to practices across all levels, including the curriculum.15 In short, ‘Indigenization’ has to go beyond Western values and traditions,16 reconciling the historic and ongoing injustices committed by the province’s colonial structures; this is engrained into the spirit and essence of OUSA’s principles, concerns, and recommendations to follow.
15 Pidgeon, Michelle, “More than a checklist: meaningful indigenous inclusion in higher education,” Social Inclusion, 4(1): p. 79, 2016. 16 Ibid. 6
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NON-FINANCIAL BARRIERS
EARLY OUTREACH
Principle: All Indigenous students in Ontario deserve equitable access to comprehensive information regarding a university education.
Principle: Outreach programs should cater to the specific needs of prospective Indigenous students.
Concern: Indigenous students are disproportionately limited in gaining certain forms of information due to the geographic locations of post-secondary institutions and lack of access to internet.
Concern: Many Indigenous reserve communities cannot access comprehensive information about post-secondary education, such as the Ontario University Fair (OUF).
Concern: Online information resources regarding post-secondary education options for Indigenous students, such as the Council of Ontario Universities’ Future Further, still do not use inclusive language.
Recommendation: The province should provide funds for Indigenous secondary schools and Indigenous post-secondary schools in Ontario to bring Indigenous students to visit Ontario university campuses of their choosing.
Recommendation: The province should provide physical information materials in all reserve communities, friendship centres, and regional associations.
Recommendation: The province should increase funding for the Aboriginal Post-Secondary Information Program (APSIP) to allow for more visits to geographically isolated Indigenous communities.
Recommendation: The province should provide comprehensive information on each university through the Ontario eINFO website.
Recommendation: The province should mandate that all publicly funded informational resources for Indigenous students use inclusive language.
Early outreach programming for the university sector is effective for prospective students to gain a better understanding of the expectations of undergraduate education and to give first generation students, and other underrepresented groups, the necessary preparation to access, persist, and succeed in post-secondary. Despite the fact that Indigenous youth are the fastest growing population in Canada, the proportionality of Indigenous students within Ontario universities does not mirror this. According to the 2011 national census, only 9.8% of Indigenous people aged 25 to 64 held a university degree, whereas 26.5% of non-Indigenous people of the same age bracket held a university degree.17
Prospective Indigenous students in Ontario continue to face obstacles in attempts to gain exposure to the university sector. Whether these students are from reserve communities or not, concerns of geography and lack of culturally focused information continues to be a trend for all
17 Statistics Canada, “The educational attainment of Aboriginal peoples in Canada,” accessed October 2, 2017, http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-012-x/99-012-x2011003_3-eng.cfm 7
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Indigenous youth. As a result, proportionate representation of Indigenous students is lacking within Ontario universities. It is the responsibility of the Ontario government to ensure equitable access to comprehensive information by investing in early outreach methods and ensuring robust and inclusive language.
A substantial education, income and employment gap has been highlighted between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people across Canada.18 On average, about 1 in 3 students do not complete high school, which further contributes to the fact that the income for Indigenous people is 30% lower than the median income for non-Indigenous people.19 As a result, it is easy to identify that removing the barriers to access PSE in Ontario is of utmost importance to reconcile these gaps.
Early outreach programming has been identified as a successful method in increasing enrolment in Ontario post-secondary education (PSE). Events like the Ontario Universities Fair (OUF) continue to draw more and more university hopefuls. With more than 139,000 people in attendance in its Toronto location, some may be tempted to name it Canada’s most ‘successful’ recruiting event.20 However, those at further distances from urbanized communities would say otherwise. Due to the geographic locations of Indigenous reserve communities, programming like OUF often fail to be accessible to these areas. As a result, prospective Indigenous students lack reasonable access to these events, effectively decreasing their likelihood of pursuing a university education.
There are a couple exceptions to this; one being the University Information Program (UIP) which is intended to reach geographical outliers in Ontario.21 Though its intentions stay true to the goal of making university more accessible, the reality is that this program does not draw the same level of resources from each institution as OUF. There are also programs like the Aboriginal Post- Secondary Information Program (APSIP), which is “designed to [empower] and [improve] access opportunities for Aboriginal (First Nations, status and non-status, Inuit and Métis) learners to pursue postsecondary education in Ontario”.22 Now moving in the direction of culturally focused information, APSIP is modeled after UIP but strictly focuses on possibilities for prospective Indigenous students at the post-secondary level.23 OUSA believes that the province should increase funding for APSIP to overcome the barrier of geographic isolation. APSIP’s current underfunded climate doesn’t allow for adequate distribution of resources during their limited touring period. As a result, if Indigenous youth are not able to attend the only date APSIP is in their community, they’ve then lost another avenue to access.
Outreach programming is not the only method of transcending information barriers. Institutions offer campus visits for prospective students in order to gain a firsthand view of the facilities, services, and surrounding area. As mentioned, however, reserve communities are at a disadvantage due to their geographic location and lack of connection to public transit. As such, potential students go without the chance of gaining such an opportunity, thus eliminating another avenue to PSE. OUSA believes that we can overcome this barrier by providing funds for Indigenous secondary schools to bring Indigenous secondary students to visit Ontario university campuses of their choosing. Other options to overcome access can be remedied through proper distribution of physical information materials and more comprehensive information provided by eINFO.
18 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015. 19 Ibid. 20 Dakin, Dan, “Thousands ‘Experience’ Brock at Ontario Universities’ Fair,” The Brock News, September 26, 2017, https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2017/09/thousands-experience-brock-at-ontario-universities-fair/. 21 Ontario Universities’ Fair, “We're Coming to You! Check out the University Information Program,” accessed October 3, 2017, http://www.ouf.ca/uip/ 22 Aboriginal Post-Secondary Information Program (APSIP), accessed October 3, 2017, http://www.ontariocolleges.ca/news/apsip 23 Ibid. 8
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For those looking for supplementary resources in regard to Ontario universities, publicly funded outlets, like the Council of Ontario Universities’ (COU) ‘Future Further’, provide Indigenous focused information for each post-secondary institution. Unfortunately, these resources provide limited information, proving little use to their intentions and, in addition to this, these sites still use outdated language, which has the effect of steering away thoughts of PSE due to cultural insensitivity.
RECOGNITION OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE(S)
Principle: Indigenous ways of knowing deserve to be treated with equal value in the Ontario public education system.
Concern: Indigenous methods of teaching and learning are rarely recognized or valued within the Ontario university sector.
Concern: The costs and restrictions to apply for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) at each institution is a major access barrier to post-secondary education for Indigenous students.
Recommendation: The province should standardize and subsidize the costs for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) across the Ontario university sector.
Respecting Indigenous ways of knowing is a large part of reconciliation, as brought forward by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). Legitimizing Indigenous methods of learning is not only an act of reconciliation, but it removes cultural barriers and makes PSE more accessible for Indigenous people. Band operated schools have been noted to fail Indigenous students due to a systemic lack of funding from various governmental sources.
The Canadian Centre for the Study of Living Standards estimates that about $71.1 billion would be added to the Canadian economy if Indigenous people attained the same educational levels as other Canadians.24 At present, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) significantly underfunds schools on reserves, as well as provincially-run schools off reserves.25 This contributes to astonishing dropout rates for Indigenous students, further accounting for their disproportionate representation within Ontario PSE. Collaborative efforts to create an effective funding model must be developed in order to establish an equitable public education system in Ontario. Students believe that the Ministry of Education should coordinate with the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation to address these federal funding gaps and provide more preparation for university education in reserve communities.
Acknowledging diversity in methods of learning must also be at the forefront in steps towards reconciliation. Within the Ontario university sector, Indigenous methods of teaching and learning are rarely recognized or valued. This devaluation of Indigenous worldviews creates another substantial barrier to prospective students, who perceive institutions of higher education as colonial and disrespectful. OUSA believes that Indigenous ways of knowing and teaching have value within the public education system, and the province should acknowledge this value by accepting and promoting its presence across the university sector.
24 Sharpe, A., J. Arsenault, and S. Lapoint, The Potential Contribution of Aboriginal Canadians to Labour Force, Employment, Productivity and Output Growth in Canada, 2001-2007, (Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards, 2007). 25 Anderson, B. and J. Richardson, Students in Jeopardy: An Agenda for Improving Results in Band-Operated Schools, C.D. Howe Institute, 2016, https://www.cdhowe.org/sites/default/files/attachments/research_papers/mixed/Commentary_444_0.pdf 9
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Current remedial actions put forward include the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) system. PLAR is described as the formal evaluation and credit granting process whereby students obtain credits for prior learning, including knowledge acquired both formally and informally.26 Unfortunately, PLAR comes with financial and academic restrictions as each institution has the autonomy to choose what is recognized, combined with the costs attached to submit an application for review. For example, those applying for PLAR at Brock University will see costs at $498.70 per full credit while Ryerson University’s PLAR costs $175.00 per course. As such, this assessment is non-standardized and unregulated across the province. OUSA believes that the province should regulate PLAR through standardized financial and academic provisions. In doing so, the ability to succeed for Indigenous students will move closer to an equitable base in comparison to that of non-Indigenous students. Furthermore, by having the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development mandate that PLAR place higher value on Indigenous knowledge and skills in assessing applicants, this could have a significant influence in reconciling the divisive way universities currently value knowledge.
26 Canadian Association of Prior Learning Assessment, “What is Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)/ Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)?, accessed September 29, 2017, http://capla.ca/what-is-rpl/ 10
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FINANCIAL BARRIERS
POST-SECONDARY STUDENT SUPPORT PROGRAM
Principle: Financing of Indigenous post-secondary education is the responsibility of all levels of government.
Principle: Funds that exist should be adequately increased to support growing populations of Indigenous youth.
Concern: There exists a large funding backlog in the federal Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP).
Concern: The federal government has not made a long-term commitment to increasing funds in the PSSSP.
Concern: Métis, non-status First Nations, and off-reserve students cannot access the PSSSP.
Concern: The PSSSP does not equitably distribute funds to local Band councils, resulting in reserves with larger populations not having adequate funding for their post-secondary students.
Recommendation: The provincial government should lobby the federal government to increase funds in the PSSSP to meet the backlog in funding and equitably distribute the funding to local Band councils.
Recommendation: The provincial government should lobby the federal government to allow Métis and non-status First Nations students to access the PSSSP.
Recommendation: In the interim, the provincial government should increase funding for Métis, non-status First Nations, and off-reserve students through the Indigenous Students Bursary and/or OSAP.
In the many treaties between the Crown and the Indigenous nations of Canada, education is often listed as a right.27 This treaty right has driven the creation and sustenance of the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP), the grant for status First Nations and Inuit students.28 In 2013-2014, this funding provided support for over 22,000 students attending college, university, and trade schools.29 As the population of post-secondary aged Indigenous students increases, the amount of money allocated to the PSSSP must increase with it. However, at an arbitrary annual cap of 2%, the funding allocated to the PSSSP has not increased with the rate at which tuition increases.30 In Ontario, tuition has risen on average 3% annually, outpacing the rate at which funding is allocated to the PSSSP.31 This is further exacerbated by the fact that the Indigenous population is younger than the non-Indigenous population, with the rate of post-secondary aged students increasing compared to the non-Indigenous population.32 Considering inflation and the
27 Carr-Stewart, Sheila. "A treaty right to education," Canadian Journal of Education, 26(2): 2001, 125-143. 28 Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Post-Secondary Student Support Program and University and College Entrance Preparation Program: National Program Guidelines 2017-2018, accessed February 28, 2017, http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1488222703795/ 29 Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Post-Secondary Student Support Program, accessed March 3, 2017, http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1488222703795/ 30 Ibid. 31 Berger, Joseph, Anne Motte, and Andrew Parkin, eds., The price of knowledge: Access and student finance in Canada, (Canada: Millennium Scholarship Foundation, 2009). 32 Statistics Canada, Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: First Nations People, Métis and Inuit. National Household Survey, 2011 Ser. 99-011-X2011001, http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-011-x/99-011-x2011001-eng.cfm 11
12 increase in First Nation population alone, an average annual increase of 6.3% since 1996 was necessary to adequately fund Indigenous education.33 In their 2017 pre-budget submission, The Assembly of First Nations had recommended that $106 million be invested each year for the next three years into the PSSSP to address the funding backlog.34 In the 2017 budget, the Government of Canada made a promise to invest $90 million over two years into the PSSSP.35 This investment was well beyond the 2% funding cap, suggesting this cap is no longer in effect. However, it still leaves a $228 million backlog in the overall PSSSP funding. In addition, the time limit of the commitment being two years leaves the future of the fund uncertain.
In addition to the backlog in funding, consultations with Indigenous students and service administrators reveal that funding is not distributed to bands equitably.36 For example, Six Nations of the Grand River is the largest reserve in Canada, and receives less per-student funding than its neighbouring band council, Mississaugas of the New Credit. This inequitable distribution of funds leaves larger reserves with less funding to allocate to its members who attempt to access it. This is why students are calling on the provincial government to lobby the federal government to increase funds allocated to the PSSSP to address the backlog in funding, and furthermore, equitably distribute these funds to band councils based on their enrolment numbers.
Another problem with the PSSSP is the fact that non-status First Nations and Métis students cannot access it. The Constitution Act, 1982, recognizes an “Aboriginal Person” as a person who identifies with First Nations (status or non-status), Métis, or Inuit cultural and/or ancestral background.37 Yet, the PSSSP only recognizes status First Nations and Inuit students as eligible for the grant. While this is directly tied to the Band provisions as set out in the Indian Act, student believe this should be expanded to allow all Indigenous students to access it. For example, Ontario’s Indigenous Student Bursary uses this definition to determine its eligibility criteria. This will require significant investments, however, and this already depleted fund should not be further under resourced, if this provision were to be made. The provincial government should lobby the federal government to not only increase funds allocated, but to allow all Indigenous students to be able to access the PSSSP.
INDIGENOUS STUDENT BURSARY AND OSAP
Principle: Indigenous students from Ontario should be able to easily access specific needs-based financial aid.
Principle: The provincial government has a duty to uphold the treaty right to education.
Concern: The federal and provincial governments avoid responsibility for Indigenous student funding due to jurisdictional differences.
Concern: Indigenous students with financial need have to apply to multiple separate grants and bursaries in order to finance their education, making it unreasonably difficult to access.
33 Hallmark, Tyler, and Tina Reed, Lessons from Ontario: An Analysis of Indigenous Post Secondary Education, Contact North, (June & July 2016), https://contactnorth.ca/sites/default/files/pdf/external-presentations/2016- lessons_from_ontario.pdf 34 Assembly of First Nations, 2017 Pre-budget Submission To The House Of Commons Standing Committee On Finance, August 5, 2016, https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/421/FINA/Brief/BR8397900/br- external/AssemblyofFirstNations-e.pdf 35 Ministry of Finance. Budget 2017: Chapter 1 – Skills, Innovation, and Middle Class Jobs, http://www.budget.gc.ca/2017/docs/plan/chap-01-en.html#Toc477707323 36 James Knibb-Lamouche, Associate Director, Indigenous Student Services, McMaster University, in consultation with authors. 37Rights of The Aboriginal Peoples of Canada, Part 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (UK), 1982, c 11. 12
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Concern: The Indigenous Student Bursary is distributed to individual institutions, exacerbating this problem.
Concern: The Indigenous Student Bursary does not have enough funds to properly address unmet financial need from Indigenous students.
Concern: The Ontario residency requirement for the Indigenous Student Bursary does not accurately reflect traditional territories that span provincial borders.
Recommendation: The provincial government should incorporate the Indigenous Student Bursary application into the OSAP portal to streamline funding processes, while maintaining distinct funds and eligibility requirements that meet the needs of Indigenous students.
Recommendation: The provincial government should uphold its treaty rights and expand the Indigenous Student Bursary to cover all Indigenous students’ unmet financial need.
Recommendation: In the interim, the provincial government should increase the amount of funding allocated to the Indigenous Student Bursary program from $1.5 million to $37 million in order to address the lack of funding available specifically for Indigenous students.
Recommendation: The provincial government should expand the eligibility criteria of the Indigenous Student Bursary to include all Indigenous students in Canada studying at a publicly funded Ontario post-secondary education.
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada is the federal jurisdiction that funds Indigenous services and programs, including financial aid to support post-secondary education; however, public universities are governed provincially. This has resulted in a jurisdictional divide and an avoidance of responsibility on part of both levels of government where Indigenous post-secondary education is concerned. Students believe that the provincial government, as an extension of the Crown of Canada, also has the duty to fund Indigenous post-secondary education. Where federal funding falls short, Indigenous students often turn to provincial financial aid systems in order to finance their education. The Government of Ontario has created the Indigenous Student Bursary (ISB) as a way to meet that financial need from Indigenous students. This fund is distributed to institutions and requires OSAP eligibility in addition to institutional assessments for financial need.38
While the federal government is traditionally associated with financing of Indigenous education, students believe that the provincial government must share this responsibility as well. Provincial grants such as the ISB should be easily accessible to Indigenous students regardless of the institution they choose to attend. Currently, governmental grants for Indigenous students are widely dispersed, with OSAP, the ISB, the PSSSP, Indspire, the University and College Entrance Preparation Program, the Métis Student Bursary Program, and others. All of these sources of funding have separate application processes, making them inaccessible. Indigenous student consultations reveal that these highly divisive application processes disincentivize students from accessing these funds.39 Indigenous OSAP consultations also reveal debt aversion to be a prominent factor in accessing financial aid and post-secondary education in general.40
38 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, “Indigenous Student Bursary,” accessed September 28, 2017, https://osap.gov.on.ca/OSAPPortal/en/A-ZListofAid/PRDR015048.html 39 Indigenous students in discussion with authors, Aboriginal Student Centre, Brock University, September 13, 2017. 40 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, “Indigenous OSAP Update: Sector Consultation – Net Billing,” December 15, 2016. 13
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This is why streamlining the process of applying to the ISB through the OSAP application would ease the burden on accessing financial aid for Indigenous students. From the 2017 provincial budget, OSAP does not count PSSSP as income in the application.41 This is a very positive step toward ensuring that the nuances of federal funding, which are often inequitable, are not counted against an Indigenous student’s application. With the various methods of financial assessment at each institution, streamlining this through OSAP would provide students with an accurate measure of what their financial aid will look like prior to selecting an institution.
While this streamlining is important, students caution the provincial government to consider the nuances of an Indigenous student’s income, tax, and financial aid portfolio. The OSAP process itself also does not accurately assess financial need for Indigenous students accessing aid. For example, many First Nations families who earn money on reserve choose not to file those taxes with the Canada Revenue Agency.42 In addition, provincial borders do not accurately reflect Indigenous nation boundaries, and as a result, all Indigenous students in Canada should be eligible for the ISB. These considerations, as well as a clear distinguisher of the ISB, need to be incorporated into the OSAP portal if they are to properly provide support to Indigenous students.
Incorporation of the ISB into OSAP risks exacerbating debt aversion prevalent amongst Indigenous students.43 It is important that the provincial government clearly communicates that the ISB remains a non-repayable grant, and that will be the primary source of funding of an Indigenous student’s education. Governmental loans to Indigenous students can be considered a violation of treaty rights, and this needs to be accounted for in the design of this system.44 Consultation with Indigenous students and Band councils is imperative to the success of this system.
Finally, the amount of funding in the ISB is not enough to meet the financial requirements of Indigenous students. Only $1.5 million is allocated to this fund for all Indigenous students accessing post-secondary education. Currently, students are eligible to receive between $1000- $3500 from the ISB, yet recipients actually receive an average of $1000 per year.45 With approximately 16,000 Indigenous students currently in the post-secondary system, it is clear that there are many students not receiving the aid they need. This also does not account for students who were unable to access any aid, and thus did not attend a post-secondary institution. Students believe that the ISB should be expanded to meet all the unmet financial requirements of Indigenous students. This is integral to the provincial government upholding its treaty rights. While this is a large end goal, an interim $37 million into the ISB would provide $2300 to every Indigenous student in the province. With a needs-based allocation, this number is more difficult to assess. According to the provincial government’s 2017 OSAP assessment, approximately 210,000 students were eligible for enough grants to cover their tuition.46 With Indigenous students making up 2% of the Ontario student population, this would equal approximately 4200 Indigenous students requiring financial need, resulting in $8800 per student. As this covers the average cost of tuition, students believe that $37 million is an adequate interim investment into the ISB. This number of students would likely be higher, as Indigenous people are far more likely
41 Abdelwahab, Alex, "Metro Explains: What Changes To OSAP Mean For Students," Metro News, (May 2, 2017), http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2017/05/02/metro-explains-what-changes-to-osap-mean-for-students.html 42 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, “Indigenous OSAP Update: Sector Consultation – Net Billing,” December 15, 2016. 43 Ibid. 44 Andrew McMonagle, "Education As A Treaty Right," The Uniter, (February 5, 2009), http://uniter.ca/view/education- as-a-treaty-right 45 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, “Indigenous Student Bursary,” accessed September 28, 2017, https://osap.gov.on.ca/OSAPPortal/en/A-ZListofAid/PRDR015048.html 46 Rushowy, Kristin, "One-third of Ontario college and university students receive free tuition grants," The Toronto Star, (September 11, 2017), https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/09/11/one-third-of-ontario-college-and- university-students-receive-free-tuition.html 14
15 to be from a low-income background than non-Indigenous people.47 It is clear that more funding is required on behalf of the provincial government to meet the financial needs of Indigenous students, emphasizing non-repayable grants and valuing the treaty right to education.
INDIGENOUS TRAVEL GRANT
Principle: It is important to Indigenous students that relationships with the culture, land, and community are maintained while attending a post-secondary institution.
Principle: Post-secondary Indigenous students should have access to adequate, grant-based funding for the sake of travel to and from their home, whether on or off reserve.
Concern: The Ontario Distance Grant - Travel is limited by the fact that it only provides assistance to students whose closest university is more than 80km from their home, which does not consider institutional strengths or relevant program offerings.
Concern: The Ontario Distance Grant - Travel does not consider the large costs required to travel to remote Indigenous reserve communities, including lack of public transportation and airfare costs.
Concern: The Ontario Distance Grant - Travel requires OSAP eligibility, not considering the other funding sources an Indigenous student might access, nor the fact that many Indigenous students choose not to apply for OSAP.
Recommendation: The provincial government should create an Indigenous Travel Grant that is distributed to institutional Indigenous Student Services offices and is specifically tailored to the needs of Indigenous students.
Recommendation: The provincial government should exempt the Indigenous Travel Grant from the OSAP financial aid requirement.
Recommendation: The Indigenous Travel Grant should be designed to allocate funding to students on a per-kilometer basis, from their home to institution of choice, taking into account the unique needs of Indigenous students.
Recommendation: The provincial government should invest in inter-regional transportation to reserve communities near post-secondary institutions.
For many Indigenous students, travelling far for post-secondary education is a financial barrier to access. In the 2013 Indspire survey of education choices, proximity of the institution to home was one of the top factors influencing educational institution selection.48 However, the top factor influencing educational institution selection was the program of study.49 For many students, these factors do not align, especially as institutions continue to differentiate according to their strategic mandate agreements. In addition, the requirement that the closest university is more than 80km away from a family home does not reflect realistic distances students commute or travel. This does not reflect the reality that even reserves that are close to post-secondary institutions do not
47 Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Aboriginal Income Disparity in Canada. QS-7125-000-EE-A1, 2013, https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1378411773537/1378411859280 48 Indspire, 2013 Survey Of Education Choices Made By Indigenous Students, https://indspire.ca/wp- content/uploads/2013/12/indspire-2013-survey-of-education-choices.pdf 49 Ibid. 15
16 have any consistent public transportation between those reserves and the institution,50 often forcing students to relocate or commute with a private vehicle. Finally, over 30 reserves in Ontario are only accessible by air, exacerbating the costs required to travel to and from these communities.51 As the young population of Indigenous people increases, this will only result in more students from these communities needing to relocate to a different city to attend post- secondary institutions.
The OSAP eligibility requirement of the Ontario Distance Grant is not an appropriate measure of financial need for Indigenous students. Sources of funding such as Indspire, the PSSSP, and other scholarships are often used to finance Indigenous education, without a student applying to OSAP. In 2015-2016, approximately 6000 OSAP applicants identified as Indigenous, with over 16,000 self-identified Indigenous students in the post-secondary system.52 This demonstrates a need for an alternate mechanism of ensuring Indigenous students who are required to relocate are able to visit their families on a consistent basis.
This is why OUSA is proposing an Indigenous Travel Grant, which is separated from OSAP eligibility. Specific considerations are needed when determining the need of Indigenous students, and available funding is not best determined by OSAP eligibility. The Indigenous Travel Grant should be housed with the Indigenous student services at each institution to encourage students to access this fund. Provincial applications often process at a slower rate than that of what students need to return home, as well as facilitating new relationships with students that have not yet self identified. Some of the needs that should be considered in the design of this grant include the lack of public transportation to all reserves and lack of maintenance in the winter and lack of infrastructure. Providing proof of address on reserve communities is also a barrier to accessing distance grants. It also needs to consider large distances that out of province and off reserve students still need to travel to return home. More money needs to be allocated to students on a per-kilometre basis, allowing Indigenous students to travel home frequently and retain important connections with their home and culture. Interviews with Indigenous students confirm that a connection with home and culture is especially important, with frequent travel back to remote communities necessary for cultural ceremonies. In addition, the sombre reality of high suicide rates in remote communities necessitates students going back to those communities more often, but not finding the financial support to do so.53 Being with family following tragedies is incredibly important, and has a higher demonstrated need amongst Indigenous communities where they are more prevalent. As such, these considerations need to be taken into account in the design of the Indigenous Travel Grant.
Students believe such a grant should be housed within institutional Indigenous Student Services for several reasons. With this grant being institutionally run, it would make accessing funds much quicker for students. This is important because students often need to go home on short notice, especially when a tragedy occurs. In addition, Indigenous support staff are better equipped to determine eligibility for this, and distribute funds as necessary amongst their Indigenous student population.
50 Joseph, Bob, "8 Basic Barriers To Aboriginal Employment", Indigenous Corporate Training, Inc., (accessed October 1, 2013), https://www.ictinc.ca/8-basic-barriers-to-aboriginal-employment 51Spotton, Noelle, and Ipperwash Inquiry, A profile of Aboriginal Peoples in Ontario, accessed September 30, 2017, https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/inquiries/ipperwash/policy_part/research/pdf/Spotton_Profile-of- Aboriginal-Peoples-in-Ontario.pdf 52 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, “Indigenous OSAP Update: Sector Consultation – Net Billing,” December 15, 2016. 53 Indigenous support staff in discussion with authors, Indigenous Services, Western University, September 2017. 16
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DECOLONIZING & INDIGENIZING INSTITUTIONS
ELDERS-IN-RESIDENCE Principle: Indigenous youth and elders share a unique bond that should be valued at post- secondary institutions.
Principle: Indigenous students should be able to regularly access one-on-one time with an elder who is able to relate to their culture.
Concern: Students have limited access to elders, whose visits are often infrequent.
Concern: Universities often do not have, or do not allocate, sufficient resources to retain elders- in-residence to support their Indigenous student population.
Recommendation: The province should mandate that institutions increase funding, proportional to number of Indigenous students enrolled, for Elders-in-Residence programs.
Recommendation: The province should facilitate connections amongst institutions to improve the diversity of representation amongst Elder-in-Residence programs.
The connection between elders and youth is significant across many Indigenous cultures. Students at postsecondary institutions, especially those far away from home, miss the presence of elders. Program designers should aim to involve role models from Indigenous communities, such as elders, to counsel students.54 The provincial government should mandate that all Indigenous Services offices at postsecondary institutions offer elders in residence programming. Inviting elders into the institutions fosters a feeling of belonging and creates a sense of community for Indigenous youth. The 2011 report delivered by the Ministry’s Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education and Training (APSET) working group encourages postsecondary institutions to offer “targeted support and counselling” as a component of their retention and completion strategy.55 Prospective Indigenous students look for a number of services when considering postsecondary options, including the presence of elders.56 Programs that enlist the support of Elders and Indigenous community leaders are reported to encourage learner enrolment.57 Furthermore, Indigenous students should have access to Indigenous elders from varied backgrounds in order to reflect the diversity of Indigenous students with unique cultural needs. Collaborations with Aboriginal Institutes and Ontario’s colleges should be encouraged to facilitate the development of relationships with a diverse networks of Indigenous elders, knowledge keepers, and knowledge holders. The incorporation and betterment of programming, involving elders, will improve recruitment and retention rates of Indigenous students; which is in the institution’s, government’s and the community’s best interests.
ELDER-ADVISED TRAINING Principle: Indigenous elders are widely regarded as knowledge holders in their community. Indigenous students and faculty should be assured that any training provided be reviewed, and potentially overseen, by an Indigenous elder from a nearby community.
54 R. A. Malatest, Promising Practices: Increasing and Supporting Participation for Aboriginal Students in Ontario, (Toronto: Higher Education Council of Ontario, 2010), 9. 55 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, “Aboriginal Postsecondary Education and Training Policy Framework” 2011, 29. 56 Restoule et al., 7. 57 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, 40. 17
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Principle: Indigenous students should feel safe while attending universities, knowing that staff have received training that is relevant to their university experience.
Principle: Indigenous students must be able to practice traditional ceremonies (e.g. smudging) without fear of interference from campus security services and residence life coordinators.
Concern: Staff that interact frequently with Indigenous populations (e.g. residence life offices, security services, department chairs and faculty deans, university administration, and student staff) are not currently receiving an appropriate amount of cultural sensitivity training.
Concern: Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action #24 (health and nursing) and #63 (teacher-training) address the need for widespread implementation of training programs for professionals, yet this has yet to take place across the sector.
Recommendation: MAESD should mandate that all faculty, administration, and university- employed staff (e.g. Residence life staff, student staff, and security services) complete cultural sensitivity training; advised by local communities and their elders.
Universities possess a number of departments that interact frequently with Indigenous populations, including student residence/dormitory coordinators & managers, university administration, faculty deans, healthcare workers, and security services, among others. One of the top four services students look for during their time at university is support from their faculty/staff.58 Faculty and staff must be adequately prepared to support Indigenous students to make their postsecondary experience a positive one. As such, faculty and staff members should receive cultural sensitivity training. Indigenous students participating in the APSET working group demand faculty who understand Indigenous students’ perspectives and needs.59 Broadly speaking, the aims of the APSET Policy Framework call for “improved receptivity to and respect for Aboriginal knowledge systems in postsecondary education and training settings”,60 which is reflected in the need for cultural sensitivity training according to the TRC.61
Beyond the classroom, several departments and staffed agencies/offices on university campuses support and interact with Indigenous peoples consistently throughout the year. Residence life coordinators and their staff teams must receive protocols on Indigenous ceremonies, such as smudging protocols. The Ontario Human Rights Code outlines Indigenous ceremonies and smudging as a right under their policy of Prevention of Discrimination based on Creed.62 The uses of traditional Indigenous medicines are also addressed in the same policy, with the same concerns and ramifications for institutions.63 Security services must also be briefed on this policy, and it must be contextualized within the Indigenous student in mind. Elders facilitating and supporting the delivery of cultural sensitivity trainings on smudging protocols, for example, will create a more inclusive environment.
Elders should be present in order to oversee these faculty/staff trainings. Elders are regarded as some of the primary knowledge holders in their communities. They have extensive wisdom from lived experience, and are able to provide further insight into matters concerning Indigenous students. With their special relationship with youth, they can adequately represent their respective communities at Indigenous Education Council meetings. As such, they should be present during provincially mandated cultural sensitivity trainings.
58 Indspire. “Survey of Education Choices Made by Indigenous Students” 2013, 3. 59 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, 20. 60 Ibid. 61 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015. 62 Ontario Human Rights Commission. “Policy on the Prevention of Discrimination on the basis of Creed,” 2015, 109-114. 63 Ibid, 29, 109-114. 18
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INSTRUCTORS AND CONTENT Principle: Indigenous content should always be taught by an Indigenous instructor/knowledge holder or keeper, or by an instructor advised by an Indigenous community member.
Principle: Indigenous students, and communities, should be represented in course content that appropriately and accurately reflects their rich histories and traditions.
Principle: Universities should recognize Indigenous knowledge(s) in their accreditation standards for Indigenous faculty and knowledge holders.
Principle: Indigenous knowledge(s) should be paired with Western pedagogies.
Principle: There should be Indigenous representation on the Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance (OUCQA), such as an elder and/or a member of the Indigenous community.
Principle: Indigenous peoples maintain the right to review curriculum regarding their rich histories and reputations as perceived by the wider public.
Concern: Indigenous undergraduate students often feel misrepresented, discriminated, and/or tokenized in classrooms taught by non-Indigenous instructors.
Concern: There is a lack of representation for Indigenous faculty, instructors, and knowledge holders at Ontario Universities.
Concern: There is currently no official Indigenous representation on the Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance.
Recommendation: The province should mandate that university administrations and faculties, in collaboration with their local Indigenous Education Council, create an Indigenous recruitment strategy for faculty/lecturers/instructors, staff, and elders.
Recommendation: MAESD should mandate that new and existing Indigenous content be reviewed by a recognized Indigenous Education Council, Indigenous faculty member, Indigenous community, or equivalents of the above noted.
Recommendation: OUCQA must reserve a voting seat for an Indigenous community member to review Indigenous content as well as programming that briefly mentions or references Indigenous histories.
Recommendation: The Council of Ontario Universities should advise its members to, on the advice of their Indigenous Education Councils, develop a selection of Indigenous courses to serve as a substitute of any given context credit at an institution.
Recommendation: MAESD should mandate institutions to consult with elders on any course offerings or programming that touches on themes of Indigenous peoples.
Ontario’s higher education sector requires improved Indigenous engagement and participation in its planning, design, development, and delivery of policies, programs, and initiatives. This includes increased participation of Indigenous people on Ministry training boards. This aligns with Article 15 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which calls for appropriate representation of Indigenous content.64 This is also consistent with the
64 United Nations, “The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” 2007, 7. 19
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TRC’s Call to Action, 62.1, which “call[s] upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, in consultation and collaboration with Survivors, Aboriginal peoples, and educators, to provide the necessary funding to post-secondary institutions to educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms.”65
Indigenous peoples must be the leaders in the creation and design of course content concerning their histories and matters. Indigenous people possess the expertise necessary to design course- specific content to better address and integrate Indigenous knowledge(s) and the Indigenous experience in the classroom. It is also imperative for Indigenous students to experience Indigenous content in the university classroom. According to practitioners, the “well-being of our children and the traditional knowledge they are exposed to throughout their school day”66 have a tremendous impact on their learning experience. This streamlining of Indigenous content into the post-secondary sector would also provide non-Indigenous students with the capacity to learn, grow, and become allies to the Indigenous community. When non-Indigenous instructors are teaching Indigenous content, this should be in cases where they have significant scholarship and personal dedication to Indigenous knowledge(s), histories, and academics. Even in these cases, it is important that this content is reviewed by the institution’s Indigenous Education Council.
On the micro-level, universities should be mandated to review their Indigenous content. On the provincial level, OUCQA must be mandated to more adequately represent Indigenous communities. There is no current evidence of Indigenous representation within OUCQA. Representatives from prominent Indigenous advocacy groups (e.g. Chiefs of Ontario, Metis Nation of Ontario, and Tungtungasuvvingat Inuit) must be included in the university quality assurance process. Given the growing population of Indigenous postsecondary learners, this influential Council must account for the current lack of representation. As mentioned above, Indigenous peoples have the right to appropriate representation of their culture.67
Students also believe that there is immense value in students learning about Indigenous cultures, history, and knowledge(s). In Ontario, there are many examples of universities mandating Indigenous content or courses for all undergraduate students. For example, Lakehead University has implemented an Indigenous Content Requirement in which all students must take one 0.5 credit course with at least 50% Indigenous content or knowledge.68 However, Indigenous students believe that this requirement has potentially negative impacts, specifically by forcing non- Indigenous students into learning environments they don’t want to be in, often creating unsafe environments for Indigenous students and furthering stigma. This also puts pressure on Indigenous faculty, as they are usually not provided with extra funding to support the influx of student enrolment. Instead, OUSA is proposing that the Council of Ontario Universities engages its membership in the creation of the context credit program that already exists at Brock University and the University of Toronto.69 Specifically, students are asking that these interdisciplinary requirements be extended to Indigenous Studies courses. This must be done in collaboration with local Indigenous Education Councils.
REVITALIZING INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES
Principle: Indigenous students should have access to Indigenous languages and language resources at postsecondary institutions.
65 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015, 289. 66 Northern Policy Institute, “Supporting Teachings and Improving FNMI Success in Northern Ontario,” 2015, 8. 67 United Nations, 2007, 7. 68 Lakehead University. "Indigenous Content Requirement", accessed October 28, 2017, https://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/departments/services/ai/icr 69 Brock University, “Context Courses,” accessed October 28, 2017, https://brocku.ca/registration- guides/returning/context.php 20
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Concern: Currently, many universities have limited Indigenous language course offerings, and few Indigenous language resources.
Recommendation: The provincial government should increase funding for Indigenous languages courses and resources at postsecondary institutions.
Recommendation: The provincial government should, through eCampus Ontario, invest in the development of open-educational resources for Indigenous languages.
Recommendation: The provincial government should mandate the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) to expand transfer credits for Indigenous language programs and courses.
Recommendation: The provincial government, Ontario universities, and ONCAT must explore further course transfer options with universities and Aboriginal Institutes not situated in Ontario.
The province must mandate that post-secondary institutions devote more funds for Indigenization projects. Indigenous students must have access to Indigenous-focused content at their postsecondary institutions. Article 14.3 of the UNDRIP specifically calls for “[s]tates [to], in conjunction with Indigenous peoples, take effective measures, in order for Indigenous individuals, particularly children, including those living outside their communities, to have access, when possible, to an education in their own culture and provided in their own language”.70
Not only do international Declarations call for the implementation of cultural languages in educational institutions, but also Canada’s TRC Call to Action 14.5 and, specifically, Calls to Action 10.4 and 16, call for specific Indigenous language deliverables.71 According to the official summary of the Final Report of the TRC, the language policy ‘disrupted families’ by disallowing students in residential schools from communicating in their Indigenous languages.72 The provincial government must not only show support for the revitalization of Indigenous languages, but also mandate that all post-secondary institutions offer Indigenous languages as degrees or course options. Including Indigenous language programs and courses will facilitate the feeling of belonging that Indigenous students need at their universities.
Indigenous students may not have access to the language they wish to study at the university they currently attend. This is why open-educational resources can play a vital role in providing Indigenous students with the opportunity to learn their languages in an accessible manner. As such, The provincial government should, through eCampus Ontario, invest in the development of open-educational resources for Indigenous languages. There should also be further collaboration between universities to accommodate Indigenous students that do not have access to their desired language. There is much interest within Indigenous Studies departments to provide other Indigenous knowledge(s) and languages, which creates a feeling of belonging for visiting Indigenous students at institutions that may not offer their languages.73 ONCAT should reflect student wishes in their policies, and explore options with out-of-province universities and language programs.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING Principle: Local communities should be invited to participate in Indigenous Education Council meetings.
70 United Nations, 7. 71 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 197, 204, 205. 72 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 85. 73 Indspire, 2013. 21
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Principle: Universities should demonstrate a commitment to nearby Indigenous communities, acknowledge the traditional territories on which they are seated, and respect their values and traditions.
Concern: Indigenous Education Councils often do not effectively demonstrate a commitment to their nearby Indigenous communities.
Concern: Postsecondary institutions, in general, are not demonstrating a deep-seated commitment to Indigenous communities.
Recommendation: The provincial government should mandate that all Indigenous Education Councils be held accountable to their neighbouring Indigenous communities by providing them with annual reports and measurable outcomes on efforts within each institution.
Recommendation: The provincial government should encourage institutions to raise appropriate and relevant Indigenous flags next to the Canadian and Ontario flags in a prominent location on all campuses.
Recommendation: The provincial government should encourage institutions to increase visibility of Indigenous cultures on campus, including Indigenous art, language, etc.
Local communities must be involved in the development of programs at postsecondary institutions. A larger percentage of Indigenous students are attending PSE institutions,74 and their communities must be involved in the development of programs, services, and curricula. As the summary of the Final Report of the TRC outlines, “restoring relationships can inform the reconciliation process.”75 To promote Indigenous community participation, the Ministry supported the development of Indigenous Education Councils in publicly funded colleges and universities.76 Considering that universities sit on the traditional territories on which Indigenous peoples have resided, the provincial government must encourage universities to recognize the land through land acknowledgements and flag-raising practices.
The provincial government must strongly encourage Ontario universities to raise an appropriate and relevant Indigenous flag beside the Canadian and Ontario flags in a prominent spot on campus. Raising an appropriate flag near the national and provincial flags demonstrates a deep- seated commitment to recognize Indigenous sovereignty and nationhood. The Indigenous Education Council and Indigenous student groups at McMaster University, for example, are lobbying the university to raise an Indigenous flag beside the Canadian and Ontario flags, which is relevant to the land on which McMaster is situated.77 This process has involved perspectives of Indigenous students, faculty and staff, members of the Indigenous community in Hamilton; as well as the Mississaugas of the New Credit and the Six Nations of the Grand River. Including more Indigenous art, information, and signs on university campuses should also complement this. The provincial government should encourage institutions to increase the visibility of Indigenous cultures on campus, including Indigenous art, language, etc.
74 Chiefs of Ontario, First Nations Post-Secondary Education: Rights, Responsibilities, Recommendations, Post- Secondary Position Paper, 2017, 11. 75 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 16. 76 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, 7. 77 Dr. Chelsea Gabel, Academic Co-Chair, Indigenous Education Council, in discussion with authors, October 2017; Katelyn Knott, Co-President, Cooperative of Indigenous Studies Students and Alumni, in discussion with authors, October 2017. 22
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CREATING INDIGENOUS SPACES ON CAMPUS Principle: Indigenous students deserve an accessible space on campus dedicated to Indigenous students and their core services, for their overall success in post-secondary education.
Principle: Indigenous students should have a safe, physical space on their campuses to practice their ceremonies.
Principle: Indigenous student services should be housed with Indigenous student lounges, elder lounges, teaching kitchens, and outdoor learning and teaching spaces.
Principle: The right to occupy traditional lands for purposes such as meeting, feasting, or partaking in ceremony or knowledge exchange is an inherent Treaty right.
Concern: While universities in Ontario are located on traditional Indigenous territories, the allocation of culturally appropriate and safe spaces for Indigenous students on campus is not prioritized.
Recommendation: The Council of Ontario Universities must, in collaboration with Indigenous Education Councils, allocate and design Indigenous spaces to provide core services and safe spaces for Indigenous students.
Indigenous students deserve an accessible space on campus dedicated to Indigenous students and their core services, for their overall success in post-secondary education. Indigenous students should also have a safe, physical space on their campuses to practice their ceremonies. This is not only important in ensuring their persistence and success in university education, but it also promotes a safe and healthy learning environment in which Indigenous students feel welcome and at home.78 OUSA believes that Indigenous student services offices at Ontario’s universities should be housed with Indigenous student lounges, elder lounges, teaching kitchens, and outdoor learning and teaching spaces. Some institutions have already made substantial strides to invest these spaces, such as at Trent University’s First Peoples House of Learning and Laurentian University’s Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre.79, 80
Students believe that the right to occupy traditional lands for purposes such as meeting, feasting, or partaking in ceremony or knowledge exchange is an inherent Treaty right for Indigenous peoples. While universities in Ontario are located on traditional Indigenous territories, the allocation of culturally appropriate and safe spaces for Indigenous students on campus is not consistently prioritized. As such, the Council of Ontario Universities must, in collaboration with Indigenous Education Councils, allocate and design Indigenous spaces to provide core services and safe spaces for Indigenous students. OUSA recommends that best practices from Trent University’s First Peoples House of Learning and Laurentian University’s Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre be utilized to ensure these spaces are designed in a collaborative and culturally relevant manner. The involvement of local Indigenous communities and Indigenous students from respective institutions should also be encouraged in the creation of these safe spaces.
78 Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Control of First Nations Education: It’s Our Vision, It’s Our Time, July 2010. 79 Trent University, “First Peoples House of Learning: Welcome,” accessed November 6, 2017, https://www.trentu.ca/fphl/first-peoples-house-learning 80 Laurentian University, “Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre opens at Laurentian University,” accessed November 6, 2017, https://laurentian.ca/news/islc-opens-at-lu 23
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INDIGENOUS SUPPORT SERVICES
ACADEMICS
Principle: Each post-secondary institution across Ontario should ensure appropriate Indigenous academic services are provided to their students.
Concern: Many post-secondary institutions do not have adequate Indigenous academic services or have defunded these academic services.
Concern: Difficulties in meeting the standards and style of university education are the most oft cited obstacle for Indigenous students pursuing an undergraduate degree.
Recommendation: The government of Ontario should provide guaranteed funding through the Postsecondary Education Fund for Aboriginal Learners (PEFAL) to ensure the continuity and quality of these Indigenous academic services.
Recommendation: PEFAL funding towards these services should be set based on the number of Indigenous students attending a given institution in order to ensure adequate academic services are available.
Academic support services are integral to the success of students within post-secondary institutions and, as such, have become virtually inalienable at Ontario’s universities. Through this, many students are able to develop academic competencies, life skills and habits for success. However, academic services in Ontario universities are not necessarily reflective of the diverse demographics represented in their student population.
Indigenous students are more likely to struggle meeting the demands of university academics than non-Indigenous students.81 These challenges typically stem from systemic issues permeating into the K-12 education sector, though this is also partly due to the lack of Indigenous cultural sensitivity in university program and course design. Many Indigenous students, particularly those from reserve communities, cannot relate to the academic services provided by their institutions. As such, they are less likely to overcome their needs simply due to the lack of culturally relevant academic supports available to them. This discourages persistence, and all too often leads many Indigenous students to drop out of university.82
Currently in Ontario, university campuses do have some form of Indigenous support staff, however their resources are sparse, not specific to academic support, and unable to fit the needs of its Indigenous student population. As such, the province needs to ensure guaranteed funding for Indigenous academic services as a means to safeguard Indigenous student persistence and success.83
A study done at Western University highlights the importance of culturally relevant mentorship to improve academic success. Over a two-year period, Indigenous students met weekly with their Indigenous adult mentor having sessions based on the traditional First Nations medicine wheel.84 Results found that these students showed an improvement within the academic sphere, in
81 Indigenous support staff in discussion with authors, Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre, Queen’s University, July 2017. 82 Indigenous support staff in discussion with authors, Indigenous Initiatives, Wilfrid Laurier University, August 2017. 83 Indigenous support staff in discussion with authors, Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre, Queen’s University, July 2017. 84 Council of Ontario Universities, “Western study finds culturally relevant mentorship improves Indigenous students’ mental health, academic success,” (December 14, 2016), http://cou.on.ca/articles/western-study-finds-culturally- relevant-mentorship-improves-indigenous-students-academic-success/ 24
25 conjunction with a stronger sense of cultural awareness and pride.85 This study undoubtedly supports comments highlighted by the TRC stating the importance of cultural relevancy for Indigenous people. Culturally focused academic services allow for improved student success through methods of positive cultural identity and traditional ways of knowing.
The Postsecondary Education Fund for Aboriginal Learners (PEFAL) allows for the funding of these services, however, it is currently not guaranteed due to its envelope-based contingency.86 OUSA believes that the province should provide guaranteed funding via PEFAL in order to ensure the continuity and quality of these essential Indigenous academic services. Furthermore, the funding of these services should be in correlation to the percentage of Indigenous students at each institution.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Principle: Indigenous students should be able to access traditional medicines and to maintain their health practices while attending an Ontario university.
Principle: Indigenous students also have the right to access, without any discrimination, to all social and health services available on-campus.
Principle: Indigenous students should be able to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
Concern: Traditional methods of healing are not valued as valid forms of wellness in Ontario universities.
Concern: 20% of off-reserve Indigenous adults (ages 18-25) have had suicidal thoughts, which is 8% higher than non-Indigenous adults of the same age.
Recommendation: The province should, in partnership with traditional healers, establish and develop culturally relevant health programs for Indigenous students in both on and off campus health networks.
Recommendation: The Ontario Government should commit sustainable funding for the creation and cultivation of traditional medicine gardens through each institution’s Indigenous Education Council.
Recommendation: The provincial government, in partnership with Indigenous experts, should develop culturally based suicide prevention strategies for Indigenous children and youth, as well as crisis intervention strategies.
Promoting the health and wellness of students is a topic of high relevancy for universities in recent years. All stakeholders recognize that university education can either precipitate or propagate students’ health issues, which can damage their capacity for persistence and success. While strides have been made to address these concerns, health and wellness issues for Indigenous students are often more complex and require culturally sensitive responses by government and institutions alike. Indigenous health includes considerations surrounding access
85 Council of Ontario Universities, “Western study finds culturally relevant mentorship improves Indigenous students’ mental health, academic success,” (December 14, 2016), http://cou.on.ca/articles/western-study-finds-culturally- relevant-mentorship-improves-indigenous-students-academic-success/ 86 Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Student Success Fund for Colleges & Universities: Guidelines and Templates, Aboriginal Education Office, April 2013. 25
26 to traditional healing and culturally appropriate counselling and suicide prevention strategies, among others.87
Indigenous peoples take a more holistic approach to health and wellness, balancing ‘mind, body, and spirit’.88 This includes the creation and cultivation of medicine gardens. These medicines are often used in traditional ceremonies, which also have a proven beneficial effect on wellness.89 Wilfrid Laurier Brantford’s Indigenous community garden is one such example of this.90 Traditional healers, such as medicine men and women, and ceremonial practises (e.g. sweat lodges) also play an incredibly important role in culturally relevant health and wellness.91 On the other hand, formal support services at universities are typically not culturally appropriate and reflective of diverse cultural, linguistic and traditional approaches. Mental health support that is culturally relevant is essential for Indigenous students, as 20% of off-reserve Indigenous adults (ages 18-25) have suicidal thoughts, which is 8% higher than non-Indigenous adults of the same age.92 While on-reserve statistics are tougher to access, the tragic number of teen suicides in remote parts of Ontario, such as Attawapiskat, indicates these rates are even higher.93 Furthermore, Indigenous students are noted to underutilize counselling services in comparison to the average non-Indigenous student.94
Indigenizing this process is a necessity seeing that many believe that ‘Western’ style counselling serves no relevancy to their cultural differences. The TRC highlights the importance of cultural competency training for all healthcare professionals in response to current practices. As well, the TRC suggests the importance to the recognition of Indigenous healing practices and use of them in the treatment of Indigenous patients, in collaboration with Indigenous healers and Elders where requested by Indigenous patients.95
The Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy is a joint program between the Ontario government and Indigenous organizations, which combines traditional and mainstream programs with intentions to improve Indigenous health.96 Seeing the improvements brought forward by this strategy, OUSA believes that the Ontario government should commit to incorporating traditional health and wellness practices on Ontario university campuses. This includes having Indigenous methods of healing available at each institution, along with developing culturally based crisis intervention and suicide prevention strategies for Indigenous youth.
87 Indigenous support staff in discussion with authors, July-September 2017. 88 National Aboriginal Health Organization, “An Annotated Bibliography: Cultural Intervention Models in Mental Health,” First Nations Centre, May 2006. 89 King, Malcolm, Alexandra Smith, and Michael Gracey. "Indigenous health part 2: the underlying causes of the health gap." The Lancet 374, no. 9683 (2009): 76-85. 90 Consultation with Kandice Baptiste. 91 King, Malcolm, Alexandra Smith, and Michael Gracey. "Indigenous health part 2: the underlying causes of the health gap." The Lancet 374, no. 9683 (2009): 76-85. 92 Statistics Canada, “Lifetime and past-year suicidal thoughts among off-reserve First nations, Metis and Inuit adults, aged 18 and over, Canada, 2012,” Aboriginal Peoples Survey, October 13, 2016, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-653- x/89-653-x2016012-eng.htm 93 Russell, Andrew, “1 year after suicide crisis, Attawapiskat still lacking mental health resources,” Global News, (April 12, 2017), https://globalnews.ca/news/3373928/1-year-after-suicide-crisis-attawapiskat-still-lacking-mental-health- resources/ 94 Robertson, Llyod Hawkeye, Kathryn Hooleran, and Marilyn Samuels, “Tailoring University Counselling Services to Aboriginal and International Students: Lessons from Native and International Student Centres at a Canadian University,” Canadian Journal of Higher Education 45(1), 2015. 95 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015. 96Ministry of Community and Social Services, “Supporting Aboriginal people,” accessed October 4, 2017, http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/community/programsforaboriginalpeople.aspx 26
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CHILDCARE
Principle: Indigenous students with dependant children should have full access to culturally relevant child care services.
Concern: Indigenous students are much more likely to face access barriers to PSE due to their higher incidence of dependant care responsibilities.
Concern: The majority of Indigenous students attending university identify as women who are classified as mature students, and lack of access to childcare is an access barrier to PSE.
Recommendation: The provincial government should fulfill its commitment to fund Indigenous childcare to include licensed and culturally relevant child care spaces on, or within, an accessible distance to campus.
Recommendation: The provincial government should ensure that the level of childcare spaces available at an accessible distance to each campus meets the needs of the number of Indigenous students.
Recommendation: The provincial government should fully subsidize on and off campus Indigenous child care services for Indigenous students with dependants that express financial need.
Cost of childcare in Ontario is known to be quite taxing to one’s income. Unfortunately, among the list of barriers to attending PSE for indigenous people, students find the cost for childcare affecting a large population of Indigenous peoples. With Indigenous students already facing more complex barriers to access, the idea of providing a greater level of support in childcare is logically equitable. Looking at the population of Indigenous students who attend PSE, we find that these students are more likely to be mature women with childcare necessities.97
Though these challenges are similar to what other non-Indigenous students may be facing, it is important to specifically recognize the demographic and geographic realities Indigenous students face.98 With a third of Indigenous students reporting that they care for dependants, combined with a lack of affordable childcare in Ontario, the idea of childcare as a main barrier to access gains more legitimacy.
The province has already committed to funding Indigenous childcare, placing emphasis on both licensed and culturally relevant childcare spaces.99 OUSA advocates for the fulfillment of this process, along with more of a focus on creating some of these spaces within an accessible distance to university campuses. OUSA is also calling for a proportionate number of childcare spaces to be available to meet the needs of Indigenous students. Through all this, the province should commit to fully subsidize Indigenous childcare services as a form of equitable reconciliation.
INDIGENOUS WOMEN’S SAFETY
Principle: Indigenous women have the right to live and succeed in an environment where they are free from violence.
97 Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, A Literature Review of Factors that Support Successful Transitions by Aboriginal People from K-12 to Postsecondary Education, (Toronto, 2010). 98 Council of Minister of Education, Canada, 2010. 99 Government of Ontario, “Ontario’s Renewed Early years and Child Care Policy Framework 2017,” Newsroom – Backgrounder, (June 6, 2017), https://news.ontario.ca/edu/en/2017/06/ontarios-renewed-early-years-and-child-care- policy-framework-2017.html 27
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Principle: The government has an obligation to ensure that steps are taken to ensure the safety of Indigenous women on university campuses.
Principle: The violence experienced by Indigenous women mandates direct action by the province at addressing Indigenous women specifically in its violence prevention strategies.
Concern: Indigenous women 15 and older are almost three and a half times more likely than non-Indigenous women to report having experienced violence.
Concern: The national inquiry on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls emphasizes systemic violence in Canada.
Recommendation: The provincial government should mandate that university support services provide necessary information as to local services offered to Indigenous women either on or off campus.
Recommendation: The Council of Ontario Universities should agree to invite Indigenous safety services to each campus to provide support and raise awareness to safety issues facing Indigenous women.
Recommendation: The provincial government should mandate that all universities must incorporate Indigenous-developed programs and strategies into their respective Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Policies.
The legacy of colonialism continues to tear apart the lives of Indigenous women, families and communities.100 This is further exacerbated by the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) crisis. The failure of the federal government’s inquiry into this crisis is only making this problem worse, without clear sight for a solution.101 Students believe that Indigenous women deserve to be free of systemic barriers and live a safe and respected life. However, research findings suggest that Indigenous women continue to experience domestic violence, assault, homicide and sexual exploitation at a significantly greater rate than non-Indigenous women in the province.102 These traumas are part of the legacy of residential schools and they contribute to ongoing issues of poverty, social isolation and insecurity.
Student safety on campus should always be a priority for institutions; even more so when discussion surrounds that of marginalized groups. As such, emphasis must be placed on protecting Ontario’s female Indigenous students. Any sort of colonial attitudes within universities must be addressed with utmost importance, which is why OUSA is looking to a proactive and culturally responsive approach to these incidents. A strategy to combatting violence against Indigenous Women has been put forward by the Ontario government in 2016.103 One year into to the three-year strategy, we have seen investments in numerous community safety initiatives including cultural competency training for front-line community and health providers. Also worth noting, we see efforts in engagement with Indigenous partners to identify culturally appropriate responsive services for Indigenous women, like elders’ role in providing supports to survivors.
100 Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, “Fact Sheet #4: How Colonialism Affects Women,” Fem North Net, 2016, http://fnn.criaw-icref.ca/images/userfiles/files/LWM4_ColonialismWomen.pdf 101 Graham, J. (2017). Missing, Murdered Indigenous Women Inquiry Has Already Failed: Families. Huffington Post. [online] Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/07/27/missing-murdered-indigenous-women-inquiry-has- already-failed-f_a_23050822/ 102 Grant, Tavia, “Aboriginal people victims of crime more often than non-aboriginals: Statscan,” The Globe and Mail, (June 28, 2016), https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/aboriginal-canadians-victims-of-crime-more-often- than-non-aboriginals-report/article30641091/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com& 103 Government of Ontario, Walking Together: Ontario’s Long-Term Strategy to End Violence Against Indigenous Women, February 23, 2016. 28
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OUSA is happy to see the government’s acknowledgement and commitment in its role to tackle this issue but would like to spread its efforts to university campuses specifically.
The safety of Indigenous women within the context of Ontario’s universities is integral to creating a positive learning environment for the entire community. A student who feels safe is better able to focus on their academics, contributing to student success and further removing barriers in address the socio-economic gap. In collaboration with the strategies put forward by the provincial government in 2016, OUSA believes that the government should extend these strategies to all Ontario university campuses. These actions include mandating universities to provide comprehensive information for local services offered to Indigenous women, both on and off campus. Furthermore, the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) should invite Indigenous safety services to each campus to provide support and raise awareness about safety issues facing Indigenous women. Finally, the province should mandate that all universities must incorporate Indigenous-developed programs and strategies into their respective Sexual Violence Prevention Policies. These programs should value the role that elders and traditional play in supporting survivors throughout their healing processes.
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INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
TARGETED FUNDING
Principle: All Indigenous students should be able to access affordable and high quality experiential learning opportunities during their post-secondary studies.
Concern: There is currently a lack of funding for experiential programming across all disciplines in Ontario’s universities.
Concern: Many Indigenous students are unable to engage in meaningful experiential learning opportunities due to financial and cultural barriers.
Concern: There is currently a lack of funding available for employers to hire both experiential education students and recent graduates.
Recommendation: The provincial government should establish targeted grants for universities to design and implement experiential learning programs tailored for Indigenous students in local businesses, industries, and organizations in both on and off reserve communities.
Recommendation: The provincial government should establish upfront grants for non- Indigenous employers that hire recently graduated Indigenous students.
Recommendation: The provincial government should establish upfront grants for non- Indigenous employers that hire Indigenous students for experiential education.
Recommendation: The provincial government should direct part of the Indigenous Economic Development Fund towards campus accelerators and innovation hubs to promote Indigenous entrepreneurship.
Recommendation: The provincial government should direct part of the Post-Secondary Education Fund for Aboriginal Learners towards experiential learning opportunities for Indigenous students in a large breadth of disciplines.
Experiential learning opportunities have been demonstrated to enhance the student experience, raise confidence, improve skills development, and can provide students with financial supports.104 Similarly, post-secondary education has been cited to positively contribute to health and overall wellbeing.105 Together, these experiences can be life changing for students, particularly those who are at a systemic disadvantage. Given the significant education and income attainment gap felt by Indigenous peoples, the treaty commitment to increasing access for Indigenous peoples to post- secondary education, and the commitment to more experiential education opportunities for post- secondary students across Ontario, it is crucial that the province begin to implement culturally- relevant experiential opportunities for Indigenous students.106 Similarly, there is a large observed employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people which can be decreased through collaborative programs involving experiential education. Research conducted by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario regarding experiential learning found that a majority of Ontario employers had hired recent post-secondary graduates who had previously
104 Sattler, Peggy, Work-Integrated Learning in Ontario’s Post-Secondary Sector, (Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, 2013). 105 Chiefs of Ontario, 2017. 106 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015. 30
31 completed an experiential learning program at their workplace.107 In addition, another 9% of employers had hired a graduate who had completed at least one experiential learning opportunity.108 Therefore, specific grants that enable employers to hire Indigenous students for both experiential learning and post-graduation opportunities will be a significant improvement to Indigenous student employment.
As beneficial as experiential learning and post-secondary education are, cost is constantly cited as a large barrier for Indigenous students to access the sector.109 Therefore, it is vital that the provincial government dedicate more funding to allow for Indigenous students to access post- secondary education and experiential opportunities, which will enhance their skills development and allow them to fully participate in the labour market. There must be a wide-range of these opportunities for Indigenous students, regardless of academic discipline, that provide culturally and career relevant opportunities.
The current goals of the Ontario Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education and Training Policy Framework (APSET) include an increase in training that is respectful and responsive of the aspirations, needs, and choices of Indigenous students.110 This can be achieved through the recommendation of more funding to create programs that allow for Indigenous students to apply their learning in an environment of their choice. This can range from a social work placement in a reserve to developing a community garden with traditional and meaningful plants at their institution to spread Indigenous teachings to their new community. More funding is essential for these experiences to occur. Through consultations with faculty at Wilfrid Laurier University, who run a community garden that incorporates tradition Indigenous teachings and values, the garden relies entirely on unpredictable funding from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development. This causes uncertainty in the sustainability of the garden, which has become a safe space for many Indigenous students and a place for non-Indigenous students to learn and appreciate Indigenous culture.111 By sustainably funding more programs like this, a greater number of Indigenous students at a variety of institutions will be able to benefit from culturally- relevant opportunities that enhance their educational experience.
Another goal of the APSET policy framework is that more Indigenous students have skills and formal education in order to more actively participate in a changing labour market.112 Certain programs have been established, such as Aboriginal Skills Advancement Pilot Program, which introduces Indigenous students to the mining sector.113 This program is focused at various levels of post-secondary education; however, it could be extended to Ontario universities with mining engineering programs, such as Laurentian University and Queen’s University, to enhance the labour market outcomes of Indigenous students in these programs.114 The provincial government should further these potential positive outcomes by establishing grants for non-Indigenous companies to hire recent Indigenous graduates from such programs. Experiential education that provides practical workplace skills during a student’s undergraduate degree will greatly increase their employability once they have graduated.
107 Sattler, Peggy, Work-Integrated Learning in Ontario’s Post-Secondary Sector, (Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, 2013). 108 Ibid 109 Aboriginal Institutes Consortium, A Roadmap to Recognition for Aboriginal Institutes in Ontario, Position Paper, (Toronto, 2014). 110 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, Achieving Results through Partnership: First Progress Report on the Implementation of the Ontario Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education and Training Policy Framework, (Toronto, 2015). 111 Kandice Baptiste, Manager, Indigenous Initiatives, Wilfrid Laurier University Brantford, in discussion with author, September 2017. 112 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, 2015. 113 Ibid. 114 Ibid. 31
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Entrepreneurship hubs and campus accelerators are becoming increasingly popular on the university landscape. To encourage and provide Indigenous students the opportunity to participate in the labour market and to achieve success, there must be an investment of funds into Indigenous entrepreneurship. Many campus resources are ineffective for Indigenous students because they lack cultural relevance and awareness.115 In fact, the Ontario government does not directly fund Indigenous-based entrepreneurship activities at Campus-Linked Accelerators (CLAs).116 This causes an attainment gap of vital resources and can only be solved by placing more emphasis on opportunities for Indigenous students to participate in entrepreneurship and professional development.
PROGRAM CREATION AND COLLABORATION
Principle: Experiential learning programs enhance the undergraduate experience for Indigenous students by providing them with job-specific and transferable skills.
Concern: The Ontario university sector does not have sufficient experiential programming tailored specifically to Indigenous students’ needs, interests or desired outcomes.
Recommendation: The Council of Ontario Universities should task each institution’s Indigenous Education Council to develop an experiential programming framework that will promote culturally relevant skills development for Indigenous students.
Recommendation: The provincial government should incentivize partnerships, through the Strategic Mandate Agreements, between Aboriginal Institutes and Ontario universities that offer culturally relevant and field-specific experiential learning opportunities.
Despite the widespread belief in the positive benefits associated with experiential education, there is still a noticeable lack of tailored opportunities for marginalized groups, particularly Indigenous students, within the university sector. To allow for more opportunities for Indigenous students to participate in experiential education, and to develop transferable and essential skills, the government of Ontario must partner with several stakeholders to develop culturally-relevant, empowering, and well-funded programs. As such, The Council of Ontario Universities should task each institution’s Indigenous Education Council to develop an experiential programming framework that will promote culturally relevant skills development for Indigenous students. This would enable Indigenous students to receive culturally relevant, career-specific, and professional development opportunities across Ontario. One example of this is found at Dalhousie University’s Law school, wherein a first-year course was designed in direct response to the TRC’s Call to Action No. 28, “to give students a grounding in the historic and contemporary issues facing Indigenous peoples, providing a foundation for their future learning about Aboriginal and Indigenous law.”117 The curriculum for this course includes field trips to reserve communities and residential school grounds, ‘Blanket Exercises’, and community speakers.118 In order to demonstrate a commitment from the university sector to develop meaningful opportunities for Indigenous students, these programs must include recognized opportunities in reserve communities.
115 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, 2015. 116 Ontario Centres of Excellence, “Campus-Linked Accelerators,” accessed October 3, 2017, http://www.oce- ontario.org/programs/entrepreneurship-programs/CLAs 117 Docuet, Jane, “New Aboriginal and Indigenous Law Course Fosters ‘Eye-Opening’ Experiential Learning,” Dal News, (November 2, 2017), https://www.dal.ca/news/2017/11/02/new-aboriginal-and-indigenous-law-course-fosters-eye- opening- exp.html?utm_source=dalnewsRSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=dalnews&utm_source=Academica+T op+Ten&utm_campaign=87a3951cbb- EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_11_07&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b4928536cf-87a3951cbb-51921661 118 Ibid. 32
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These programs can also benefit from collaboration with Aboriginal Institutes already funded by the government of Ontario.119 This will allow students flexibility, culturally-appropriate opportunities that facilitate learning, and allow students to connect or reconnect with a neighbouring Indigenous community. There are currently agreements with Aboriginal Institutes and mainstream institutions for course collaboration;120 however, through Strategic Mandate Agreements, these partnerships can and should develop into experiential study partnerships. British Columbia currently has such a strategy to achieve community-based delivery of educational programs in partnership with mainstream institutions, Aboriginal Institutes, and Indigenous communities to ensure a more holistic educational experience.121 Ontario can use this model from British Columbia in the signing of Strategic Mandate Agreements that promote Indigenous students’ professional and personal development. These developments can, then, have a ripple effect, as self-esteem is a key factor in academic success.122 Academic success can lead to increased persistence within universities and for enable Indigenous students to feel engaged with their post-secondary education.123,124 These opportunities to work in reserve communities and Aboriginal Institutes also break down informational barriers for prospective Indigenous students, who are able to see the benefits of a university education and connect with mentors to advise them accordingly.
119 Government of Ontario, “Aboriginal Institutes,” accessed October 3, 2017, https://www.ontario.ca/page/aboriginal- institutes 120 First Nations Technical Institute, “Aboriginal Institutes Applaud New Funding for Indigenous Education,” April 28, 2017, https://www.fnti.net/news.php?ID=42&command=viewArticle¤tFeed=1 121 Aboriginal Institutes Consortium, 2014. 122 Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, 2015. 123 Ibid. 124 Chiefs of Ontario, 2017. 33
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POLICY STATEMENT
INDIGENOUS STUDENTS Whereas: All Indigenous students in Ontario deserve equitable access to comprehensive information regarding a university education in Ontario.
Whereas: Outreach programs should cater to the specific needs of prospective Indigenous students.
Whereas: Indigenous ways of knowing deserve to be treated with equal value in the Ontario public education system.
Whereas: Financing of Indigenous post-secondary education is the responsibility of all levels of government.
Whereas: Funds that exist should be adequately increased to support growing populations of Indigenous youth.
Whereas: Indigenous students from Ontario should be able to easily access specific needs-based financial aid.
Whereas: The provincial government has a duty to uphold the treaty right to education.
Whereas: It is important to Indigenous students that relationships with the culture, land, and community are maintained while attending a post-secondary institution.
Whereas: Post-secondary Indigenous students should have access to adequate, grant-based funding for the sake of travel to and from their home, whether on or off reserve.
Whereas: Indigenous youth and elders share a unique bond that should be valued at post- secondary institutions.
Whereas: Indigenous students should be able to regularly access one-on-one time with an elder who is able to relate to their culture.
Whereas: Indigenous elders are widely regarded as knowledge holders in their community. Indigenous students and faculty should be assured that any training provided be reviewed, and potentially overseen, by an Indigenous elder from a nearby community.
Whereas: Indigenous students should feel safe while attending universities, knowing that staff have received training that is relevant to their university experience.
Whereas: Indigenous students must be able to practice traditional ceremonies (e.g. smudging) without fear of interference from campus security services and residence life coordinators.
Whereas: Indigenous content should always be taught by an Indigenous instructor/knowledge holder or keeper, or by an instructor advised by an Indigenous community member.
Whereas: Indigenous students, and communities, should be represented in course content that appropriately and accurately reflects their rich histories and traditions.
Whereas: Universities should recognize Indigenous knowledge(s) in their accreditation
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35 standards for Indigenous faculty and knowledge holders.
Whereas: Indigenous knowledge(s) should be paired with Western pedagogies.
Whereas: There should be Indigenous representation on the Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance (OUCQA), such as an elder and/or a member of the Indigenous community.
Whereas: Indigenous peoples maintain the right to review curriculum regarding their rich histories and reputations as perceived by the wider public.
Whereas: Indigenous students should have access to Indigenous languages and language resources at postsecondary institutions.
Whereas: Local communities should be invited to participate in Indigenous Education Council meetings.
Whereas: Universities should demonstrate a commitment to nearby Indigenous communities, acknowledge the traditional territories on which they are seated, and respect their values and traditions
Whereas: Indigenous students deserve space on campus dedicated to their overall success in post-secondary education.
Whereas: Indigenous students should have access to spaces dedicated to Indigenous students and their core services.
Whereas: Indigenous students should have a safe, physical space on their campuses to practice their ceremonies.
Whereas: Indigenous student services should be housed with Indigenous student lounges, elder lounges, teaching kitchens, and outdoor learning and teaching spaces.
Whereas: The right to occupy traditional lands for purposes such as meeting, feasting, or partaking in ceremony or knowledge exchange is an inherent Treaty right.
Whereas: Each post-secondary institution across Ontario should ensure appropriate Indigenous academic services are provided to their students.
Whereas: Indigenous students should be able to access traditional medicines and to maintain their health practices while attending an Ontario university.
Whereas: Indigenous students also have the right to access, without any discrimination, to all social and health services available on-campus.
Whereas: Indigenous students should be able to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
Whereas: Indigenous students with dependant children should have full access to culturally relevant child care services.
Whereas: Indigenous women have the right to live and succeed in an environment where they are free from violence.
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Whereas: The government has an obligation to ensure that steps are taken to ensure the safety of Indigenous women on university campuses.
Whereas: The violence experienced by Indigenous women mandates direct action by the province at addressing Indigenous women specifically in its violence prevention strategies.
Whereas: All Indigenous students should be able to access affordable and high quality experiential learning opportunities during their post-secondary studies.
Whereas: Experiential learning programs enhance the undergraduate experience for Indigenous students by providing them with job-specific and transferable skills.
Be it resolved that: The province should provide funds for Indigenous secondary schools and Indigenous post-secondary schools in Ontario to bring Indigenous students to visit Ontario university campuses of their choosing.
Be it further resolved that: The province should provide physical information materials in all reserve communities, friendship centres, and regional associations.
BIFRT: The province should increase funding for the Aboriginal Post-Secondary Information Program (APSIP) to allow for more visits to geographically isolated Indigenous communities.
BIFRT: The province should provide comprehensive information on each university through the Ontario eINFO website.
BIFRT: The province should mandate that all publicly funded informational resources for Indigenous students use inclusive language.
BIFRT: The province should standardize and subsidize the costs for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) across the Ontario university sector.
BIFRT: The provincial government should lobby the federal government to increase funds in the PSSSP to meet the backlog in funding and equitably distribute the funding to local Band councils.
BIFRT: The provincial government should lobby the federal government to allow Métis and non- status First Nations students to access the PSSSP.
BIFRT: In the interim, the provincial government should increase funding for Métis, non-status First Nations, and off-reserve students through the Indigenous Students Bursary and/or OSAP.
BIFRT: The provincial government should incorporate the Indigenous Student Bursary application into the OSAP portal to streamline funding processes, while maintaining distinct funds and eligibility requirements that meet the needs of Indigenous students.
BIFRT: The provincial government should uphold its treaty rights and expand the Indigenous Student Bursary to cover all Indigenous students’ unmet financial need.
BIFRT: In the interim, the provincial government should increase the amount of funding allocated to the Indigenous Student Bursary program from $1.5 million to $37 million in order to address the lack of funding available specifically for Indigenous students.
BIFRT: The provincial government should expand the eligibility criteria of the Indigenous Student Bursary to include all Indigenous students in Canada studying at a publicly funded Ontario post-secondary education. 36
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BIFRT: The provincial government should create an Indigenous Travel Grant that is distributed to institutional Indigenous Student Services offices and is specifically tailored to the needs of Indigenous students.
BIFRT: The provincial government should exempt the Indigenous Travel Grant from the OSAP financial aid requirement.
BIFRT: The Indigenous Travel Grant should be designed to allocate funding to students on a per-kilometer basis, from their home to institution of choice, taking into account the unique needs of Indigenous students.
BIFRT: The provincial government should invest in inter-regional transportation to reserve communities near post-secondary institutions.
BIFRT: The province should mandate that institutions increase funding, proportional to number of Indigenous students enrolled, for Elders-in-Residence programs.
BIFRT: The province should facilitate connections amongst institutions to improve the diversity of representation amongst Elder-in-Residence programs.
BIFRT: MAESD should mandate that all faculty, administration, and university-employed staff (e.g. Residence life staff and security services) complete cultural sensitivity training; advised by local communities and their elders
BIFRT: The province should mandate that university administrations and faculties, in collaboration with their local Indigenous Education Council, create an Indigenous recruitment strategy for faculty/lecturers/instructors, staff, and elders.
BIFRT: MAESD should mandate that new and existing Indigenous content be reviewed by a recognized Indigenous Education Council, Indigenous faculty member, Indigenous community, or equivalents of the above noted.
BIFRT: OUCQA must reserve a voting seat for an Indigenous community member to review Indigenous content as well as programming that briefly mentions or references Indigenous histories.
BIFRT: The Council of Ontario Universities should advise its members to, on the advice on their Indigenous Education Councils, develop a selection of Indigenous courses to serve as a substitute of any given context credit at an institution.
BIFRT: MAESD should mandate institutions to consult with elders on any course offerings or programming that touches on themes of Indigenous peoples.
BIFRT: The provincial government should increase funding for Indigenous languages courses and resources at postsecondary institutions.
BIFRT: The provincial government should, through eCampus Ontario, invest in the development of open-educational resources for Indigenous languages.
BIFRT: The provincial government should mandate the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) to expand transfer credits for Indigenous language programs and courses.
BIFRT: The provincial government, Ontario universities, and ONCAT must explore further 37
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BIFRT: The provincial government should mandate that all Indigenous Education Councils be held accountable to their neighbouring Indigenous communities by providing them with annual reports and measurable outcomes on efforts within each institution.
BIFRT: The provincial government should encourage institutions to raise appropriate and relevant Indigenous flags next to the Canadian and Ontario flags in a prominent location on all campuses.
BIFRT: The provincial government should encourage institutions to increase visibility of Indigenous cultures on campus, including Indigenous art, language, etc.
BIFRT: The Council of Ontario Universities must, in collaboration with Indigenous Education Councils, allocate and design Indigenous spaces to provide core services and safe spaces for Indigenous students.
BIFRT: The government of Ontario should provide guaranteed funding through the Postsecondary Education Fund for Aboriginal Learners (PEFAL) to ensure the continuity and quality of these Indigenous academic services.
BIFRT: PEFAL funding towards these services should be set based on the number of Indigenous students attending a given institution in order to ensure adequate academic services are available.
BIFRT: The province should, in partnership with traditional healers, establish and develop culturally relevant health programs for Indigenous students in both on and off campus health networks.
BIFRT: The Ontario Government should commit sustainable funding for the creation and cultivation of traditional medicine gardens through each institution’s Indigenous Education Council.
BIFRT: The provincial government, in partnership with Indigenous experts, should develop culturally based suicide prevention strategies for Indigenous children and youth, as well as crisis intervention strategies.
BIFRT: The provincial government should fulfill its commitment to fund Indigenous childcare to include licensed and culturally relevant child care spaces on, or within, an accessible distance to campus.
BIFRT: The provincial government should ensure that the level of childcare spaces available at an accessible distance to each campus meets the needs of the number of Indigenous students.
BIFRT: The provincial government should fully subsidize on and off campus Indigenous child care services for Indigenous students with dependants that express financial need.
BIFRT: The provincial government should mandate that university support services provide necessary information as to local services offered to Indigenous women either on or off campus.
BIFRT: The Council of Ontario Universities should agree to invite Indigenous safety services to each campus to provide support and raise awareness to safety issues facing Indigenous women.
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BIFRT: The provincial government should mandate that all universities must incorporate Indigenous-developed programs and strategies into their respective Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Policies.
BIFRT: The provincial government should establish targeted grants for universities to design and implement experiential learning programs tailored for Indigenous students in local businesses, industries, and organizations in both on and off reserve communities.
BIFRT: The provincial government should establish upfront grants for non-Indigenous employers that hire recently graduated Indigenous students.
BIFRT: The provincial government should establish upfront grants for non-Indigenous employers that hire Indigenous students for experiential education.
BIFRT: The provincial government should direct part of the Indigenous Economic Development Fund towards campus accelerators and innovation hubs to promote Indigenous entrepreneurship.
BIFRT: The provincial government should direct part of the Post-Secondary Education Fund for Aboriginal Learners towards experiential learning opportunities for Indigenous students in a large breadth of disciplines.
BIFRT: The Council of Ontario Universities should task each institution’s Indigenous Education Council to develop an experiential programming framework that will promote culturally relevant skills development for Indigenous students.
BIFRT: The provincial government should incentivize partnerships, through the Strategic Mandate Agreements, between Aboriginal Institutes and Ontario universities that offer culturally relevant and field-specific experiential learning opportunities.
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