What can universities do to support Indigenous resurgence?
Indigenous Resurgence: A Movement for Healing and Reconnection
Understanding Indigenous Resurgence
- Indigenous Resurgence is described as both an intellectual and political movement aimed at addressing the historical harms inflicted on Indigenous peoples due to land dispossession.
- The movement seeks to foster honesty and authenticity in relationships between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous populations, aiming to resolve colonial issues for a cooperative future.
Key Concepts of Reclaiming, Renaming, and Reoccupying
- Reclaiming involves restoring languages, traditions, cultural practices, sacred spaces, and ancestral connections to the land. This is essential for healing and identity.
- Renaming addresses the erasure of Native people from historical narratives and landscapes through colonial storytelling practices that need rectification.
- Reoccupying highlights the active resistance of Native peoples against displacement by industries or governments, emphasizing their right to defend their remaining lands. This aspect often garners media attention.
Role of Education in Decolonization
- Universities can significantly contribute to restoring Indigenous health by fostering strong relationships with local First Nations through community-based education models that integrate Indigenous knowledge into academic settings.
- There are numerous programs at institutions like the University of Victoria that support Indigenous students and faculty while promoting land-based education initiatives involving Native elders.
Shifting Perspectives in Higher Education
- Effective decolonization requires universities to prioritize hiring experienced Indigenous faculty who have established connections with local communities rather than junior faculty unfamiliar with these contexts. This approach enhances credibility and relationship-building efforts.
- The University of Victoria exemplifies this model by employing senior Native faculty members who contribute positively towards building better relations with First Nations communities.
Rethinking Educational Structures
- Institutions like Concordia could position themselves as leaders in decolonizing education by allowing students studying Indigenous issues to learn directly from Indigenous perspectives, thus reconfiguring traditional educational boundaries and bureaucratic rules around certification processes.