To All Members of the Carleton Community,
We are honoured to present you with a copy of Kinàmàgawin, the final report published by the Carleton University Strategic Indigenous Initiatives Committee (CUSIIC).
When CUSIIC was convened in October 2018, we were faced with a monumental and significant task: to revitalize Carleton’s Indigenous strategy and re-energize relationships with Indigenous communities in Algonquin territory and across the country.
Since that time, we have led a broad and inclusive committee through a comprehensive process. Throughout the 2018-’19 year, more than 600 Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from within the university and the broader Indigenous community participated in more than 40 consultations. This process yielded extensive qualitative data, which were categorized into themes that are threaded throughout the final report.
The consultations created spaces for meaningful dialogue and relationship building that will serve us well as we move forward to implement the recommendations. This step was critical to the process.
As President Benoit-Antoine Bacon previously wrote: “the only way to make any progress is to meet each other as human beings, to listen in order to understand rather than to convince, and to consider the consequences that our actions or inaction will have seven generations into the future.”
Kinàmàgawin is a powerful statement. It is an overarching strategy that acknowledges the institutional humility that we must adopt to make Carleton a safer space for current and future Indigenous students and Indigenous faculty members.
You will see that this report opens with beautiful words written by Barbara Dumont-Hill, a Knowledge Keeper at the Carleton Ojigkwanong Centre who played an important role on CUSIIC. She writes about the meaning of the title, Kinàmàgawin, which translates to “learning together.” This title is a powerful representation of the work Carleton has undertaken to learn difficult truths about our shared past. Perhaps even more importantly, it is a powerful symbol of the work that must continue to implement the 41 Calls to Action, which include a request for each faculty and support unit on campus to develop their own strategies in support of Kinàmàgawin.
The launch of this report signifies an important milestone for Carleton. But the work is far from over. The implementation of these Calls to Action will support positive long-term change at Carleton, and we all have a role to play.
We would like to express our deep gratitude to the members of CUSIIC for their dedication and collaboration. On behalf of the committee, we would also like to thank everyone who engaged in and contributed to the work of CUSIIC.
Kischii marsii, Nia:wen, Thank you,
Benny Michaud Co-Chair, Carleton University Strategic Indigenous Initiatives Committee Assistant Director, Indigenous Initiatives, Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities
Kahente Horn-Miller Co-Chair, Carleton University Strategic Indigenous Initiatives Committee Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Indigenous Studies Co-Director, Centre for Indigenous Research, Culture, Language, and Education
Jerry Tomberlin Co-Chair, Carleton University Strategic Indigenous Initiatives Committee Provost and Vice-President (Academic)