Terminology
The following terms are used within this document and mentioned within the context of concepts, theories, or historical context.
Indigenous
While the term Indigenous has become more commonly used around the world, it is contested by some because it does not acknowledge the unique identities or distinct rights of First Nations, Inuit and éپ peoples. It is best to refer to the specific group (First Nations, Inuit or éپ) rather than generalizing with a collective phrase like Indigenous.
Aboriginal
Aboriginal is an outdated collective term referring to First Nations, Inuit and éپ peoples. However, the term Aboriginal is still used as it is the legal term in the Canadian Constitution. Aboriginal has largely been replaced by Indigenous, which is used internationally.
First Nations
First Nation is a term used to identify Indigenous people of Canada who are neither éپ nor Inuit. The term First Nation can be used to refer to a single band or the plural First Nations for many bands. This term is also used to refer to federally recognized communities in the place of the term reserve.
This term came into common usage in the 1970s to replace the term “Indian" and “Indian band” which many find offensive. Although First Nations has replaced “Indian” in common language, there are some legal reasons for its continued use due to its inclusion in the Constitution Act of 1982 and the Indian Act.
Inuit
Inuit are Indigenous people living primarily in Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland. Inuit Nunangat is comprised of four regions in Canada: The Inuvialuit Settlement Regions (Northwest Territories), Nunavut, Nunavik (Northern Québec) and Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador). In total, approximately, 64,235 Inuit live in Canada (, 2021).
The term Inuit translates to “the people” in Inuktitut, the Inuit language. Therefore, saying “Inuit people” is redundant. Use Inuk when referring to an individual Inuit person. Use Inuuk when referring to two people; for three or more people, use Inuit.
éپ
éپ are distinct people with a unique history, culture, language, and territory. They are descendants of individuals born of relations between First Nations people and European settlers. While the initial children of these unions were individuals who simply possessed mixed ancestry, subsequent intermarriages between these individuals resulted in the creation of the éپ Nation.
The éپ National Council adopted the following definition of “éپ” in 2002: “éپ means a person who self-identifies as éپ, is distinct from other Indigenous Peoples, is of historic éپ Nation Ancestry and who is accepted by the éپ Nation.” Some people may refer to themselves as éپ but upon further research, they might fit more into non-status Indian or First Nation than éپ.
Decolonization
Decolonization is about shifting the way Indigenous Peoples view themselves and the way non-Indigenous people view Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples are reclaiming the family, community, culture, language, history and traditions that were taken from them under the federal government policies designed for assimilation. Some communities are reclaiming control via self-government agreements, treaties, or other negotiated agreements. It’s about revealing, renewal and rediscovery (, 2017).
Decolonization requires non-Indigenous Canadians to recognize and accept the reality of Canada’s colonial history, accept how that history paralyzed Indigenous Peoples and how it continues to subjugate Indigenous Peoples. Decolonization requires non-Indigenous individuals, governments, institutions, and organizations to create the space and support for Indigenous Peoples to reclaim all that was taken from them (, 2017).
Indigenization
Indigenization requires non-Indigenous people to be aware of Indigenous worldviews and to respect that those worldviews are equal to other views. Indigenization is about incorporating Indigenous worldviews, knowledge and perspectives into the education system, right from primary grades to universities. It must be acknowledged that there is not a homogenous Indigenous worldview, and that each Indigenous nation or community will have their own worldview (, 2017).
References
- The Indigenous Terminology Guide
- University of ݮƵ 2018 Indigenization Strategy Steering Committee (see below)
UݮƵ 2018 Indigenization Strategy Steering Committee
| Member name | Chair role | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Diana Parry | Steering Committee Chair | AVP, Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion |
| Dr. Mario Coniglio | Academic Programming Chair | VP, Academic |
| Dr. Katherine Bergman | Student Experience Chair | President & Vice Chancellor, St. Jerome’s University |
| Lori Campbell | Community Engagement Chair | Director, ݮƵ Indigenous Student Centre; Seconded as Director, Indigenous Initiatives January 2018 to June 30, 2018, in Office of Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion |
| Dr. Bruce Muirhead | Research Chair | Associate Vice-President, External Research |
| Dr. Doug Peers | Policies and Procedures Chair | Dean of Arts |
Working groups
| Research Chair: Dr. Bruce Muirhead |
|
|---|---|
| Name | Role |
| Michael Benoit | Graduate Student |
| Dr. Sandra Juutilainen | CIHR - Health Systems Impact Fellow, School of Public Health Sciences |
| Dr. Sushanta Mitra | Executive Director and Professor - ݮƵ Institute for Nanotechnology |
| Mackenzie Martyniuk | Graduate Student |
| Chris Read | Graduate Student |
| Dr. Reina Neufeldt | Assistant Professor, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, Conrad Grebel |
| Dr. Dan McCarthy | Associate Professor; Associate Director, Undergraduate Studies; Interim Director, WISIR |
| Dr. Susan Roy | Associate Professor and Associate Chair (Graduate) |
| Dr. Jasmin Habib | Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Global Governance & Faculty of Arts |
| Dr. Linda Warley | Associate Professor and Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, Faculty of Arts |
| Dr. Neil Randall | Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Director of The Games Institute |
| Policies and procedures Chair: Dr. Doug Peers |
|
|---|---|
| Name | Role |
|
Mandy McDermid |
Metrics Analyst, HR Projects and Technology - Human Resources |
|
Skye McMenemy |
Undergraduate Student |
|
Dahlia Khajeei |
PhD Student ,School of Public Health and Health Systems |
|
Kelly Laurila |
Lecturer, Department of Social Development Studies, Social Work, Renison University College |
|
Shahene Patel |
MA Candidate, Global Governance, Balsillie School of International Affairs |
|
Michael Seymour |
Indigenous Strategy Advisor to the Dean of Mathematics |
|
Adam Thibert |
Undergraduate Student |
|
Aisha Shibli |
Research and Policy Officer, Federation of Students |
|
Sarah Lau |
Grants and Contracts Manager, Institutional Research, Office of Research |
|
Dahlia Kahjeei |
Graduate Student |
|
Dr. Julia Roberts |
Chair & Associate Professor, Department of History |
| Community engagement Chair: Lori Campbell |
|
|---|---|
| Name | Role |
| Dr. Bryan Grimwood | Associate Professor, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies |
| Dr. Sorouja Moll | Definite Term Lecturer, Department of Drama & Speech Communication |
| Mandy McDermid | Staff |
| Tyler Owl-Scott | Undergraduate Student |
| Amanda Plain | Graduate Student |
| Rhonda Ramsay | Staff |
| Dr. John Lewis | Faculty |
| Dr. Shelley Hulan | Associate Professor, Associate Chair, Department of English Language and Literature |
| Chloe Blair | Undergraduate Student |
| Student experience working group Dr. Katherine Bergman |
|
|---|---|
| Name | Role |
| Sǰ | UW Alumni; Events Coordinator - ݮƵ Indigenous Student Centre |
| Rowland Robinson | PhD Candidate, Department of Sociology & Legal Studies |
| Efrem Sandy | Staff, IST |
| Martha Fauteux | Staff |
| Denise Redmond | Staff |
| Jonathan Franchetto | Undergraduate Student |
| Sabrina Bedjera | Graduate Student |
| Charity Nonkes | Student, Peace and Conflict Studies, Conrad Grebel |
| Lisa Brackenridge | Staff, Student Success Office |
| Dr. Craig Fortier | Faculty |
| Academic programming Chair: Dr. Mario Coniglio |
|
|---|---|
| Name | Role |
| Dr. Brian Forrest | Professor, Faculty of Mathematics |
| Dr. Karen Sunabacka | Associate Professor of Music |
| Heather George | Graduate Student |
| Dr. George Freeman | Faculty |
| Dr. Kathy Acheson | Faculty |
| Dr. Frankie Condon | Faculty |
| Jessica Blackwell | Librarian, Special Collections & Archives & Dana Porter Library |
| Dr. Julie Kate Seirlis | Department of International Development - St. Paul's |
| Allison Hopper | Graduate Student |
| Thadsha Chandrakumaran | MASc Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering |