Jean-Marc Mangin, Executive Director, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Vancouver Island University has quietly built its reputation as one of Canada’s thought and practice university leaders in resetting its relationships with Indigenous peoples and students. A recent CBC Ideas program launching a national Aboriginal lecture series helped raise the profile of the work being done at Vancouver Island University.  During my short visit last January, staff proudly welcomed the increased national attention but were quick to point out that delivering real results takes time and commitment across the institution. There are no magic formulas, and no one size fits all...

Peter Severinson, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences

For me, the most exciting, challenging and inspiring moment at the Federation’s Annual Conference last week came from a young woman who spoke from the floor. We had just heard a moving and thought-provoking talk from Wab Kinew, the acclaimed writer, journalist and musician who is now serving as Associate Vice-President of Indigenous Affairs at the University of Winnipeg. He spoke about the challenges our colleges and universities face in helping to advance reconciliation with Aboriginal peoples. We then enjoyed a panel discussion on the same subject, featuring leaders from different backgrounds in the higher-...

Jim Silver, University of Winnipeg

This blog post marks the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17. For more information about this day, go here.

Over the past 40 years poverty in Canada has become increasingly complex, racialized and often intergenerational. It is about much more than a shortage of income. It is also about poor housing, poor health, low educational outcomes, social exclusion, racism and colonialism, all of which interact with and reinforce each other, aggravating the problem. This complex poverty is often internalized, with those who experience it blaming themselves for their problems, resulting in low levels of self-esteem and self-confidence and in many cases a lack of hope for a better future. The self-blame and lack of hope—reinforced by the common “blame the victim” understanding of poverty—have the effect of...

Jean-Paul Restoule, Associate Professor of Aboriginal Education at OISE/University of Toronto

Remember when National Aboriginal Day was called National Aboriginal Solidarity Day? Just weeks after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its final report, we would do well to consider the critical role solidarity plays in reconciliation.

Achieving genuine reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in Canada is a responsibility we all share. We can’t wait for our governments or our administrative heads to make change.  ...