Content warning: mentions of slavery, anti-Indigenous racism
This June, McGill announced their proposal for the Indigenous Tuition Initiative that seeks to waive all tuition and mandatory fees for Indigenous students from local First Nation communities. The program, which came into effect this Fall semester, positions itself as a reconciliatory effort on the administration’s behalf to cover up many of its past – and present – wrongdoings against Indigenous communities in and around Montreal.
Seven years ago, McGill’s Provost Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education established its now recognized 52 Calls to Action. These recommendations sought to advance the university’s project regarding the “recognition and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.” This initiative followed a 2015 report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) that called on Canadian institutions to confront their violent and harmful actions towards Indigenous communities. In an effort to fulfill these Calls to Action, McGill has only now instituted this financial aid. However, McGill’s history of acting in opposition to Indigenous activists, such as the kanien’kehá:ka kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers), makes it clear that McGill has a long way to go in mending its relationship with the Indigenous communities it has harmed, and continues to harm.
Most of McGill’s initiatives for Indigenous students have been introduced since 2015, showing how the university is still in its first steps towards recognizing and addressing its participation in settler-colonialism. Prior to the TRC’s statement, McGill had largely ignored its students’ calls for Indigenous recognition and equality. For decades, students have protested against the McGill men’s varsity athletics team name, due to its use of an anti-Indigenous slur. The university refused to listen to the requests to change the name, and it was only in 2020 that McGill rebranded its athletics department as the Redbirds and Martlets. The insensitivity that McGill has presented towards Indigenous students extends far beyond its blatantly racist actions.
The same year the McGill athletics department changed its name, students from the Black Student Network and the Indigenous Student Alliance sought to call out McGill’s systemic oppression against Indigenous and Black community members. The “Take James McGill Down” movement called to remove the James McGill statue on the downtown campus, due to the university founder’s past as a slave owner of both Black and Indigenous enslaved people. Once again, Indigenous and Black students requested that McGill honour its commitments made to Indigenous and Black peoples, and reassess its behaviours that are a continuation of its colonial past. Any progress McGill has made towards supporting Indigenous students has always been a direct consequence of mobilization efforts from Indigenous students and activists themselves.
The most recent example of McGill’s resistance against Indigenous communities occurred in the legal battles between McGill administration and the Mohawk Mothers concerning the development of the Royal Victoria Hospital site. The Mohawk Mothers requested to excavate the site to search for unmarked Indigenous and non-Indigenous graves, particularly from the MK-Ultra experiments in the 1950s and 60s. McGill refused to agree to their terms until November 2023, when the courts declared that “McGill and SQI [were to] suspend excavation of the site until the parties agreed on how archeological investigations be conducted.” If left to their own devices, McGill would not have listened to the Mohawk Mothers to halt their plans for development, as seen by McGill’s appeal of the Superior Court decision.
However, last month the Court of Appeal reversed its order, leaving the courts unable to enforce McGill’s compliance with the Mohawk Mothers. The judge “misapprehended the scope of his power to make safeguard orders,” the Court of Appeal wrote. Without a court mandate in place, it’s unlikely that McGill will be willing to acknowledge the concerns of the Mohawk Mothers.
Parallel to its injustices against Indigenous communities, McGill has aggressively pushed out policies claiming to fulfill its Calls to Action. This includes its newest announcement for a mental health initiative that would “bolster Indigenous youth mental health services across Canada.” The program, co-led by McGill psychiatry professor Srividya Iyer and Lakehead University psychology professor Christopher Mushquash, aims to provide services to help mitigate generational trauma and cultural disconnect affecting Indigenous youth. The university’s eager attitude in promoting these programs seems designed to distract the public from their lack of achievement in 43 of the remaining Calls to Action.
Although the university appears to be making amends, the administration has a long way to go in reconciling its destructive actions. While its policies may benefit Indigenous students now, they only address one facet of the larger mission: to hold colonial institutions fully accountable for the harm they have inflicted on Indigenous communities. Since McGill has mainly taken a reactionary stance in their proposals, acting only due to student activism, it is vital that we all participate in the fight for decolonization. Organizations such as the Indigenous Student Alliance at McGill make it possible to keep their identity alive in a society that tries constantly to assimilate them into Western ideals.
Despite McGill’s treatment of Indigenous communities, it is our responsibility to support Indigenous peoples and amplify their voices. To keep up with the Mohawk Mothers’ fight against McGill, you can follow @takebacktekanontak on Instagram or read Mohawk Nation News. Additionally, show solidarity by attending the Every Child Matters March for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. Another way to educate yourself on happenings within Indigenous communities is by engaging with media produced by Indigenous people. Within this issue, you can find pieces highlighting Indigenous achievements, such as the launch of the Tiohtià:ke: Mapping Indigenous Stories podcasts, a review of Shawnee Kish’s new single, media recommendations, and more!