IRG -Territorial Acknowledgement and Situating Self

"the term “Indigenous” is being used as the preferred collective noun for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. “Indigenous” comes from the Latin word indigena, which means “sprung from the land; native.” And “Indigenous Peoples” recognizes that, rather than a single group of people there are many – separate and unique Nations" (BC Campus’s Pulling Together: A Guide for Curriculum Developers)

"Indigenous people(s) Like all terms, this term is imperfect and imprecise as it places different nations and communities under a single umbrella and can risk reproducing generalizations about Indigenous peoples. Like all people, Indigenous people are diverse and heterogeneous, both within and between communities. Hence, we emphasize that when we speak about the experiences of ‘Indigenous people in higher education,’ we are speaking about what commonly occurs, which does not mean that this is the experience or interpretation of every individual Indigenous person. Indigenous people also hold divergent views about what the decolonization of higher education should look like, or whether it is even a desirable or worthwhile goal. It is not the place of non-Indigenous people to try and define for Indigenous people what decolonization ‘should’ look like" (Stein et al).

"The process of deconstructing colonial ideologies of the superiority and privilege of Western thought and approaches. Decolonization involves valuing and revitalizing Indigenous knowledge and approaches, and rethinking Western biases or assumptions that have impacted Indigenous ways of being" (BC Campus’s Pulling Together: A Guide for Curriculum Developers)

"The process of naturalizing Indigenous knowledge systems and making them evident to transform spaces, places, and hearts. In the context of post-secondary education, this involves bringing Indigenous knowledge and approaches together with Western knowledge systems. It is a deliberate coming together of these two ways of being" (BC Campus’s Pulling Together: A Guide for Curriculum Developers). 

"Addressing past wrongs done to Indigenous Peoples, making amends, and improving relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to create a better future for all" (BC Campus’s Pulling Together: A Guide for Curriculum Developers).

"In general, we do not evoke reconciliation throughout this text. Taking our lead from nuanced critiques from Indigenous scholars and activists, we are conscious of the ways that reconciliation has been mobilized in public discourse to falsely suggest that colonization is ‘over,’ and what’s more, that Indigenous people should “get over it” so that “we” can “move on.” This translates to a demand that Indigenous people reconcile themselves to a still ongoing colonialism. That being said, conversations or programming about reconciliation can potentially be mobilized as sites of intervention for deepening the examination of colonization if engaged in strategic ways" (Stein et al).