University of Winnipeg leaders are reviewing new recommendations to create formal protocols to verify the First Nations, Métis and Inuit ancestry of job-seekers and award applicants.
Post-secondary institutions have historically relied on self-identification when assessing candidates to fill positions intended for Indigenous scholars.
For more than a year, U of W has been collecting feedback on identity, citizenship and “safeguarding opportunities” to thwart fraudulent claims and ensure rewards are gifted to the intended recipients.
An internal working group has endorsed a flexible and multifaceted approach to assessing claims that allows Indigenous groups to determine their own memberships, accepts various forms of documentation and ensures privacy for people involved in the process.
Members have called on administration to develop clear criteria for Indigenous identity that does not solely rely on genetic markers, such as DNA or blood quantum.
“While biology is crucial, cultural engagement, community connections, and personal histories must also be considered,” states an excerpt from a 42-page report, which was on the agenda of a Monday-night meeting of the board of regents.
Chantal Fiola, associate vice-president of Indigenous engagement, and associate professor Paul DePasquale co-chair the 20-member Indigenous Identity Working Group.
“Pending support (from the governing board), we will launch the report in the imminent future with assistance from marketing and communications,” Fiola said in an email Monday. “The next step is to strike the policy committee itself.”
Sage Solutions, a consulting firm, oversaw the working group’s engagement efforts and data analysis to lay the groundwork for a formal policy.
Cathy Mattes, a faculty member who sits on the working group, said she appreciates the “what we heard” report’s stance on repercussions for individuals found to have made false claims and caused harm, as a result.
“I firmly believe that there should be swift action. This should be treated as a safe workplace issue and a human rights issue,” said the Michif curator and associate professor of art history.
Mattes said she is hopeful there is not a grandfather clause in a future policy that disregards allegations about existing community members.
While calling for potential consequences to be described in formal processes, including but not limited to rescinding awards and legal recourse, the report states restorative justice should be taken into account.
The document acknowledges the difference between malicious fraud and situations where individuals have misrepresented their heritage based on mistaken beliefs.
Communities establish connections via kinship and family ties, government documents, elder endorsements and participation in group activities, such as ceremonies or sharing oral histories, says the report.
Ambiguous family trees and falsified documents, disagreements within communities and situations where individuals were displaced or disconnected because of adoption, urbanization and colonial policies were identified as potential challenges in fact-checking.
maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca
Maggie Macintosh
Education reporter
Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she joined the newsroom as a reporter in 2019. Read more about Maggie.
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