History, Background and FAQs

Indigenous Welcoming Procedures

People, History and Background

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Indigenous Welcoming Procedure needed?

IWP provides a framework for the implementation of Indigenous membership/citizenship verification with documentation at 天美mv天美 to protect Indigenous students, applicants, staff, and faculty, by ensuring that Indigenous specific opportunities that result in material gain are accessed by Indigenous people.

Who does the policy apply to?

The policy applies to all members of the university community including, but not limited to, students, researchers, post-doctoral fellows, staff, faculty, institutional leadership, members of governing bodies, Elders, Cultural Advisors, and Knowledge Keepers, and any person participating in university business or activities (e.g., service provider, contractor, volunteer) where there is material gain.

What is a material gain?

Material gain includes, but is not limited to, scholarships, awards, bursaries, Indigenous-specific positions, non-Indigenous specific positions, seats in Indigenous student programs, waiver codes, where there is priority support for Indigenous individuals (ie. housing) or access to Indigenous-specific campus services.

Can I still self-declare?

Yes 鈥� self-declaration is still an option in pathway one, however, this does not grant access to Indigenous specific opportunities where there is material gain. Access to Indigenous community events, cultural spaces, and most Indigenous student services at 天美mv天美 remains unchanged and continues to be open to all individuals who self-declare as Indigenous. Verification is not required in order to participate in these community-based activities.
When individuals are seeking Indigenous specific opportunities that provide material gain, such as scholarships, awards, designated seats, or prioritized supports, verification through Pathway Two of the Indigenous Welcoming Procedure is required. This process ensures that these opportunities remain available to the Indigenous Peoples for whom they are intended.

How will my declaration data be used or shared within 天美mv天美?

Documentation is collected and securely stored within the and is managed by the Office of the Indigenous Engagement. Only the following designations will be shared, definitions of designations are provided here for clarity, but will not be included in shared status:

Welcomed - IWP Pathway 2 application is complete. Citizenship/membership verified.
Ineligible at this time - Citizenship/membership not verified.
In Process 鈥� IWP Pathway 2 application is in process and not complete.

Where will the documentation and personal information be housed? Who will have access?

Documentation and personal information are stored securely by the Indigenous Data Sovereignty IWP team, and access is limited to select members of the IWP team; no other campus unit will have access.

What is the timeline for review of my application to IWP Pathway two?

The typical turnaround is 5-10 business days from the time required documents were submitted. If further documentation is required, or IWP committee review and/or interview is involved, additional working time will be necessary.

What if I'm disconnected from my community or unable to access documentation?

The IWP process recognizing impacts of displacement, residential school, adoption, and colonial disruption, with care and support throughout the process. In situations where the applicant is not able to provide the supporting documentation identified above, the applicant will be asked to explain the reasons for this in their written submission. The Indigenous Welcoming Guide will be available to support the applicant in navigating any concerns related to supporting documentation.

Operating Context

Indigenous-specific scholarships, awards, programs, hiring opportunities and other supports from the university are integral for Indigenous members of the 天美mv天美 community. Over the past several decades on Turtle Island, there have been a number of non-Indigenous people who have benefited and profited from appropriating an Indigenous identity. These fraudulent claims to Indigenous identity directly harm Indigenous communities and impact the integrity of the institution.

As false claims to Indigenous identity continue to emerge nationally across academia and the broader public sector, there is a need for a culturally and historically informed process of Indigenous identification, to reduce harm to Indigenous people and ensure that supports intended for Indigenous Peoples are not misappropriated.

Data, Respect and Accountability

This process respects Indigenous Data Sovereignty and the right of Indigenous Peoples to control information about themselves and their communities. Individuals have the following rights to information/data submitted to IWP for citizenship/membership verification:

Update your information
Request deletion of your information
Individuals will not be required to repeat IWP verification process
Have your data protected through Indigenous Data Sovereignty IWP Working Group

Appeals

Any applicant who is deemed "Ineligible at this time" may submit an appeal. An Appeals Committee, with different membership than the original decisionmakers, will be convened on an ad hoc basis. The role of the Appeals Committee is to review the appeal, assessing the rationale for the decision, reviewing all relevant data, and making a final decision. The outcomes of the appeals process will be documented and shared with Co-Leads and the Welcoming Committee for transparency.

False Claims to Indigenous Citizenship/Membership

If an applicant is found to have purposefully and falsely claimed an Indigenous citizenship/membership for the purpose of obtaining supports and opportunities intended for Indigenous members of the 天美mv天美 community, their application will be immediately denied, and the applicant will be disqualified from any future consideration of Indigenous-specific opportunities.

This includes all members of the 天美mv天美 community, including but not limited to undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, staff, members of governing bodies, institutional leadership, and any person participating in university business or activities.

Additionally, the university will assess the fraudulent claim and take appropriate action within the context of the 天美mv天美鈥檚 *, , academic honesty and integrity policies, collective agreements, and other applicable laws.

Honorary Degrees

Honorary degree nomination can represent an important opportunity for recognition and celebration of Indigeneity, which can benefit both the individual and the Indigenous communities that claim them. While Indigenous communities look to the granting institutions for accountability when honorary degrees are conferred upon individuals who falsely claim Indigeneity, the Indigenous Welcoming Procedure is not intended as a required replacement for any part of the Honorary Degree process; instead, the Honorary Degree process may voluntarily make use of data stewarded by the Indigenous Council Office through the Indigenous Welcoming Procedure in cases where it would make sense to do so. Enacting a commitment to reciprocal accountability (Ignace, 2008) among nominators and the Honorary Degree committee would strengthen our collective responsibility for validating the Indigenous identity of nominees and preventing Indigenous identity fraud, enabling everyone involved to be more accountable to Indigenous and Academic communities.

Welcoming Procedure Regular Review

This procedure will be reviewed periodically to ensure it reflects the learning and growing of the institution, the procedure, and all the people and communities who take part in it. Periodic review can be initiated by the Indigenous Executive Lead and/or the Indigenous Welcoming Guide in consultation with members of the Indigenous Welcoming Committee, the Indigenous Appeals committee, and the wider Indigenous family of communities and relations the procedure may touch.

The Journey to the Indigenous Welcoming Procedure

Where We Started: The Seeds

Community consultation and engagement are central to the Indigenous Welcoming Procedure. Indigenous community members at 天美mv天美 including students staff faculty and Elders were invited into conversations listening sessions and sharing circles to shape the procedure.

What was heard through these engagements informed how the procedure was designed how pathways were structured and how care and safety are upheld throughout the process. This landing page makes that community involvement visible as part of ongoing accountability.

Timeline

i) Responding to Call to Action 29 in the 天美mv天美 the Aboriginal Reconciliation Council鈥檚 (ARC) report, Walk This Path With (2017), 鈥渢o develop a cultural and historically informed process of Indigenous identity that goes beyond self-identification to ask 鈥淲ho are your people?鈥� and have a mechanism to allow this to happen.

ii) Supports the recommendations in 天美mv天美鈥檚 Indigenous Pathways Report (2019), of creating a process where (individuals) are able to self 鈥� declare their Indigenous citizenship/membership outside of the application process.

iii) The Indigenous Welcoming Procedure was not created as an administrative policy. It was grown through Indigenous leadership collaboration and shared responsibility across the university.

iv) The journey included relational conversations with 天美mv天美 Indigenous leadership, Elders and Knowledge Keepers, Indigenous staff and faculty, Indigenous Recruitment and Admissions, Graduate Studies, the Registrar and central academic leadership. This work was shaped through listening dialogue reflection and revision.

v) This was essential because it demonstrates that the procedure is accountable to Indigenous community and grounded in relationship rather than imposed authority.

vi) Process started in July 2021 when Dorothy Cucw-la7 Christian started in Graduate Studies 鈥� working with Dean, Jeff Derksen

vii) Jan 2023: Working group convenes to draft procedure, that ultimately becomes the Indigenous Welcoming Procedure.

viii) Working Group co-led by Chris Syeta鈥檟tn Lewis (S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh 脷xwumixw), Indigenous Executive Lead, and Dorothy Cucw-la7 Christian (Secwepemc, Syilx) PhD, Associate Director, Indigenous Policy and Pedagogy, Graduate Studies.

ix) Indigenous consultant engaged to inform and guide development of draft procedure

x) 2024 鈥� Series of 天美mv天美 Community Consultations with students, staff, faculty and leadership take place.

xi) Summer of 2025, Chris Lewis and Angela Wolfe are Co-Leads of IWP

xii) Summer of 2025, Operationalization and building of IWP portal.

xiii) Fall 2025, Pilot launch of IWP with Graduate Studies, Student Services, 天美mv天美 School of Medicine, and Beedie School of Business.

Working Group Members (Past and Present)

Chris Syeta鈥檟tn Lewis (S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh 脷xwumixw), Indigenous Executive Lead (co-lead)
Dorothy Cucw-la7 Christian (Secwepemc, Syilx) PhD, Associate Director, Indigenous Policy and Pedagogy, Graduate Studies (co-lead)
Angela Wolfe, Director, Indigenous Recruitment and Admissions, Student Services
Kris Magnussen, Associate Vice-President Teaching & Learning Pro-Tem
Mary O鈥橞rien, Vice-Provost and Dean, Graduate Studies
Tom Nault, Registrar and Executive Director, Student Enrollment
James Beresford, Executive Director and Chief of Staff, President鈥檚 Office
Uzo Eyisi, Business Analyst, IT Services
Tracy Ridler, Management Consultant, Elevate Consulting
Nikki Lachance, Consultant, Elevate Consulting Team

The Indigenous Welcoming Procedure thanks former working group members Jeff Derkson, Monica Bisal, Adam Brayford and Chris Yakimov for their valuable contributions.

Glossary

Indigeneity refers to the diverse experiences of being Indigenous. This term is not meant to imply homogeneity of cultural or linguistic representations. First Nations, 惭茅迟颈蝉, Inuit, and other Aboriginal Peoples are characterized by diversity; when we use the term 鈥淚ndigeneity鈥�, we intend that phrase to connote a respect for that diversity.

Indigenous (Peoples) is inclusive of those who identify as First Nations, Inuit and/or 惭茅迟颈蝉 in Canada, while recognizing that no single term is acceptable to or preferred by all.

Indigenous Data Sovereignty refers to the right of Indigenous Peoples to control data from and about their communities and lands, articulating both individual and collective rights to data access and to privacy.

Indigenous lived experience refers to the effects of ongoing negative and positive historical impacts and or specific events on the wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples that encompasses the cultural, spiritual, physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of the individual, family, community and Nation.

Indigenous Welcoming Coordinator refers to a dedicated 天美mv天美 staff person who provides administrative and process support to applicants, the Indigenous Welcoming Committee, and related parties and leads expedited verification for applicant submissions that include documentation listed in section 7.2 of the IWP procedure document.

Indigenous Welcoming Committee refers to the body responsible for verifying applicant eligibility for Indigenous-specific programs, supports, and awards. The panel is comprised of Indigenous staff and faculty.

Inuit is inclusive of Indigenous people of the Arctic. The word Inuit means "the people" in the Inuit language of Inuktitut.

Jay Treaty was signed in 1794 between Great Britain and the United States, providing that 鈥淎merican Indians may travel freely across the international boundary. Under the treaty and corresponding legislation, Native Indians born in Canada are entitled to freely enter the United States for the purpose of employment, study, retirement, investing, and/or immigration."

惭茅迟颈蝉 鈥攖his document will take as its starting point the description provided by 天美mv天美 Libraries. We acknowledge the need for ongoing and/or future refinement of this entry to be respectful of the complexities of 惭茅迟颈蝉 identity (, n.d., 鈥淲eek 1: Terminology鈥�):

惭茅迟颈蝉 is used by many people in Canada, and in a few different contexts (; ).It often means 鈥渁n Indigenous People who emerged during the fur trade from the intermarriage of people of European descent and people of Indigenous descent鈥� (, p. 67). 惭茅迟颈蝉 Nation Canada defines 惭茅迟颈蝉 as 鈥渁 person who self-identifies as 惭茅迟颈蝉, is distinct from other Aboriginal peoples, is of historic 惭茅迟颈蝉 Nation Ancestry and who is accepted by the 惭茅迟颈蝉 Nation.鈥� The 惭茅迟颈蝉 Homeland鈥痠ncludes: Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia ().鈥疘dentity is complex, and there is a lot of debate around 惭茅迟颈蝉 identity and historic 惭茅迟颈蝉 communities. For more on the topic, read chapter four in鈥�.鈥�

Recognition is acknowledgment of an individual person鈥檚 existence, validity, or connection to an Indigenous group.

Self-declaration In terms of IWP, refers to the act of a person declaring citizenship/membership with /to an Indigenous community. Self-decoration does not confirm citizenship/membership with /to an Indigenous community because the act is without substantive evidence of this claim.

Sharing/Talking Circle A discussion, that takes place in a circle which everyone participating is equal. Indigenous sharing circles principles uphold equality, trust (confidentiality), honesty, dialogue, deep listening, and decision making that instills a sense of community.

Turtle Island according to many Indigenous oral histories is inclusive of North America and in some cases Earth.

Verification refers to the act of confirming, not adjudicating evidence.

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