Social Anthropology at Vancouver Island University
I acknowledge that our teaching and learning takes place on the ancestral and contemporary unceded lands of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, Tla'amin First Nation, Snaw-naw-as First Nation, and the Cowichan Tribes. I recognize that this land was stolen, and I offer this acknowledgement as a way to affirm Indigenous sovereignty. I am committed to holding Vancouver Island University, its faculty, students, and administration accountable for acknowledging the ongoing colonial history of intentional destruction and erasure of First Nations peoples' spirits, bodies, and connection to the land by Canada.
It's crucial to acknowledge that these actions aren't just part of the past. We continue to witness the theft of resources and land, the withholding of clean water, healthy food, and access to healthcare, which harms First Nations peoples. The perpetrator, not the victim, is responsible for reconciliation. As a first step, Crown Land, including its access to water, land, and air, should be returned.
Canada must accept its historical obligation and implement positive discrimination policies to reduce deep-seated, hidden, and unacknowledged inequalities that have harmed First Nations for generations. This acknowledgement serves as a reminder to VIU and its community to pursue genuine indigenisation of the institution instead of resorting to tokenism, pretension, identity theft, or bureaucratic obfuscation.
I believe it's time to demand that VIU introduces a quota for visibly indigenous administration and faculty. Only through these measures can we effect real change and demonstrate our commitment to social justice.