BUFA Focused on Indigenization and Decolonization
Association Proposals Would Advance Efforts to Indigenize and Decolonize Brock
If BUFA’s efforts to amend the Collective Agreement to help advance the goals of Indigenization and decolonization at Brock are successful, the University will become a provincial leader in this important area.
Spearheaded by BUFA Negotiating Team member Professor Spy Dénommé-Welch, who identifies as Anishnaabe, the Association has assembled an ambitious package of revenue neutral proposals that directly address a range of collective agreement issues related to the University’s strategic priorities of equity, inclusion, Indigenization, and decolonization.
Proposals include:
- Explicit recognition that diverse forms of Indigenous scholarship count towards tenure and promotion.
- Provisions allowing for Indigenous members to voluntarily have an Elder or Traditional Knowledge Keeper/Carrier accompany them in promotion and tenure hearings and appeals in addition to their union representative.
- Provisions ensuring that candidates for Indigenous-focused appointments will have a meeting with an Indigenous member of the university community as part of the interview process.
- Criteria for determining a PhD or graduate degree equivalency for Indigenous knowledge.
- Language to facilitate the appointment of visiting Indigenous scholars.
- Mandated Indigenous representation on recruitment committees for Indigenous-focused appointments.
- Expanded evidence of teaching, research/scholarly activity, and service for tenure and promotion applications to include written comments from Indigenous organizations, Elders, and/or
- Traditional Knowledge Carriers/Keepers about a candidate’s contributions.
- Expanded evidence of research/scholarly activity for tenure and promotion applications to include knowledge mobilization and/or oral presentations in Indigenous community settings.
- Expanded evidence of service for tenure and promotion applications to include service in and recognition by regional, national, and/or international Indigenous communities/organizations.
- Provision to allow, where relevant, for Indigenous Elders and/or Traditional Knowledge Carriers/Keepers to act as arm’s length referees for tenure and promotion applications.
BUFA’s proposals are rooted in the understanding that Indigenous rights are enshrined in Treaties, the Canadian Constitution, and various international agreements. In recognition of the historic wrongs committed against First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, BUFA’s proposals are designed to advance proactive measures aimed at defending, restoring, and renewing Indigenous practices and knowledge.
By focusing on ways to Indigenize and decolonize the University, BUFA is helping to build a better Brock.
