Resources for Decolonizing Your Teaching

*Consider what an acknowledgement means to you and write your own. Queen’s offers workshops on this. 

Canadian Association of University Teachers. (2017). Guide to acknowledging First Peoples and traditional territory. Ottawa: Canadian Association of University Teachers. 

"The goal of this guide is to encourage all academic staff association representatives and members to acknowledge the First Peoples on whose traditional territories we live and work. This acknowledgement appropriately takes place at the commencement of courses, meetings or conferences, and presentations (given either at one’s home institution or elsewhere). Acknowledging territory shows recognition of and respect for Aboriginal Peoples. It is recognition of their presence both in the past and the present. Recognition and respect are essential elements of establishing healthy, reciprocal relations. These relationships are key to reconciliation, a process to which CAUT is committed.

Vowel, C. (23 September, 2016). Beyond territorial acknowledgements. âpihtawikosisân.com Blog: Law, Language, Culture. 

"First, what is the purpose of these acknowledgments? Both what those making the territorial acknowledgments say they intend, as well as what Indigenous peoples think may be the purpose. Second, what can we learn about the way these acknowledgments are delivered? Are there best practices? Third, in what spaces do these acknowledgements happen and more importantly, where are they not found? Finally, what can exist beyond territorial acknowledgements?"

Allyship

What is an ally? The Anti-Oppression Network defines allyship as:

An active, consistent, and arduous practice of unlearning and re-evaluating, in which a person in a position of privilege and power seeks to operate in solidarity with a marginalized group

• allyship is not an identity—it is a lifelong process of building relationships based on trust, consistency, and accountability with marginalized individuals and/or groups of people
• allyship is not self-defined—our work and our efforts must be recognized by the people we seek to ally ourselves with
  • it is important to be intentional in how we frame the work we do, i.e. we are showing support for…, we are showing our commitment to ending [a system of oppression] by…, we are using our privilege to help by…

Groundwork for change offers many other resources to help us understand the responsibiliteis of an ally.