Indigenous Verification | Indigenous | Memorial University of Newfoundland

Policy

Memorial University’s Indigenous verification policy and procedures are drafted and open for consultation.

All members of the university community are invited to review the proposed policy and procedures until May 2, 2025. Feedback may be sent to policy@mun.ca.

For details, please see more in the Gazette.

For questions about the draft policy and procedures, please review our FAQs.

Report

May 2024 -- Memorial University has received a report from First Peoples Group (FPG) that will inform development of an Indigenous verification protocol.

FPG is a certified Indigenous business independent from Memorial that was engaged to develop this report. Their work included a series of consultations with self-identifying Indigenous faculty, staff, students and alumni of Memorial, and Indigenous Nations, communities and organizations within the province.

The report contains information about what FPG heard in the consultations, as well as recommendations for Memorial to consider in its work to develop an Indigenous verification protocol.

FPG Indigenous verification report

Consultations

It is a priority for Memorial University to advance Indigenization and reconciliation within our institution. Similar to other universities across Canada, we are listening to Indigenous academics, leaders and communities in responding to the need, identified by Indigenous groups themselves, to move beyond self-identification within post-secondary institutions.

The issue of false claims to Indigeneity is a concern that is being addressed in universities across Canada, and one that Memorial University takes seriously. We are aware of the deep wounds it causes to Indigenous people and communities, as well as the threat it poses to the integrity of Indigenous ways of knowing and being in academic institutions. Preventing this from happening requires establishing and implementing systems that are based on robust consultation with Indigenous Peoples, communities and nations.

Memorial University engaged the services of First Peoples Group to advance the institution’s work in developing an Indigenous verification protocol. The need to develop this protocol was originally identified in Memorial’s Strategic Framework for Indigenization 2021-26.

First Peoples Group is a certified Indigenous business based in Ottawa and led by a network of Indigenous women. It offers community-based Indigenous knowledge and has experience working in the post-secondary education sector.

Working with Memorial University, First Peoples Group conducted a series of consultations to support the development of an institution-wide Indigenous verification protocol. Once developed, this protocol will be used throughout Memorial University and will be applied to situations in which individuals may stand to benefit from such claims, such as targeted hiring of Indigenous faculty and staff, designated seats for Indigenous students, Indigenous-specific scholarships and bursaries, and Indigenous-specific research funds.

Through February and March 2024, First Peoples Group conducted a series of consultations with Indigenous leaders, Indigenous organizations and self-identified Indigenous faculty, staff, students and alumni of Memorial University. Consultations included virtual group sessions, virtual one-on-one sessions and a survey.

Once the consultations were completed, First Peoples Group compiled what they heard into a publicly available final report, along with recommendations for Memorial University.