Latest news with #decolonization
CTV News
a day ago
- General
- CTV News
New mural from Indigenous artist unveiled at University of Waterloo
A new mural by an Indigenous artist has been unveiled at the University of Waterloo. Here's why. An Indigenous artist hopes a new mural will inspire curiosity and a sense of belonging. The artwork by Tsista Kennedy was unveiled at the University of Waterloo on Friday. Kennedy is known for his digital Anishinaabe Onyota'a:ka woodland-style art, which is now proudly on display at the Dana Porter Library. 'On the other side [of the mural] you have an Indigenous family, you have a cradleboard with a little baby in there,' he explained. 'If you take a look at the lefthand side of the mural there's all these different lines going through the animals and the people and then going back to that family. All of that embodies us as Indigenous people and our connection to the land and how our culture is deeply rooted into that.' School officials said the artwork is part of the library's decolonization efforts. 'I think that Indigenous representation really matters,' Kennedy said. 'Whether that's non-Indigenous people coming through here and just wondering what its all about or Indigenous people who find it really meaningful to be represented in spaces like this. I think it's great to have it up.' This is not the first time Kennedy's artwork has been showcased in Waterloo Region. He also designed 'Every Child Matters' artwork that appeared on a Grand River Transit bus in 2023. Saturday is Indigenous Peoples Day.
Zawya
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Agreement between Mauritius and the United Kingdom (UK) fails to guarantee rights of Chagossians say United Nations (UN) experts
The recently signed agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius fails to guarantee and protect the rights of the Chagossian people, including their right to return to Diego Garcia, effective remedy and reparations and their cultural rights, UN experts* said today. On 22 May 2025, the United Kingdom and Mauritius signed a bilateral agreement to return sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, to Mauritius to complete the decolonisation of Mauritius following years of negotiations and international pressure, including from the International Court of Justice and the General Assembly. 'By maintaining a foreign military presence of the United Kingdom and the United States on Diego Garcia and preventing the Chagossian people from returning to Diego Garcia, the agreement appears to be at variance with the Chagossians' right to return, which also hinders their ability to exercise their cultural rights in accessing their ancestral lands from which they were expelled,' the experts said. They raised serious questions about whether the foreseen £40 million Trust Fund, which remains subject to yet-to-be adopted regulations, would comply with the right of the Chagossian people to effective remedy and adequate, effective, and prompt reparation, including restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition. Most notably, the current agreement contains no provisions providing for the full panoply of the right to adequate and effective reparations as it does not provide restitution, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition, the experts noted. The agreement also lacks provisions to facilitate the Chagossian people's access to cultural sites on Diego Garcia and protect and conserve their unique cultural heritage. 'In light of these significant concerns, we call for the ratification of the agreement to be suspended and for a new agreement to be negotiated that fully guarantees the rights of the Chagossian people to return to all islands of the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia. This includes their right to adequate and effective remedy and reparations, including restitution, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition, as well as their cultural rights,' the experts said. The experts had previously raised concerns about continuous forced displacement of the Chagossian people and lack of their effective participation in decision-making processes concerning negotiations over the Chagos Archipelago, in letters to the governments of Mauritius and the United Kingdom on 21 February 2023 as well as through a press release on 10 October 2024. 'We are gravely concerned about the lack of meaningful participation of Chagossians in processes that have led to the agreement,' the experts said. They urged the Governments of the United Kingdom and Mauritius to apply a human rights-based approach in addressing historical injustices against the Chagossian people. The experts are in touch with the United Kingdom and Mauritius regarding these issues. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
CBC
05-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Thunder Bay Public Library appoints Indigenous relations adviser
The Thunder Bay Public Library has appointed Stephanie MacLaurin as its new senior adviser of Indigenous relations, a key leadership role aimed at advancing the library's commitment to reconciliation and the decolonization of public spaces. MacLaurin, who is Anishinaabe from Fort William First Nation and a lifelong resident of Westfort, brings more than eight years of professional experience to the position. Their background includes work in governance, Indigenous political science, mental health and post-secondary education. In the new role, MacLaurin will oversee the Indigenous Services Department. They will liaise with the Indigenous Advisory Council and other community partners. Their work will support the implementation of the library's Relationship-Building and Reconciliation Action Plan, which was developed in 2018 with guidance from the advisory council. The plan outlines the library's commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and a broader effort to decolonize library practices and spaces. That includes providing educational resources, supporting Indigenous knowledge preservation and reviewing library policies. "A new job isn't just a fresh start," says MacLaurin. "It's the opening chapter of a story waiting to be written with passion, purpose and possibility. Stepping into this new role feels like stepping into the life I've been working towards." MacLaurin says they were drawn to the role by its emphasis on community engagement, something they missed in a previous position. "When I moved into my last position that I left for this job, I lost that kind of community component," they said. "I found myself looking at a role that was possibly all-encompassing for the interests that I have in my life right now." MacLaurin said the role immediately clicked for them. They have already identified three early priorities a few weeks into the role: strategic planning for the Indigenous Services Department; building relationships with Indigenous organizations and leadership; and contributing to policy analysis alongside library management. MacLaurin emphasized the importance of libraries being welcoming, inclusive spaces for Indigenous community members and organizations. "I found myself at Mary J. and Brodie a lot throughout my years, sitting at the table, doing research here, whether it was writing, finding the peace that you get within a library. So I would hope that this is something that Indigenous people could experience here and that they're finding peace and comfort." Raili Roy, director of community development at the library, said the team is excited to welcome MacLaurin. "They stood out as an exceptional candidate," Roy said. "We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with them. We have much meaningful and rewarding work ahead." MacLaurin replaces Robyn Medicine who held the role for nearly a decade. Medicine passed away in February. During her time in the role, Medicine established Indigenous Knowledge Centres across all branches. "Robyn did an incredible job in this role and she has so much love from the community," they said. MacLaurin isn't sure yet which programs created by Medicine will remain. "But I really couldn't imagine just removing all of the hard work that she did." MacLaurin said they're hoping to build a place that is grounded in belonging, education and reconciliation.
CBC
05-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Thunder Bay Public Library appoints Indigenous relations advisor
The Thunder Bay Public Library has appointed Stephanie MacLaurin as its new senior advisor of Indigenous relations, a key leadership role aimed at advancing the library's commitment to reconciliation and the decolonization of public spaces. MacLaurin, who is Anishinaabe from Fort William First Nation and a lifelong resident of Westfort, brings more than eight years of professional experience to the position. Their background includes work in governance, Indigenous political science, mental health and post-secondary education. In the new role, MacLaurin will oversee the Indigenous Services Department. They will liaise with the Indigenous Advisory Council and other community partners. Their work will support the implementation of the library's Relationship-Building and Reconciliation Action Plan, which was developed in 2018 with guidance from the advisory council. The plan outlines the library's commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and a broader effort to decolonize library practices and spaces. That includes providing educational resources, supporting Indigenous knowledge preservation and reviewing library policies. "A new job isn't just a fresh start," says MacLaurin. "It's the opening chapter of a story waiting to be written with passion, purpose and possibility. Stepping into this new role feels like stepping into the life I've been working towards." MacLaurin says they were drawn to the role by its emphasis on community engagement, something they missed in a previous position. "When I moved into my last position that I left for this job, I lost that kind of community component," they said. "I found myself looking at a role that was possibly all-encompassing for the interests that I have in my life right now." MacLaurin said the role immediately clicked for them. They have already identified three early priorities a few weeks into the role: strategic planning for the Indigenous Services Department; building relationships with Indigenous organizations and leadership; and contributing to policy analysis alongside library management. MacLaurin emphasized the importance of libraries being welcoming, inclusive spaces for Indigenous community members and organizations. "I found myself at Mary J. and Brodie a lot throughout my years, sitting at the table, doing research here, whether it was writing, finding the peace that you get within a library. So I would hope that this is something that Indigenous people could experience here and that they're finding peace and comfort." Raili Roy, director of community development at the library, said the team is excited to welcome MacLaurin. "They stood out as an exceptional candidate," Roy said. "We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with them. We have much meaningful and rewarding work ahead." MacLaurin replaces Robyn Medicine who held the role for nearly a decade. Medicine passed away in February. During her time in the role, Medicine established Indigenous Knowledge Centres across all branches. "Robyn did an incredible job in this role and she has so much love from the community," they said. MacLaurin isn't sure yet which programs created by Medicine will remain. "But I really couldn't imagine just removing all of the hard work that she did." MacLaurin said they're hoping to build a place that is grounded in belonging, education and reconciliation.
National Post
01-06-2025
- General
- National Post
Letters: Trudeau sneaks around at the throne speech
Article content Few, if any, of those students would question what they were being told by professors and the administration. Their main concern would be graduating and then starting to teach. If they had to endure lectures on decolonization and other controversial issues, they would go along with whatever was required. Article content It takes an older student, and one with real-world experience, to challenge the doctrines being presented in today's universities. Without students like Margaret Munn at Western and Lindsay Shepherd — who became embroiled in a highly publicized academic freedom controversy at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2017, and who was vindicated by an investigation and received an apology — the public would be unaware of how their taxpayer dollars are being used in post-secondary education. Article content Students are not going to rock the boat and demand change. Change will have to come from reductions in government funding going to institutions that are straying from their intended purpose. Article content We live in an 'entitled' world where the losing team seeks to off-load blame onto others. It's never about their own failures but something wrong with the rules, the judging, or the system itself. It now looks like that entitlement mentality, so prevalent among our youth, has crept into the halls of Parliament. Article content The Canadian public spoke loudly in last month's election, reducing the NDP to seven seats and sacking their leader, thereby withdrawing 'official party status' and all the perks that accrue. Surely it doesn't take a Nobel Prize winner to figure out how this happened. Propping up the minority Liberal government through the infamous 'Supply and Confidence Agreement' made the NDP indistinguishable from their already left-trending comrades in Parliament. Furthermore, with high-profile anti-Israel supporters among the membership, loyal NDPers were forced to question the party's moral principles. Article content Article content For interim leader Don Davies to argue that his party is a 'national' party is a bit rich. It has no federal representation east of Manitoba, save for one seat in Quebec. Instead of looking for special treatment from their former partners, in order to avoid the rules that govern 'official party status,' Davies and his party need to look inward and decide how they can become a legitimate, respectable choice for Canadians seeking a leftist alternative to the Liberal party. Article content Article content It is astounding how easily the Canadian electorate can be manipulated. Liberal strategists must be both cynical and self-satisfied to have developed and successfully promoted a false narrative to the public during the election campaign — that we were, in the words of Mark Carney, 'facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes' due to Donald Trump's tariffs and threats. While many Canadians did not fall for this narrative, I wonder if those who did now feel duped.
