Introduction
"Systemic racism is the product of an entire system of long-existing structures in Canadian society. It manifests itself in our public institutions, including our healthcare system, where stereotypes, biases, and prejudices can have real life consequences. Denying that systemic racism exists is a barrier to reconciliation and contributes to further harm to Indigenous peoples." - Canadian Human Rights Commission Statement on anti-Indigenous racism
For Students & Researchers
- A series of three fact sheets focused on racism experienced by Indigenous people in CanadaThese fact sheets were created by the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health.
- Colour of Poverty Fact SheetsCollection of fact sheets, tools and resources unpacking the intersections of poverty and race in Canada.
- Honouring the Strength of Our Sisters: Increasing Access to Human Rights Justice for Indigenous Women and GirlsReport from Canadian Human Rights Commission highlights 21 barriers to human rights justice that Indigenous women and girls face every day across Canada. (2016)
- Decolonizing AntiracismHow Aboriginal people and perspectives are excluded within antiracism. (Bonita Lawrence and Enakshi Dua)
- What We Heard – Informing Canada’s Anti-Racism StrategyGovernment of Canada
- In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health CareThe report, published in November 2020, makes 24 recommendations to address what is a systemic problem, deeply rooted in colonialism.
For Instructors
Centre for Teaching, Learning & Technology (CTLT): Inclusive Teaching @ UBC
A website for UBC instructors, graduate students and staff who want to learn more about inclusive teaching practices. Find resources, discover opportunities for professional development, and learn about work happening across UBC.
- Pulling Together: A Guide for Curriculum DevelopersA guide for Indigenization of post-secondary institutions. A professional learning series.
- Pulling Together: A Guide for Teachers and InstructorsA guide for Indigenization of post-secondary institutions. A professional learning series.
SFU Decolonization and Indigenization Webinar Series
Socially Just Pedagogies, Capabilities and Quality in Higher Education by ISBN: 1137557850Publication Date: 2016-12-19This book explores the idea that teaching and learning - pedagogy - at universities is a crucial space for students' formation as ethical graduates, equipped with knowledge, skills and values to contribute to more equal societies.
Land Acknowledgements
UBC has two campuses: the Vancouver Campus and the Okanagan Campus.
The Vancouver Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.
- xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Website
- Musqueam Nation (BC Treaty Commission)
- UBC and Musqueam History
- Territory Acknowledgements at UBC Vancouver
The City of Vancouver is located on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations territory.
The Okanagan Campus and the City of Kelowna are located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation.
Additional Resources
- UBC Indigenous Peoples Language Guidelines
Examples of both written and oral recognition can be found in the Acknowledgement and Recognition section. - Supporting Territory Acknowledgements in Your Classroom or Workplace
UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology [PDF]
- Xwi7xwa Library: Locating Ourselves
This link opens in a new window
This document sets out to assist researchers in learning how to locate the traditional territory they are on.
Podcasts
- All My RelationsMatika Wilbur and Adrienne Keene explore what it means to be Indigenous.
- Missing and MurderedInvestigative journalist Connie Walker recounts stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
- Secret Life of CanadaFalen Johnson and Leah Simone Bowen talk about Canadian history from brown and Indigenous perspectives.
- The HenceforwardConversations about the relationship between Indigenous and Black people in Canada.
- Telling our Twisted HistoriesA podcast series made by Indigenous people for anyone who wants to start decolonizing their vocabulary – and their histories – one word at a time.
Books
The Inconvenient Indian: a curious account of Native people in North America by Call Number: E77 .K566 2017ISBN: 0385690169Publication Date: 2017At once a history and a subversion of history, this book has launched a national conversation about what it means to be "Indian" in North America, and the relationship between Natives and non-Natives in the centuries since the two first encountered each other.
Indigenous Writes by Call Number: E78.C2 V8975 2016ISBN: 1553796802Publication Date: 2016-09-09Delgamuukw. Sixties Scoop. Bill C-31. Blood quantum. Appropriation. Two-Spirit. Tsilhqot'in. Status. TRC. RCAP. FNPOA. Pass and permit. Numbered Treaties. Terra nullius. The Great Peace... Are you familiar with the terms listed above? In Indigenous Writes, Chelsea Vowel, legal scholar, teacher, and intellectual, opens an important dialogue about these (and more) concepts and the wider social beliefs associated with the relationship between Indigenous peoples and Canada. In 31 essays, Chelsea explores the Indigenous experience from the time of contact to the present, through five categories--Terminology of Relationships; Culture and Identity; Myth-Busting; State Violence; and Land, Learning, Law, and Treaties. She answers the questions that many people have on these topics to spark further conversations at home, in the classroom, and in the larger community. Indigenous Writes is one title in The Debwe Series.
Racism and Anti-Racism in Canada by Call Number: F1035.A1 R33 2018ISBN: 9781552668887Publication Date: 2018-08-05Multiculturalism is regarded as a key feature of Canada's national identity. Yet despite an increasingly diverse population, racialized Canadians are systematically excluded from full participation in society through personal and structural forms of racism and discrimination. Race and Anti-Racism in Canada provides readers with a critical examination of how racism permeates Canadian society and articulates the complex ways to bring about equity and inclusion both individual and systemically.
Seven Fallen Feathers by Call Number: E78.O5 T35 2017ISBN: 1487002262Publication Date: 2017-11-07The groundbreaking and multiple award-winning national bestseller work about systemic racism, education, the failure of the policing and justice systems, and Indigenous rights by Tanya Talaga. Over the span of eleven years, seven Indigenous high school students died in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They were hundreds of kilometres away from their families, forced to leave home because there was no adequate high school on their reserves. Five were found dead in the rivers surrounding Lake Superior, below a sacred Indigenous site. Using a sweeping narrative focusing on the lives of the students, award-winning author Tanya Talaga delves into the history of this northern city that has come to manifest Canada's long struggle with human rights violations against Indigenous communities.
Related Resources
- Decolonization and Anti-Racism GuideThis guide was created to assist researchers learn about decolonization, anti-racism, and how to partake in UBC's ISP goals through research.
- UBC AMS (Alma Mater Society) Anti-Racism Support ResourcesA living document for those who are seeking anti-racist services and resources.
UBC Okanagan: Provost's Speaker Series on Systemic Racism
- The Potential for Black Studies Programs in Canada. In collaboration with the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, York University
- Science and Systemic Racism
- You're Not Crazy, You're Not Wrong: Hearing Experiences of People of Colour in the University
- Different Together: Can We Make It Happen?