Universities ‘decolonize’ their courses and campuses

Sandwiched between Gay Pride weekend and Canada Day, last week’s announcement by the nation’s universities got less attention than it deserved.

All 97 of them have adopted a set of common principles designed to narrow the education gap between aboriginal students and their non-native peers. Their umbrella group, Universities Canada, announced the national reconciliation plan on June 29.

Each university will rewrite its curriculum to fully reflect aboriginal history, culture and values. They will all hire professors, administrators and senior managers from First Nations as well as Métis and Inuit communities. They will create spaces and provide resources for dialogue and engagement between indigenous and non-indigenous students. Their presidents and directors will strive to change the national conversation and raise the bar for other institutions.