Canada’s Universities Reaffirm Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation

OTTAWA—Universities Canada is pleased to announce the adoption by its members of new  Commitments to Truth and Reconciliation, which replace Universities Canada’s 2015 Principles on Indigenous Education. These new commitments have been updated to reflect the evolving context of truth and reconciliation in Canada and seek to deepen the commitment of Canadian universities to supporting university education for Indigenous students and advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

As leaders in communities across the country, Canada’s universities have long acknowledged, and have been committed to upholding, their responsibility to advancing truth and reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. As the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, once said: “Education got us into this mess and education will get us out of it.”

Through the renewed Commitments to Truth and Reconciliation, universities affirm their commitment to:  

• respecting and making space for Indigenous expertise, Knowledges and cultures in policies, structures, and governance;  
• supporting Indigenous student success;  
• advancing the Indigenization of teaching and learning;  
• ensuring research is respectful, mutually beneficial, and collaborative;  
• developing strong engagement with Indigenous communities; and  
• supporting Indigenous Peoples within Canadian universities.  

The full text of the Commitments to Truth and Reconciliation can be found on Universities Canada’s website.

Universities Canada’s Commitments to Truth and Reconciliation were drafted in consultation with the association’s Advisory Group on Indigenous Higher Education, leaders across universities, and Indigenous communities and organizations. We are deeply appreciative of all those who supported this work.