Indigenous scholar Dr Candace Brunette-Debassige (Western University) recently spoke at a Dalhousie University workshop about how the efforts of postsecondary institutions to ramp up inclusion efforts have negatively affected the Indigenous women who lead this work. Brunette-Debassige studied the perspectives of 12 Indigenous women, who highlighted the difficulties they faced while pushing for change. “They talked about feeling caught working in this westernized, academic administrative system that has very cemented ways about it and policies and procedures,” said Brunette-Debassige. She highlights that Indigenous policy should not be placed on one leader, and recommends broader representation for Indigenous communities, deeper local engagement with First Nations, governance structure reviews, and adequate funding and structures for initiatives.
