UQAT unveils territorial recognition principle

The Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue has unveiled its territorial recognition principle, which acknowledges that the university is located within Nitakinan. Nitakinan is the Algonquin term designating the Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Outaouais regions. The principle was developed by a Territorial Recognition Committee in consultation with Indigenous communities. The principle acknowledges that the educational institution is “part of a system stemming from colonisation” and commits to taking concrete actions towards reconciliation, especially through education and research. “The territorial recognition statement was conceived so that it could be brought to life through concrete actions, as part of a broader process of decolonization and reconciliation,” said UQAT Strategic Advisor, Reconciliation and Indigenous Education, Mamawi Mikimodan (Working Together) Service Janet Mark. “Actions can be deployed in a number of ways, as some are institutional in nature, while others are more individual in scope, allowing everyone to act on different scales.”

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