Celeste Pedri-Spade (Ojibwe Anishinaabekwe, Nezaadiikaang member citizen, and Associate Provost of Indigenous Initiatives at McGill University) has written a reflection on the tensions, responsibilities, and lessons learned from implementing McGill’s Indigenous citizenship validation policy. Pedri-Spade shares how McGill followed a development process that sought to honour Indigenous self-determination while avoiding both exclusion and ambiguity. Validation is overseen by McGill’s Indigenous office, which accepts multiple forms of evidence, including community letters and affidavits. “This is about responsibility and accountability,” writes Pedri-Spade, underscoring the need for institutions to create space for courageous, sometimes uncomfortable conversations.
