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LINK: https://youtu.be/qIIi9ctRtus?si=QBwj3y9om07cmcXv

LINK TO THE ACTUAL PADLET HERE: https://padlet.com/jamiecandado/community-learning-soci1407-qo4zm0p8oajnnzpq

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Courageous Conversations: Anti-Racism and Decolonization in the University  | Webinar

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Decolonization and anti-racism are complex topics with significant history, especially in institutions that have actively participated in these processes. In this webinar, the presenters ask themselves key questions like: What can we do to decolonise and indigenise these institutions? How can we break away from centuries of colonial pedagogy and government policies to form a new and sustainable system?

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WHO: The Courageous Conversations Speaker Series with presenters Dr Verna St. Denis and Dr Shirley Anne Tate, hosted by Dr Malinda Smith and opened by Elder Colleen Sitting Eagle.

WHAT: Anti-racism and Decolonisation in the University: A Webinar

WHEN: The original session was on November 18, 2021. I watched the recording on Monday, November 4, 2024, and then twice more on Saturday, November 9, 2024.

WHERE: This session is presented through a webinar. Through the nature of this presentation, it is easy for professors, activists and scholars to explore the nature of decolonisation and what that means to a place with an extensive history of colonialism.

WHY: As their name suggests, contentious conversations about systemic inequities necessitate courage. Perhaps the topic is uncomfortable, or perhaps you find yourself alone in your opinion. Courageous Conversations believes that having those difficult conversations is necessary for us to see and make eventual, sustainable change. In this webinar, St. Denis, Tate and Smith discuss if it is possible to decolonise, and therefore indiginise, the university - an institution deeply entrenched in colonialism.

HOW: The presenters explore and reflect on the possibility of decolonising a colonised institution, and how anti-racism is unequivocally tied to decolonial thinking. Dr St. Denis shares her perspective as an Indigenous woman, while Dr Tate draws from her specialised research on antiracism and decolonisation in academia.

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Dr Denis starts the conversation by explaining the intrinsic connection between anti-racism and decolonisation. She states that previous efforts of decolonisation in Canada fail to mention the impact of racism, emphasising that the first step towards a solution is an education that is centred on anti-racism and anti-colonial rhetoric. She affirms that without critiquing whiteness and white supremacy, we will not be able to truly understand and facilitate change. Colonial pedagogy tends to cultivate a story around Indigenous culture, arts, and history while painting their colonisers in a nicer light, in turn, erasing Indigenous oppression, racism, and suffering. She concludes that it is not enough to place Indigenous peoples in elite positions, as the order they occupy is still deeply entrenched in the systems that oppressed them in the first place. Systems should be rebuilt anew, and the best guidelines for change are the numerous Indigenous activists and writers who draw from their experiences. It is important to note that St. Denis identifies as an Indigenous woman and that she brings a unique perspective of being an Indigenous educator specialising in anti-colonial pedagogy.

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Chapman, M. (2024). Week 12: Race and Ethnicity [Google Slides]. Durham College Introduction to Sociology. D2L: https://durhamcollege.desire2learn.com/d2l/le/content/566109/viewContent/7931474/View

TRC Calls to Action Committee, & Tetrault, J. (2023). Decolonization and sociology. https://www.ualberta.ca/sociology/media-library/decolonization-and-sociology-2023.pdf

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Dr Tate, then, reiterates Dr St. Denis' point that anti-colonialism is impossible without anti-racism. She shares her unique insight concerning these topics through the lens of being a black feminist decolonialist scholar. She states that feminism should also be included in the conversation, in which the hegemony of coloniality is too deep to not have left anything untouched. She concludes that there is a need for plurality in what we see as canon, as the canon that we often know is the product of Eurocentric intellectual domination.

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I chose this particular webinar since I've always felt that I've had a strange relationship with colonisation and its long, long, long-term effects.

As an immigrant from the Philippines, I feel as if the environment I grew up in was held deep in its colonial history. Growing up far away from my homeland means seeing the effects of colonialism and how it seeks to erase and replace my people's culture. Although there are slivers of our culture that survive, it is sparse and only the dedicated few are interested in unearthing the many mysteries. It is a complicated and drawn-out process, to critique the systems long placed by my ancestors and their colonisers. But if there's anything that I've learned in this class, it's that you should never stop asking WHY things are the way that they are, and how can we use that knowledge to co-opt a change for the better.

So, upon seeing this webinar, I found myself wanting to explore different perspectives on colonisation, especially from an Indigenous framework. Dr St. Denis is strong in her conviction that we cannot separate anti-racism from anti-colonisation and that the overt push towards the celebration of multiculturalism (and nothing else) is a dangerous perspective that seeks to erase the very real history of oppression and suffering that Indigenous peoples had and continue to experience. I did not think of it much before I saw this webinar, but I very much agree that pluralism needs to be added to the general sociological imagination. The phrase to 'treat everyone equally' erroneously assumes that everyone was on equal status in the first place, in which we know that the Social-conflict theory disproves.

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First, let us define colonisation.

It is the process of domination of Indigenous peoples in terms of land acquisition and control. (Chapman, 2024)

Then, let us define decolonisation.

It is a response to Canadian society and its long-standing inequities against Indigenous peoples. "Decolonization is about acknowledging Indigenous peoples, land, and sovereignty, and the myriad of ways that imperialism and colonialism continue to manifest in Canada’s status quo, which disproportionately harms Indigenous peoples." (TRC Calls to Action Committee & Tetrault, 2023)

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Social-Conflict Theory has always asked "Who benefits and who suffers? WHY?" (Chapman, 2024) Within the lens of decolonisation and anti-racism, we can ask ourselves the following questions:

How have I benefited from colonialism?

Do I recognise that Indigenous peoples are not homogenous in their culture, like every other culture?

Do I unintentionally spread and internalise harmful rhetorics regarding Indigenous peoples?

And finally,

How can I learn more?

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Canada has always been praised as an epicentre of multiculturalism and progressiveness. However, our history is wrought with violent assimilation tactics and overt anti-Indigenous policies. From the creation of the Reserve system and Residential schools, Canada's historic pattern of erasing the identities of Indigenous peoples is clear.

Unfortunately, it does not stop there.

"Indigenous peoples in Canada are disproportionally affected by poverty, hunger, poor health and living conditions, have higher rates of unemployment and suicide, and lower rates of education, wealth, and income compared to average Canadians." (TRC Calls to Action Committee & Tetrault, 2023)

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The Social-Conflict theory sees society as a power struggle between the dominant and minority groups, emphasising coercion, inequity, and power in society in a way that benefits certain groups at the expense of the common people. According to Karl Marx, the progenitor of this theory, those who hold wealth and status will continue to dominate others and actively avoid being dominated. This theory ultimately criticises society to drive change towards justice and fairness.