Affirming Indigenous Citizenship, Membership and Kinship

This Policy was drafted in response to Listening to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Communities: Engagement on Recognizing and Supporting Indigenous Identity and Kinship. Its purpose is to:

• preserve and uphold Indigenous-specific spaces and opportunities at UM and ensure that material benefits are available to verified citizens or members of rights-bearing Indigenous communities or nations
• provide a clear framework and create a Procedure for Verification with Documentation
• prevent and mitigate against  unjustified claims of Indigenous citizenship or membership for Material Benefit. 

Several Indigenous organizations, communities and governments participated in the Listening to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Communities: Engagement on Recognizing and Supporting Indigenous Identity and Kinship Indigenous Identity Engagement (IIE) Working Group that informed the development of the policy and procedures. Community collaborators are listed in the report.  

To finalize the policy and procedures, efforts are underway to connect with nations, governments and organizations to document what they determine to be acceptable forms of documentation that affirms their citizens and members. 

Material Benefit means an advantage gain, or profit obtained through, from, with or at the University that is intended for Indigenous people. This can include, but is not limited to, money, gifts, prizes, fellowships, grants, bursaries, funding, scholarships, awards, employment, or teaching or speaking opportunities. 

The policy applies to all central administration, departments, faculties, colleges, units, schools, libraries, centres, students, employees/staff, educators, researchers and scholars (whether visiting or not), fellows, emeriti, those receiving honorifics from UM, Board of Governors and Senate members, visitors, volunteers, anyone holding an appointment with the UM, or any other person with a formal and/or active roles in UM who apply for or receive a Material Benefit. 

Self-declaration will remain an important mechanism at UM for data on numbers of Indigenous students and employees for demographic purposes, for providing targeted services for Indigenous students or to work towards ensuring fair representation, among other reasons. While, self-declaration will be a first step towards verification, the verification process will not discontinue the option of voluntarily self-declaring at the UM; however, self-declaration alone will not be sufficient to obtain Material Benefit. 

Yes. Applicants who indicate Indigenous citizenship, membership, or kinship in their application materials and who are shortlisted for Indigenous-designated or preferred positions will be asked to complete a verification process.  

Once the policy is approved and the verification system is in place, eligibility for material benefit will require individuals to have their documentation verified. If you are successfully verified, you do not have to re-verify if you apply for new or another Material Benefit (unless your citizenship, membership or kinship has lapsed or changed). However, you may still need to submit additional documentation for certain scholarships, awards, positions if they are required as part of their respective processes (i.e., a personal statement, bio, grades, transcripts, etc.). 

You are encouraged to work with your community and start the process of seeking documentation early, to allow time for your community to process any documentation requests. You are responsible for ensuring your required documentation is properly submitted by any specified date or deadline. 

The OVPI will engage with Indigenous communities and nations to understand their preferred methods of determining citizenship, membership, or kinship. Advice and guidance may be sought from the individual's claimed community or nation. 

Uploaded citizenship/membership/kinship documentation will be collected and managed by the Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous), shared only for the purposes of this policy and procedure, and will be stored in a system that will be developed in collaboration with UM Information Systems Technology (IST). Your verification status (examples may include: verified, not verified or pending) will be communicated to units/offices that require this information if you are seeking eligibility for any material benefit.  Digital documentation files will remain on record as per UM records retention procedures. 

The expectation is that an individual would receive an email or other type of notification notifying them that their verification has been updated. Verification status will not be shared in the email. Individuals will need to login to the system for additional information.   

When a material benefit is being applied for, accessed or awarded, the administrative or academic unit responsible for the benefit will only see information on the verification status (e.g., verified, not verified or pending) while complying with access and privacy legislation.

If a person becomes subject to an inquiry under the policy or procedure, an individual’s verification status may be shared with relevant authorities in accordance with all policies of UM and applicable laws

The University of Manitoba is responsible for developing and implementing an Indigenous identity policy to uphold opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and to prevent identity fraud. Created in collaboration with Indigenous governments and organizations, this policy must be a living, evolving document.

The policy should include formal documentation and alternative mechanisms for people to provide verification for Indigenous-specific staff and faculty positions, scholarship eligibility and applicable student admissions. The documentation process, to be determined by the Policy Development Committee, could include a tiered process as follows:

• written documentation and identification issued by accepted federal, provincial, and Indigenous governments and organizations
• genealogies, community connections and identity circles
• a signed declaration that demonstrates community connection or involvement with a specific First Nation, Inuit, or Métis Nation community

To honour the oral traditions of Indigenous Peoples, UM may consider alternative mechanisms for verification such as oral submissions ( e.g. testimonials in collaboration with communities and nations) and assistance with application processes for those who need it.

The policy should base the definitions of identity on Indigenous sovereignty, use a distinction-based approach (recognizing nations are distinct and unique) and highlight these are First Peoples who originate from these lands. Indigenous Peoples are descendants of the original inhabitants of Turtle Island/North America. Preference will be given to all Indigenous Peoples of Canada, which includes First Nations, Inuit and Métis, as well as Indigenous communities whose original boundaries straddle an imposed international border between Canada and the United States. We must work with First Nation, Métis Nation and Inuit governments, communities and Nations to incorporate and understand their preferred processes for determining identity.

UM should create safe spaces for Indigenous Peoples to discover who they are, while also providing nation-specific support to Indigenous employees and students on how to access identity documentation.

The UM community should continue to build and nurture strong partnerships with Indigenous communities and governments. The identity review policy should include a process of how to validate a claim of connection with specific nations’ membership registries.

UM must create Indigenous-led committees to review declarations of Indigeneity for:
a) all Indigenous candidates applying for academic, research or administrative positions
b) student seats or awards designated as Indigenous where the verification provided is different from accepted “formalized documents” as identified elsewhere in the policy

There must be cultural training for the entire UM community so there is a fulsome understanding of the complex issues surrounding Indigenous identities, histories, languages and cultures, and anti-racism. There must be training for all departments and faculties on Indigenous identity policies and processes.

The Human Resources (HR) department, in collaboration with the Indigenous community, must play a lead role in identity verification for HR processes. They need to:
• prioritize the hiring of Indigenous Peoples
• include Elders on hiring committees
• ensure an Indigenous liaison within the HR department is experienced in Indigenous identity and connected to community
• work closely with the Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous), Elders and Knowledge Keepers to maintain strong relationships and to ensure policies and processes are constantly evolving.

UM should appoint a Policy Development Committee consisting of First Nations, Métis Nation and Inuit community members and citizens, as well as relevant leaders from the UM community. The policy must be transparent and should clearly state the process for verification of identity as well as a process for review of complaints of Indigenous identity fraud. It should not allow for anonymous complaints of fraud. It should clearly outline processes for:
• how to make an accusation of Indigenous identity fraud at UM
• appeals
• repercussions for fraud