91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓÆµ

Group photo of the members of the OAC

Onkwehón:we Advisory Council (OAC)

Background

91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓÆµ is consistently working on their commitment to Truth and Reconciliation through the advancements of the 52 Calls to Action. In response to Call to Action #51 which calls on the university to create an Indigenous Advisory Board, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives has been developing the Indigenous Advisory Board, now, the Onkwehón:we Advisory Council (OAC), for the past two years.

The development of this council began in collaboration with an Indigenous Advisory Group, First Peoples Group and Senior Advisor of Indigenous Initiatives, Taiaike Alfred. Working with this partnership, we established a Steering Committee which held meetings with Indigenous community members and Indigenous students at 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓÆµ to collectively discuss the role of this 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓÆµ Indigenous Advisory Council. This process took about a year with consistent meetings and minutesÌýdocumented here.Ìý

Terms of Reference

Throughout these working group sessions, we had understood what role this council should play in the governance structure of 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓÆµ. By taking the many comments and suggestions we heard from these discussions, we developed the official Terms of Reference and Mandate.

Read the Terms of Reference.

Membership

To ensure a wide range of Indigenous voices and interests are included in discussions, OAC membership includes:

  • six Kanién’kehaka, comprised of one traditional (longhouse) and one elected council representative from each of the communities of Kahnawà:ke, Kanesatake and Akwesasne
  • a representative of the First Nations Education Council
  • a representative of the Grand Council of the Crees
  • a representative of Makivvik
  • a representative of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation
  • a First Nations, Inuit or Métis student recommended by the Provost3
  • a First Nations, Inuit or Métis faculty member recommended by the Provost4
  • a First Nations, Inuit or Métis resident of Montréal recommended by the Montreal Indigenous Community Network
  • the Associate Provost (Indigenous Initiatives), Ex-Officio and Chairperson (non-voting)

Accountability and FutureÌý

The Onkwehón:we Advisory Council will meet twice a year, with additional meetings or consultations scheduled as needed. Administrative support is provided through the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, which also ensures that the Council’s recommendations and outcomes are documented and communicated. For any questions please contact indigenousinitiatives [at] mcgill.ca.

Check out on the OAC.Ìý

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