This is a bimonthly newsletter featuring community updates from Capilano University President and Vice-Chancellor Paul Dangerfield.
September 2024
It was just about a decade ago—June 2015 to be precise—that the Truth and Reconciliation Committee of Canada released its final report with 94 Calls to Action to further reconciliation between Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. I had just been named as Capilano University’s incoming president and I, along with millions of others, was about to begin one of the most profound and challenging learning journeys of my lifetime.
Now, as I approach the end of my tenure and my last Orange Shirt Day as president, I’ve been reflecting on the lessons I’ve learned along the way—and the work that still lies ahead for our University community. Because, even after 10 years of discussion and debate, there is still so much more to be done by way of personal accountability and action.
When it comes to the concept of reconciliaction, I’m proud of CapU’s recent record. We’ve embedded the TRC’s Calls to Action into how we do the business of education, within a living document we call Chén̓chenstway. It’s not just an admirable philosophy that hangs on a wall somewhere. It’s a living framework with clear goals over the next five years to create a safer and more welcoming community for Indigenous students and employees. It’s a guide to help us weave Indigenous ways of knowing into all academic programming and support more First Nations, Inuit and Métis students to graduate from CapU.
Soon there will also be a visible symbol of CapU’s commitment to decolonization on the North Vancouver main campus: a permanent wood-and-glass home for Skw’chays, the iconic 30-foot-long canoe created for our 50th anniversary by Squamish Nation Master Carvers, Ses siyam (Ray Natraoro) and X̱ats’alanex̱w Siy̓ám̓ (Victor Harry). Centrally located and open to all, this stunning structure will offer an intimate gathering place where traditional wisdom and practices can be shared and revitalized. It is a legacy to future generations—a tangible reminder that the people of Capilano University comprise a respected and respectful “canoe family,” paddling as one towards reconciliation.
Over the years, I have benefitted mightily from the patient guidance of the Coast Salish Elders' Circle who are such valued partners within our University community. I knew nothing of Indigenous traditions and protocols when Carleen Thomas welcomed me to my new role with a formal blanketing ceremony in 2016. But by the time Ernie George showed me how to help carve Skw’chays a few years later, I had learned enough to understand what a gift it was to bear witness to such an ancient cultural practice. And today, my learning continues, often independent of the Elders: I nurture my growing appreciation for Indigenous art with regular visits to places like the Audain Art Museum and the Squamish-LíỈwat Cultural Centre or the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. It’s just one small way I can hold myself accountable to the work of reconciliation.
I hope this National Day of Truth and Reconciliation inspires you to begin your own self-directed learning journey. Ten years on, with so many freely available resources, there is no longer any excuse for misunderstanding the mission. On September 30, let our orange shirts be the outward symbol of an inward journey—a sincere commitment to educate ourselves about the history and legacy of colonization that continues to impact the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island, and the rich culture that defiantly remains.
Warmly,
Paul