Students staging a sit-in at Lakehead University for the past week continued to protest a curriculum change during a rally Thursday.
Several students spoke about what the Indigenous Learning program course Native Canadian World Views has meant to them at the rally held outside of the Chancellor Paterson Library early Thursday afternoon.
A group of students have been camped outside of LU president Brian Stevenson’s office since Feb. 25, protesting the removal of the full course credit Native Canadian World Views from the law school’s curriculum.
The class was replaced with a half-credit course called Native Canadian World Views and the Law.
For Stephanie MacLaurin, the rally brought up some mixed emotions.
“For me, where it comes from is the happiness I feel having a circle come out today. I also get emotional because it is disappointing to see that Lakehead University has made this decision without consultation of any First Nation communities and they are the communities they’re trying to help,” she said.
On Wednesday, the university announced the dean of the faculty of law Lee Stuesser proposed a new half-credit course called Aboriginal Perspectives that would complement the half-credit Native Canadian World Views and the Law.
Aboriginal Perspectives would introduce students to Aboriginal culture, traditions and perspectives.
Stuesser hoped this proposal would satisfy the students’ demand to reinstate the original course, but the students have not accepted the compromise.
MacLaurin said what’s missing from the two new courses is content as they both haven’t been developed yet.
“When they’re trying to demonstrate that this program is comparable to Native Canadian World Views that has been taught for 22 years, if you don’t’ have a course outline, how can you tell us this is better than what is currently offered,” she said.
Fellow protester Sebastian Murdoch-Gibson said they are going to continue the sit-in until March 22 when the university’s senate will vote on the proposed class.
The Anishinabek Nation Grand Council and the Métis Nation of Ontario have expressed their support for the proposed Aboriginal Perspectives class.
However, Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Chief Goyce Kakegamic said he is looking to talk with university administration, Aboriginal leadership and the students.
“We need to hear each other,” he said. “We are aware of it and we are addressing it.”
