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Native Studies renamed Indigenous Studies

Native Studies has new name

The Department of Native Studies has been renamed the Department of Indigenous Studies, effective July 1, 2015. Consideration of the name change began three years ago as part of the department’s curricular review and renewal process.

The department’s faculty voted unanimously for the name change, stating that it more accurately reflects their teaching and research activities. It will also make the department name consistent with that of its courses and programs, which have already been changed to Indigenous Studies.

“Our adoption of this new signature reflects our rejuvenation process,” wrote Winona Wheeler, a professor in the department and former department head, in documents submitted to University Council. “The department faculty agreed to change our name to the Department of Indigenous Studies to more accurately identify our areas of intellectual inquiry and to reflect the ongoing developments and internationalization of our discipline.”

The university’s Department of Native Studies was created in 1983. The term “Native Studies” arose out of the nomenclature of the 1960s and 1970s when terms like “Native Canadian” and “Native American” or “Canadian Indian” and “American Indian” were commonly used.

At the time, “Native” was intended to be inclusive of all Indigenous peoples—Indian, Inuit, Metis and non-status Indians in Canada, as well as Indigenous peoples around the world. In more recent years, however, it has been recognized that the term “Native” is too broad and imprecise. Dictionary definitions of “Native” include—in addition to Indigenous humans, plants and animals—those who were born in a certain place or inhabited a certain place; for example, a native Torontonian or a native of Montreal.

The term “Indigenous” is far less ambiguous than “Native” and more inclusive than “Aboriginal Studies” and “First Nations Studies.” The growing usage of the term “Indigenous” arose out of international movements to protect Indigenous rights as reflected by the World Council of Indigenous Peoples that was established in the 1970s and grew in strength and voice during the 1980s.

It is also the language used in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and various UN declarations, including the “United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” recently adopted by Canada. While many definitions of “Indigenous” exist, many scholars follow the lead of the UN to identify rather than define Indigenous peoples.

Wrote Wheeler, “We believe the impact of the name change will be positive for our department, college and university as it is more inclusive and international in its scope than our current name and will be recognized as such internationally.”