Indigenous Circle on Education (ICE) 

Loyalist College is built upon the lands governed by the Dish with One Spoon wampum agreement. We affirm and thank the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabeg, and Huron-Wendat nations for their continued caretaking of the land.  We offer respect to Indigenous people from all nations who call this area home.  We honour traditional knowledge keepers, past, present, and future. 

The 1996 Report on the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People (RCAP) recognized education as a treaty and constitutional right and tasked the Canadian government to “recognize and fulfill its obligations … by supporting a full range of educational services including post-secondary education” (1966b, p. 689). RCAP further recommended that “education reforms must be implemented immediately to remedy the gap between current educational attainments and community needs (1996b, p. 82). 

The Indigenous Circle on Education (ICE) was created in compliance with the Indigenous Student Success Fund (ISSF) which require and Indigenous Advisory Circle to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are consistently and regularly engaged in making recommendations pertaining to Indigenous education. 

Based on a process of self-identification, we estimate that there are approximately 100 students currently enrolled in semester one at the College, representing varied nations such as Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Metis, and Inuit. 

The Indigenous Centre currently employs: 

• Director, Indigenous Services 
• Indigenous Student Support Mentor 
• Indigenous Recruitment and Relationship Building Worker 
• Office Coordinator 

It is the intention of this partnership between Loyalist College and the Indigenous communities through the Indigenous Circle on Education, to facilitate the growth of good people. They will work together to serve the needs of Indigenous communities by identifying and articulating priorities for programs and services intended to enhance the successful recruitment, admission, retention, graduation, and employability of Indigenous students. 

In alignment with the teachings of the Anishinaabe nations, ICE will strive to uphold the 7 Grandfather teachings: 

1. Love – represented by the eagle and at the core of all teachings. To know love is to know peace. 
2. Respect – represented by the buffalo, we learn to be mindful of the balance of all living things and to treat relationships with value. 
3. Bravery – represented by the bear, we learn to face life with courage and defend what we believe in and what is right for our community. 
4. Truth – represented by turtle, we learn to show honour and sincerity in everything we say and do. 
5. Honesty – represented by the raven, we learn to accept the gifts we are given and walk through life with integrity 
6. Humility – represented by the wolf, we learn that we are part of creation and to live life selflessly 
7. Wisdom – represented by the beaver, we learn to use our gifts wisely and to observe life around us 

The mandate of the ICE is guided by the commitments articulated in the Indigenous Education Protocol. The ICE will support Loyalist College to meet these commitments in the following ways: 

• Commit to making Indigenous education a priority. 
• Ensure governance structures recognize and respect Indigenous peoples. 
• Implement intellectual and cultural traditions of Indigenous peoples through curriculum and learning approaches that are relevant to learners and communities. 
• Support students and employees to increase understanding and reciprocity among Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. 
• Commit to increasing the number of Indigenous employees with ongoing appointments throughout the institution, including Indigenous senior administrators. 
• Establish Indigenous-centred holistic services and learning environments to support learner success. 
• Build relationships and be accountable to Indigenous communities in support of self-determination through education, training, and applied research. 

7.1 The ICE shall consist of the following members: 

• Knowledge Keeper/Elder 
• A minimum of 2 student representatives 
• 6 representative members from regional Indigenous communities (see list of regional Indigenous communities in Appendix I) 
• 2 representatives from Indigenous organizations (see list of Indigenous organizations in Appendix II). 
• Director, Indigenous Services 

7.2 The Senior Vice-President, Academic will serve as ex-officio (non-voting) member and will act as a liaison between ICE and the President and the Board of Governors. 

7.3 Additional faculty and staff of Loyalist College shall function as resource personnel to provide advice and information when officially invited by the Chair of ICE. 

When a seat becomes vacant on ICE, the Chair will convene a nomination meeting (in addition to the regular meetings outlined) for all members at which time the names of potential candidates will be introduced and discussed.  The committee will be cognizant of membership needs as outlined in section 7.  Consensus will precede communication with nomination candidates as outlined in section 15. 

Representative members from regional Indigenous communities shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years. Representative members are eligible for renewal every three (3) years. 

The ICE will have quarterly meetings with the first meeting of the academic year no later than the 30th of September. The Chair will set the remaining three meeting dates at the September meeting. 

The ICE will have a Chair. The Chair will be selected from representatives of the Indigenous organizations and regional Indigenous communities who are current members of ICE. The Chair will be selected by nomination and election by the representative members of ICE. 

The length of term for the Chair position is two (2) years with the possibility of renewal for an additional term of three (3) years.  The position of Chair will not exceed a maximum of six (6) years. The Chair will be confirmed at the September meeting of the academic year. The duties of the Chair are listed in Appendix III. 

The Past Chair will take the role of the Current Chair for the quarterly meeting if the Current Chair is unable to attend. 

A temporary chair will be decided by ICE consensus in the event the current chair is unable to attend a meeting and no past chair is identifiable. 

12.1 Where a member does not attend two consecutive meetings, the Chair will make an effort to contact the individual to determine if they wish to remain a member. The Chair will determine whether the member should be replaced with a new member and the committee will endeavor to fill the vacant seat as soon as possible. 

12.2 ICE members have the option to attend meetings virtually. 

Members will act with a good mind, with honesty, in good faith, and in the best interest of the ICE. If a conflict of interest arises, the member will declare the conflict in advance of the meeting and/or action or as soon as is reasonably possible and remove themselves from all proceedings related to the conflict. 

The ICE will make recommendations and provide strategic guidance on the following initiatives: 

• Needs identification data for Indigenous learners 
• Indigenous student services offered by Loyalist College 
• Indigenous-specific academic programs and courses offered by Loyalist College 
• Loyalist College’s Indigenous recruitment strategy (students, faculty and staff) 
• Indigenous Resource Centre’s strategic plan 
• Financial matters related to Indigenous-specific funding received by Loyalist College 
• Quarterly report to the Board of Governors pertaining to the ICE activities 
• Potential partnership development, joint planning, and collaboration in program and service development and delivery (e.g., articulation agreements) between Loyalist College and Indigenous communities, organizations, and other key stakeholders – ICE requests clarification 

ICE members shall adopt a consensus-based approach to decision making that is based on the consent of each participant. At the heart of this decision-making process is respectful dialogue between equals who are working collaboratively for the best interests of Indigenous students. 

In the event of a dispute, or disagreement among members of ICE, the matter shall be set aside until such time as all participants are prepared to give their consent. In the tradition of Indigenous decision-making, there will be a full and considered discussion of all issues that arise. 

If ICE members cannot proceed to closure on any given matter, they will seek the intervention of a facilitator for resolution. All members of ICE must be committed to alternative dispute resolution methods to resolve conflict. 

The ICE recognizes that this is a living and working document which reflects the established consensus at the time of its adoption. Amendments may be made to this document at any time, provided there is consensus in ICE as to the nature and wording of such amendments. The Terms will be formally reviewed annually. 

Appendix I – Regional Indigenous Communities 

• Kenh:teke Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory 
• Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve 
• Curve Lake Reserve 
• Alderville First Nation 
• Hiawatha First Nation 
• Chippewas of Rama First Nation 
• Mississauga’s of Scugog Island First Nation 

Appendix II – Indigenous Organizations 

• Metis Nation of Ontario 
• Native Women’s Association 
• Katarokwi Native Friendship Centre 
• Assembly of First Nations 
• Chiefs of Ontario 
• Cree School Board 
• Ontario Native Education Counselling Association (ONECA) 
• Aboriginal Labour Force Development Circle (ALFDC) 
• Employment & Training (MBQ) 

Appendix III – Duties of the Chair 

The Chair shall act with a good mind while undertaking their duties, including but not limited to: 

• Setting the agenda for all meetings in collaboration with the Director, Indigenous Services 
• Set the dates for ICE meetings 
• Representing ICE in other forums as required 
• Representing the voice of ICE 
• Review and be a signatory on Ministry reports as needed 

The Chair shall act with a good mind while facilitating all meetings, including but not limited to: 

• Keeping meetings focused and timely 
• Ensuring consensus on all decision-making 
• Facilitating open discussion among ICE members 
• Encouraging members to act with a good mind through:  
• constructive discussion and debate 
• maintaining balance to encourage full participation 
• Dealing with challenges as they arise during the meeting 
• Evaluating the meeting effectiveness and areas for improvement 
• Maintaining effective relationships with members of ICE and other key stakeholders