Indigenous Students Confirmation Procedure

1. Purpose

This procedure outlines the process for confirming an Indigenous student’s citizenship and accessing Indigenous educational opportunities and resources.

This procedure is not intended to determine Indigenous identity but rather describes a process that enables Loyalist College to ensure benefits are provided to Indigenous students who have met the necessary evidential criteria. The procedure will be administered with care, compassion, and respect, in partnership with Indigenous advisors and Knowledge Keepers where appropriate, to honour each student’s journey and uphold the rights and protocols of Indigenous nations.

2. Application

This procedure applies to:

• All registered students who have applied for, or are being considered for, resources and services designated for Indigenous students
• Indigenous applicants seeking a tuition fee exception, scholarship, award, bursary, or other financial consideration

3. Definitions

• Indigenous citizenship. The term “citizenship” is used to describe an individual’s relationship to an Indigenous community. Many Indigenous peoples wish to emphasize their existence as nations. Those who emphasize their nationhood, generally prefer to use the term citizenship. That said, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples uses the term membership. This policy uses “citizenship” to refer to citizenship and membership.
• Indigenous Confirmation Repository. The repository that will store the information used to confirm a student’s Indigenous citizenship. Personal information will not be shared unless necessary and will only be used for the purpose of providing educational opportunities and resources.

4. Roles and Responsibilities

Registrar’s Office

• Serves as a resource for Loyalist College employees who want to determine a student’s Indigenous citizenship for the purpose of an educational opportunity or resource
• Updates the student information system based on confirmation decisions received from either the Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre or Ad Hoc Indigenous Citizenship Review Committee

Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre

• Oversees the associated policy and administers this procedure
• Reviews Indigenous identification
• Attests to a student’s Indigenous citizenship based on their identification and includes this information in the Indigenous Confirmation Repository
• Manages any information gathered that relates to Indigenous student confirmation, ensuring that it is maintained, updated, accessed, and used according to the principles of OCAP
• Convenes the Ad Hoc Indigenous Citizenship Review Committee, as needed

Ad Hoc Indigenous Citizenship Review Committee

• Convened for the purpose of evaluating requests for Indigenous citizenship confirmation in cases where students are unable to provide documentation that would allow the Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre to complete the evaluation
• The Committee will be composed of members who include the Executive Director, Indigenous Engagement and Applied Research and Innovation, employees of the college and members of the Indigenous community.

5. Process for a Student to Confirm their Indigenous Citizenship

Step 1. Students should first visit the Indigenous Student Declaration web page. On the web page students can self-declare their Indigeneity or their intention to confirm their Indigenous citizenship with the college.

Step 2a. If confirming their Indigenous citizenship, students will be asked to contact the Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre to present one of the following documents:

• Certificate of Indian Status issued by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada;
• Certified copy of a Métis Nation Citizenship card from one of the four provincial affiliates (Métis Nation of Ontario including “complete citizenship” confirmation letter from the MNO Registrar, Métis Nation Saskatchewan, Métis Nation of Alberta, Métis Nation British Columbia) of the Métis National Council; or a valid membership card from one of the Metis Settlements of Alberta, the Northwest Territory Métis Nation, or the Manitoba Métis Federation;
• Certified copy of a Nunavut Trust Certificate card or Inuit Enrollment card associated with one of the Land Claim Agreements in the claim regions of Nunavut, Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, and Inuvialuit; or
• American Indian, Alaskan Native, or Native Hawaiian citizenship document from tribes that are state or federally recognized or recognized by the National Congress of American Indians.

Staff at the Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre will review the documentation that confirms Indigenous citizenship. This step will not involve the Ad Hoc Indigenous Citizenship Review Committee.

Note: Students who are in the process of confirming their Indigeneity are welcome to access non-financial resources and services from the Centre. Additionally, they are encouraged to seek assistance from the Centre staff in navigating the confirmation process to ensure they feel supported and informed throughout.

Step 2b. In instances where students do not possess documentation as indicated in Step 2a, the Centre will ask the student to provide other information to confirm their Indigenous citizenship and will convene an Ad Hoc Indigenous Citizenship Review Committee. This committee includes employees of the college and additional representatives of the Indigenous community.

Students must provide a letter confirming their citizenship issued by the recognized First Nation, Inuit, or Métis community that they claim.

Students can also submit a statement about their existing lived experiences and ongoing relationship to a legally recognized and rights bearing Indigenous community, Nation, or People. This includes an ancestral connection to a specific First Nation, Inuit, or Métis community and a current day connection to the nation that extends no further than a grandmother or grandfather.

The college recognizes that not all students may currently have access to community contacts due to historical and systemic factors. The absence of a reference will not disqualify self-declaration, and may be followed by further conversation with Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre.

Committee Review of Citizenship-Related Documentation

The Ad Hoc Indigenous Citizenship Review Committee will review the citizenship-related documentation and any other supporting information that was submitted.

During the review process, the Committee will consult with the student’s community, if needed, to provide an assessment and recommendation to the college regarding the student’s Indigenous citizenship.

Additionally, the Ad Hoc Indigenous Citizenship Review Committee may request the following for review:

• A personal written story regarding their Indigenous roots
• Kinship documents or research completed (e.g., records of scrip that the family received)

Citizenship Confirmed

When Indigenous citizenship is confirmed, the Ad Hoc Indigenous Citizenship Review Committee will share the outcome with the Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre. The Executive Director, Indigenous Engagement and Applied Research will send a confirmation email to the student using IIR 101 Appendix A Indigenous Confirmation Email Template.

Step 3. Once the confirmation process is completed, staff from the Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre will provide the results to the Registrar’s Office and this will be updated in the student information system.

This process needs to be undertaken only once and, upon confirmation, will provide access to all Indigenous specific educational opportunities and financial resources available to Indigenous students.

6. Insufficient Information and/or Inability to Confirm Citizenship

If the Ad Hoc Indigenous Citizenship Review Committee is unable to confirm citizenship due to insufficient, incomplete, or unverifiable information, the Executive Director, Indigenous Engagement and Applied Research and Innovation will send an email using IIR 101 Appendix B Indigenous Citizenship Inconclusive Email Template to the student. This email will inform them that the review was inconclusive, outline how the outcome was determined, and explain that the student is not able to access Indigenous specific educational opportunities or resources at that time.

Students who can later provide additional documentation about their Indigenous identity are welcome to seek Indigenous confirmation through the college again.

The Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre will support students during the confirmation process by helping them gather required information, connecting them with appropriate resources, and advocating on their behalf as needed.

7. Process for Students to Access Indigenous Educational Opportunities and/or Resources

Students wishing to access educational opportunities and resources should first visit the Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre. Staff at the Centre can:

• Check if a student’s Indigenous citizenship has been confirmed
• Support a student while undertaking the confirmation process
• Direct a student to the most appropriate department to access resources
• Provide a student with resources available at the Centre

8. Process for Employees to Confirm a Student’s Indigenous Citizenship

In some cases, employees may become aware of Indigenous specific resources or opportunities and may need to know whether a student’s Indigenous citizenship has been confirmed by the college.

Employees may contact the Registrar’s Office to determine if a student’s Indigenous citizenship has been confirmed by the college.

Students who have not confirmed their Indigenous citizenship with the college must undertake the “Process for Students to Confirm Indigenous Citizenship” section of this procedure.

Upon confirmation, employees will be able to administer the Indigenous specific educational opportunities and/or resources.

While employees are welcome to identify Indigenous resources and educational opportunities to students and support them during the confirmation process, no citizenship related documentation or information should be requested directly from the student by the employee.

9. Related Documents

• IIR 101 Indigenous Confirmation of Students Policy
• IIR 101 Appendix A Indigenous Confirmation Email Template
• IIR 101 Appendix B Indigenous Citizenship Inconclusive Email Template

10. References

• Jay Treaty of 1794
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action