As part of our acknowledgement of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, MacEwan University’s kihêw waciston Indigenous Centre will host Truth First: Identity Fraud & Cultural Exploitation in the Age of Reconciliation. 

Terri Cardinal, associate vice-president of Indigenous Initiatives and Engagement, says this is a critical time to bring together distinguished speakers in the field to help inform people about the rising concern and impacts of these issues on First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. 

“Unfortunately, we continue to see the unethical extraction of Indigenous knowledge by ‘pretendians’ and non-Indigenous researchers – and it is harmful,” says Cardinal. “Some don’t even recognize the harm that is being done, which is why we are engaging in an open dialogue to explore this topic, and have thoughtful and meaningful discussions.”

Cardinal will moderate the event, along with Amber Dion, assistant professor of social work at MacEwan and Cardinal’s co-host of the award-winning podcast 2 Crees in a Pod. 

“To truly walk the path of reconciliation at MacEwan, we must be intentional about how we honour our place in O-day’min,” says Dr. Annette Trimbee, president and vice-chancellor of MacEwan University. “Providing spaces for significant conversations to take place is one of the ways we contribute to this work.” 

Truth First brings together a panel of speakers that includes Dr. Kim TallBear from the University of Alberta, Dr. Darryl Leroux from the University of Ottawa, Dr. Celeste Pedri-Spade from McGill University and Nadia Bourque, a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta.

The event, which takes place on September 26, is free and open to students, staff, faculty and the community. In-person tickets are sold out, but virtual tickets are still available.