My name is Emily DuBois Brooks, and I am an Indigenous student attending Wilfrid Laurier University, as an upcoming fourth year Sociology student. Over the last seven months, I have been working alongside OUSA as an author on the Indigenous Students Policy Paper, which primarily aims to decolonize university campuses and academia, and provide accessibility and cultural representation for Indigenous students in order to create safe and inclusive academic practice, culture, and institutional space. This summer I am honoured to accept the opportunity to become a member of the team as OUSA’s Special Projects Intern. Moving forward, my continued goal is to include as many Indigenous perspectives in the creation of our policy paper as possible. Through the process of Indigenizing our campuses and academia, we must also commit to Indigenizing our own methods of including Indigenous voices through our practices. By honouring this commitment we are dedicated to incorporating Indigenous methodology and community-based approaches into the core of our practice, which will create unity among perspectives but also represent the unique needs and voices of each participating student.
Chi-miigwech!