Content warning: Mentions of the residential school system, unmarked graves near former residential schools, human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and the Islamophobic attack in London. Please see the bottom of the page for mental health support resources.
Dear reader,
On Wednesday, June 30, the ʔaq̓am community in the Ktunaxa Nation announced the discovery of 182 unmarked graves near a former residential school in British Columbia. On Thursday, July 1, the federal government moved forward with its Canada Day festivities. But what exactly is there to celebrate? There have been too many examples of the violence of the Canadian nation state in the past couple of months alone. Between May 27 and June 30, over 1000 unmarked graves of Indigenous children were uncovered on or near the grounds of former residential schools. These were institutions that operated in recent memory, that have created lasting trauma in Indigenous communities, and that are extensions of what Canada is founded on—genocide. On April 22, Canada’s top university, the University of Toronto, was placed under a rare censure by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) for blocking the hiring of Dr. Valentina Azarova over her work on Israel’s occupation of Palestine. This scandal is not only an issue of academic freedom, but one of human rights; according to the Human Rights Watch, Israel’s violence towards Palestinians “amount to the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution.” On June 6, a Pakistani family took a stroll through their London neighbourhood when a man decided to strike them with his truck because of their Muslim faith, leaving four of them dead and one severely injured. All the while, many mainstream media outlets continue to adhere to inequitable and harmful journalistic practices when reporting on such traumatic events—a lack of trauma-informed reporting and an adherence to the illusion of objectivity.
The Islamophobic attack in London elicited a recurring and troubling response—the “This isn’t Canada” response to tragedy. Mayor Ed Holder of London stated, “This isn’t who we are”; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated, “Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities”; UofT President Meric Gertler stated, “Islamophobia as well as all forms of hate and violence have no place in our communities or in Canadian society.” But, of course, they do have a place in Canadian society. Such phrases paint the hate crime as an isolated incident, instead of a product of systemic discrimination. A prime example is Quebec’s Bill 21—legislation that prohibits some people working in the public-sector, disproportionately affecting Muslims who wear hijabs or niqabs.
And despite what is written in President Gertler’s statement—that violence has no place in our communities—the Munk School’s “Coexistence in the Middle East” program reduces Israel’s occupation of Palestine to a mere “coexistence,” glossing over how Palestinians have been systemically discriminated against and disproportionately killed by Israel. In an email to me, the UofT Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) Executive Team stated that the University’s support of the program and its trips to Israel “creates a hostile environment on campus, especially for those with direct ties to Palestine and those who have been displaced themselves.” Furthermore, they state that the University must “recognize its role in enabling discrimination” through these trips. The call for the immediate termination of this program—which first gained traction through an online petition—is one of three demands by the MSA that have been included in a public statement and an open letter published by the group. Another demand is for President Gertler to issue a statement addressing Israel’s violence against Palestinians and its effects on members of the UofT community. The final demand is to rectify the blocking of Dr. Azarova’s appointment to the International Human Rights Program (IHRP). The MSA Executive Team also informed me that they have sent the open letter directly to UofT administration. Despite pressure from CAUT, Amnesty International, and scholars and students alike, UofT has not immediately appointed Dr. Azarova as Director of the IHRP and, as of a few weeks ago, UofT has resumed the hiring process for the IHRP Director position. Moreover, the Munk School has indicated that it does not have plans to discontinue its exchange programs with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The only demand left to be addressed is a statement from the University. But even if UofT issues one—and, at this point, it seems unlikely—a statement won’t mean much without productive and concrete action.
It’s important to remember that we in Canada also occupy stolen land. While Land Back should be the ultimate goal of reconciliation, there are still other steps that institutions, such as universities, can and should take to avoid further harm to Indigenous peoples. One such step is to halt the honouring of people who have inflicted harm upon marginalized communities—to remove their monuments and rename the things that celebrate them. Some institutions have begun to take this step, but the process often feels tedious. As Riley Yesno, an Anishinaabe multihyphenate from Eabametoong First Nation, writes of the toppling of Egerton Ryeron’s statue at X University: “[P]olite words and advocacy only get you so far when it comes to Canada’s willingness and capacity for change. Sometimes you need a pickup truck and a chain.”
Ryerson also has a long and entangled history with Victoria College. As one of its founders, its first Principal, and its first President, he has been commemorated here despite his involvement in the creation of the residential school system. Recently, however, things have started to change. In February 2019, VUSAC published the Renaming Ryerson report with recommendations from the Indigenous Studies Students’ Union, OISE’s Indigenous Education Network, the Centre for Indigenous Studies, and First Nations House. The report called for renaming the Vic One Ryerson Stream and the Ryerson House in Lower Burwash, as well as removing, relocating, or placing an explanatory plaque next to Ryerson’s portrait in Old Vic. As of the 2019-2020 academic year, the Vic One stream has been renamed the Education Stream, and as of June 10, the Lower Burwash house has been restored to its original name: First House. Most recently, Victoria University President William Robins’ Presidential Report on the Legacy of Egerton Ryerson and an accompanying report by the Victoria University Research Panel on the Legacy of Egerton Ryerson were published a few weeks ago. The recommendation from both reports is to halt the honourable use of Ryerson’s name on campus. President Robins also states that he “will ask the Executive Committee of the Senate to reassess the status of the two scholarships named after Egerton Ryerson.” Riley Yesno, who is a former Victoria College student and an incoming PhD student at UofT’s Political Science Department, informed me that the Victoria University Board of Regents’ Chair consulted with her on what she thinks should be done with the statues that memorialize Ryerson. She says that renaming is good, but she hopes to see portraits and busts of Ryerson removed from campus as well. Neither reports nor Victoria University’s new Strategic Framework provide information on what will become of these monuments. To echo the Renaming Ryerson report’s recommendation: “The University should consider any changes to this portrait’s display that come as recommendations from its Indigenous community.”
Over the past few weeks, it has become exceedingly clear that mainstream media’s handling of traumatic events is often inadequate and harmful. On May 14 “An open letter to Canadian newsrooms on covering Israel-Palestine” started circulating among journalists and community members, highlighting an industry-wide lack of nuanced coverage on Israel’s occupation of Palestine and gaining over 2000 signatures in the process. “Our ask is simple,” the letter reads, “that all the tenets of journalism should apply to Canadian coverage of Occupied Palestinian Territories moving forward. Fair and balanced coverage should include historical and social context, reporters with knowledge of the region and, crucially, Palestinian voices.” Yet, two CBC journalists are no longer allowed to cover Israel-Palestine as their signing of the letter was taken to show bias. This is just one more addition to the long list of reasons why contemporary understandings of “objectivity” should be put to rest. As Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery writes, “neutral ‘objective journalism’ is constructed atop a pyramid of subjective decision-making […] No journalistic process is objective. And no individual journalist is objective, because no human being is.” But just as crucial as peeling back the harmful facade of “journalistic objectivity” is the need for journalists to practice trauma-informed reporting. From a lack of content warnings and resources for mental health support in articles to a lack of care and respect when working with community members who have lived experience, ignorance to trauma-informed journalism can be devastating. While doing research for this very editorial, I came across countless examples of such reporting. And while many incredible journalists are laying the groundwork for a more equitable media landscape, I believe that student newspapers are in a position to play a role as well. We don’t need to keep up the facade of “journalistic objectivity” that is engrained in many newsrooms. We know that having connections to the stories we write and investments in the communities we write about aren’t a hindrance—rather, they make our coverage that much richer. Especially at UofT’s St. George Campus, where there is no undergraduate journalism program, student-run campus media outlets are where prospective journalists flock to. Not having a set curriculum to follow can be daunting, but it can also allow us to imagine a different media landscape, working towards it one story at a time.
I’ve recently replaced the word “article” with “story” when referring to work published with The Strand. “Article” has a bit of a sterile connotation to it. “Story” implies humanity—the presence of someone telling it and the people that are in it. So, this is an open invitation to you, and all other students at UofT, to write the stories that are important to you—whether it be for publication or just for yourself—especially if they are ones that have been and are being silenced.
Take care of yourselves and each other,
Khadija
If you are in distress, please see the following support options:
Indian Residential School Survivors Society Emergency Crisis Line (24/7): 1-866-925-4419
Naseeha Muslim Youth Helpline (daily, 12pm to 12am ET): 1-866-NASEEHA (627-3342)
UofT My Student Support Program (24/7): 1-844-451-9700 (North America) and 001-416-380-6578 (outside North America)
Good2Talk Student Helpline (24/7): 1-866-925-5454
