Members of the Indigenous Committee told AMS Elections candidates they wanted the AMS to follow through on promises and place a higher priority on working with them beyond the campaign season at the fourth annual election Indigenous forum.
At the event held on March 1, members of the Indigenous Committee and AMS Elections candidates asked questions back and forth about how candidates viewed decolonization and what the Indigenous Committee wanted to see from candidates.
Candidates from nearly all election races made appearances at the forum, though not all participated in the conversation.
Answering a question from the Committee on how candidates would actively interact with Indigenous students and work on decolonization efforts if elected, Senate candidates spoke of the need for mandatory Indigenous course credits and more Indigenous content in academic courses, while some AMS candidates said they would work to incorporate Indigenous perspectives in physical space, new projects and operations.
The Indigenous Committee asked candidates how they would actively engage with Indigenous students, beyond performative actions.
Senate candidate Ayesha Irfan suggested having more working groups in the Senate so senators could create space for dialogue with Indigenous students to continue within the Senate body.
Several candidates also spoke in support of the proposed Indigenous Constituency, a change that will be on the AMS Elections ballot in a referendum on bylaw changes. Dominique Joseph, vice-president of the Indigenous Committee, said the new constituency would allow for Indigenous groups across campus to connect and collaborate, and allow for more support for all of those groups within a constituency structure.
The Indigenous Committee also asked candidates how they would ensure better healthcare for Trans and Two-Spirit students.
Irfan encouraged students to vote for the referendum on the ballot to add gender-affirming care to the AMS/GSS Health & Dental Plan for $8. But Board of Governors candidate Kareem Hassib and presidential candidate Esmé Decker, running as Remy the Rat, both said they were disappointed with AMS Council’s decision to keep gender-affirming care separate from a general health care fee increase, despite advocacy from Trans students.
Presidential candidate and sitting VP Administration Ben Du said the process to make the decision on that referendum was not conducted well, and if he were elected he would implement a better consultation process for proposed changes to the Health & Dental Plan.
VP Academic and University Affairs and Senate candidate Kamil Kanji said he would push for more money from the university to help fill gaps in care for Trans students.
Board of Governors candidate and sitting AMS President Eshana Bhangu asked the committee what they expected from those who were elected.
Ceci Raweater, lounge manager for the Indigenous Lounge, said she personally feels like the AMS often pushes the committee off to the side.
“I feel like a lot of comments are performative and then when it comes around to it, when we [host] these bigger events, we don't see anyone's faces,” she said. “We don’t see anyone showing up and it’s a letdown for me.”
The Indigenous Committee members in attendance also said they were promised a smudge room in the AMS Nest, but the AMS has not followed through on that promise. Smudging is the practice of burning sacred plants.
“It’s a cultural barrier not to be able to smudge in an area and practice spiritually in a place that is so colonial,” Raweater said.
Joseph added that the committee wanted to be more included in the work the AMS is doing — specifically the AMS’s Indigenous Cultural Month.
“We’re here to help. We don’t want to be spread thin, but we also want to make sure we're actively helping you.”