Earlier this year, Renison formed a new committee, the Reconciliation and Re-storying Steering Committee (RRSC) as a step along the institution’s journey to reconciliation and decolonization.
The RRSC was struck by the Renison Board of Governors, with membership from across the institution to engage and reflect on how best to approach four key areas of Renison and its future:
- Our name. Renison was named after an Anglican Bishop who oversaw the diocese of Moosonee which had three residential schools in operation during his tenure as bishop. Should we consider a name change in alignment with our commitment to decolonization?
- Our history. How can we place our historic ties to the Anglican Church within our vision of decolonization and reconciliation?
- As an institution of higher learning, specifically one with a School of Social Work, how do we understand our role in a postcolonial world?
- What specific actions can be taken to support Renison’s commitment to the goals of reconciliation and decolonization? How can these values be embedded within our college life to move forward with our goals of reconciliation and our goal to learn and move past our colonial history?
Starting in June 2022, the RRSC began to gather as a group and has had several meetings so far. Members had a strong desire for education, and a shared understanding of the history of the institution, the history of the Anglican church in the history of residential schools, and the history of decolonization in academic settings. From this, the committee has established a database to share resources, and is in the process of sharing those resources with the whole institution as part of a college-wide process of learning and unlearning with regard to decolonization.
The RRSC is continuing its work by engaging with Indigenous scholars and communities. There is a strong awareness among the members of the current RRSC that the membership needs to include more Indigenous persons within the committee itself. One of the challenges the RRSC faces is the small number of Indigenous members within the Renison community. As a solution, the RRSC is reaching out to Indigenous persons who have connections to Renison in some way, to seek recommendations or to sit on the committee themselves.
The RRSC is expected to have a report available with recommendations completed by early 2024.