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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ AWARENESS OF
THE CONTEXT AND HISTORIES OF INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITIES IN SCARBOROUGH
Tekel Gabriel, Thamilini Vigneswaran, Isaiah John, & Inas Mustafa
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Abstract
Indigenous peoples and immigrants collectively reside in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
Both these minority groups live amongst each other, yet they rarely interact with each other. Our
research was greatly motivated by Scarborough’s development into a diverse immigrant
gateway. Many immigrants reside on stolen land, and have more opportunity to resources and
opportunities than original inhabitants of the land, yet as settlers they are unaware of the context
and histories of Indigenous communities. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
(TRC) call to action 93 asks the Federal Government and national Aboriginal organizations to
improve the information kit that is provided to newcomers in Canada, and to include more
information about the context and histories of Indigenous communities in citizenship tests (Truth
and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 2015). Drawing on interview data with 8
international students from University of Toronto Scarborough we examine what information
participants receive about Indigenous communities, where and how they learned such
information and how this process influenced immigrant incorporation in Scarborough. We
hypothesized that very little international students have substantial information on Canada’s
colonial context and Indigenous communities, due to limited exposure. Our hypothesis was true
as our findings suggest that international students at University of Toronto Scarborough know
little to no information about Indigenous histories and communities. International students prime
source of information reliability came from their post-secondary education courses.
Table of Contents
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Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………....2
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..4
Conceptual Framework……………………………………………………………………………5
Review of Literature………………………………………………………………………………7
Methodology……………………………………………………………………………………..11
Scarborough Context…………………………………………………………………………….12
Findings and Discussion…………………………………………………………………………16
Conclusions and Recommendations……………………………………………………………..31
References……………………………………………………………………………………......33
Introduction
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Scarborough began as an important site for Indigenous communities, to the “Toronto
Passage,” to a White middle-class suburb, and finally to a diverse immigrant gateway. Given the
importance of Scarborough as an immigrant landing site, and the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission (TRC) (2015) we examine what information international students in Scarborough
learn about Indigenous communities, and where they obtained this information from. Indigenous
communities in Scarborough continue to be marginalized and placed in further oppression.
Newcomers and Indigenous peoples in Scarborough often have limited interactions and
knowledge about each other. Both newcomers and Indigenous peoples often share similar
experiences of vulnerability and oppression. This project seeks to underline the causes of such
strained relations, and suggest some solutions to strengthen intercultural relationships between
Indigenous peoples and newcomers. International students are not adequately aware of the
context and histories of Indigenous peoples. However, it is significant for international students
to acknowledge Indigenous communities in Scarborough as they are settlers on stolen land. Our
group interviewed eight international students who are currently enrolled at University of
Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) with eight open-end questions about their experiences, knowledge,
and opinions about Indigenous communities. The interview data revealed three themes of
knowledge, multiculturalism/interculturalism, and prioritization. Our group members are all
second generation “immigrants” who have settled in Scarborough for most of our lives,
unfortunately we also did not receive much information about Indigenous communities. Based
on our findings we argue that educational institutions limited access to information about
Indigenous communities further constrains relationships between Indigenous peoples and
newcomers. We need to enhance curriculum to expose international students to Indigenous
communities and their histories, this may lead to a sense of togetherness.
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Conceptual Framework
Settler colonialism functions to ensure that the presence and histories of Indigenous
peoples disappear, “so that settler nations can seamlessly take their place” (Lawrence and Dua
2005: 123). A settler colonial framework examines this ongoing structure of colonization of
Indigenous peoples (Lawrence and Dua 2005). Scholars such as Lawrence and Dua (2005) call
for “postcolonial and antiracism theorists” to adequately consider “Indigenous decolonization”
(Lawrence and Dua 2005: 120). Postcolonial and antiracism theory fails to explore how identities
have been constructed through the ongoing colonization of Indigenous peoples (Lawrence and
Dua 2005: 128). Unlike postcolonial and antiracism theories, a settler colonialism framework
examines Canada as a colonial state, and how the ongoing colonization of Indigenous peoples
have shaped “contemporary modes of ‘race’ and racism in settler nations” (Lawrence and Dua
2005: 128). The framework of settler colonialism can be implemented in an analysis of
“migration, diasporic identities and diasporic counterculture” (Lawrence and Dua 2005: 130).
For instance, a Caribbean migrant who migrates to Canada, and gains citizenship then establishes
property ownership on stolen land further contributes to the ongoing colonization of Indigenous
peoples. This illustrates that people of color are also settlers and have privilege over the original
inhabitants of Canada.
Moreover, a settler colonialism framework explores how policies, displacement, and
assimilation within settler states work to place the presence of Indigenous peoples and their
histories as a thing of the past (Lawrence and Dua 2005: 123). If Canada’s colonial context and
the current struggles of Indigenous communities is a thing of the past, how does that impact the
relationship between Indigenous peoples and immigrants? This framework helps us understand
how the histories and current struggles of Indigenous peoples are continually being erased
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through these projects of ongoing colonization. As settlers on stolen land we have a
responsibility to actively engage in the deconstruction of ongoing colonial projects.
In the Canadian context Indigenous peoples were not allowed to be citizens, and faced
“second hand citizenship” like immigrants (Bohaker and Iacovetta 2009: 428). There are
parallels and differences between Indigenous peoples and immigrants. Scholars such as Bohaker
and Iaovetta (2009) focus on citizenship which sought to provide a historical comparison of the
racist and gendered Canadian assimilation programs that were implemented for both newcomer
and Indigenous peoples. The ways people are treated when they are citizens is important because
it often determines the amount of access one has to resources. In theory, everyone is treated
differently given their status position (Indigenous membership, gender, race).
Moreover, the concept citizenship helps us understand the ways in which immigrants’
Canadian experiences and incorporation may also be limited through status. Immigrants often
posses labor/educational qualities that make them suitable candidates for the Canadian labor
market/educational system (Chatterjee 2015: 545). However, they are often seen as
“undesirable” to receive membership within the Canadian society (Chatterjee 2015: 545). This
framing also highlights how citizenship continues to align itself with hierarchies of “whiteness”
(Chatterjee 2015: 558).
Alignment with “whiteness” is also reflected in citizenship policies (Chatterjee 2015).
Many newcomers to Canada plan on taking the Canadian citizenship test, which requires some
knowledge of Canadian history. Canadian citizenship test has frequently reflected a space for
exclusion. This is particularly problematic as it may hinder the Canadian experience and
knowledge that newcomers receive about Indigenous communities.
While citizenship policies create barriers, citizenship is also about civic participation.
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One way to think through this is through intercultural urbanism. Intercultural urbanism functions
to build “relationships between cultural groups”, which differs from multiculturalism that
primarily focuses on “respectful co-existence of multiple cultures” (Gyepi-Garbrah, Walker, and
Garcea 2014: 1800). The theory is particularly interested in the intersection of newcomers and
Indigenous peoples, as they are starting to co-exist in the big cities (Gyepi-Garbrah et al. 2014).
Intercultural urbanism influences the integration of “newcomers in Western settler cities”
(Gyepi-Garbrah et al. 2014: 1795). Intercultural urbanism works to disrupt colonial structures
that are reproduced by people with a white settler colonial city (Hugill 2017). Intercultural
urbanism works to create connections among certain groups that are excluded from urban
structures.
Moreover, one of the reasons people have limited knowledge of Indigenous history is
because they are not exposed to it. Intercultural urbanism influences the process of immigration
incorporation in urban areas by aiming to build relationships between Indigenous peoples and
immigrants through Aboriginal awareness and cultural exchange (Gyepi-Garbrah et al. 2014:
1796; Basu and Fiedler 2017). Cultural exchange enables for the exchange of shared experiences
and differences. Being able to put yourself in other shoes is significant because it enables one to
let go of self-interest. Intercultural urbanism provides us with an understanding of different
approaches that may be taken to decolonise Western settler societies (Gyepi-Garbrah et al. 2014:
1796).
Literature Review
How do immigrants to Canada learn about Indigenous communities? And how does this
process influence their incorporation in Scarborough? There is very little scholarly research
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pertaining to the research question. The limited research that was discovered had salient themes
of knowledge/education, and interculturalism/multiculturalism.
Knowledge/Education
Newcomers to Canada often receive little to no information about Canada’s colonial
context, and the current struggles of Indigenous communities (Gyepi-Garbrah, Walker, and
Garcea 2014; Marom 2016; Parvin 2010; Tupper 2014; Assaf 2017). Indigenous organizations,
programs, events, and formal schooling all play a vital educational role in filling in this gap to
various degrees of success (Gyepi-Garbrah et al. 2014; Marom 2016; Parvin 2010; Tupper 2014;
Assaf 2017). Self-governing Indigenous organizations such as newcomer’s orientation programs
have aimed to welcome newcomers through an enrichment of Indigenous cultures, and histories
with hopes of not only educating, but also building relationships between newcomers and
Indigenous communities (Gyepi-Garbrah, et al. 2014; Marom 2016; Parvin 2010; Kuropatwa
2015; Assaf 2017). For example, scholars such as Gyepi-Garbrah et al. (2014) highlight the
importance of non-profit community based organizations such as Winnipeg’s “Ka Ni Kanichihk”
ink (KNK) in providing a space for cultural dialogue to increase knowledge. Education is a
significant tool for diminishing stereotypes and misconceptions that often hinder the relationship
between Indigenous communities and newcomers (Gyepi-Garbrah et al. 2014; Parvin 2010;
Assaf 2017; Tupper 2014).
Tupper’s (2014) research demonstrates how curricular initiatives such as treaty education
can “reveal and disrupt” ongoing effects of “colonialism on Indigenous peoples” in Canada
(Tupper 2014: 469). She claims that curricular initiatives such as treaty education have the
potential to disrupt ignorance that is produced through dominant narratives that often shape
relationships with Indigenous peoples (Tupper 2014:475). Such curricular initiatives provide
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students with opportunities to engage in cultural dialogues, and allow them to think about ways
in which colonial policies and practices have produced structural and symbolic violence for
Indigenous peoples in Canada (Tupper 2014:470; Gyepi-Garbrah et al. 2014). Tupper’s (2014)
research does not specifically address immigrants, but she addresses an educational curriculum
in which many immigrants become involved in or have pursuits. According to Marom (2016) the
Canadian education curriculum has a responsibility to ensure that newcomers are
comprehensively educated about Indigenous history. She calls upon “immigrant teacher
educators” to move beyond the “superficial decolonizing metaphor” to adequately explore how
Indigenous communities continue to be affected by on-going colonialism (Marom 2016).
Education that is obtained through the educational curriculum, or from community non-profit
organizations are an essential that newcomers can rely on to receive information about
Indigenous communities (Gyepi-Garbrah, et al. 2014; Marom 2016; Parvin 2010; Tupper 2014;
Assaf 2017).
Interculturalism/Multiculturalism
Interculturalism moves beyond multiculturalism to build relationships between cultural
groups that know little to nothing about each other (Wong and Fong 2015; Gyepi-Garbrah et al.
2014; Marom 2016; Parvin 2010). Scholars such as Marom (2016) claim that multiculturalism
tends to focus on “celebration of diverse cultures” while erasing the histories and struggles of
Indigenous peoples through ongoing colonization (Marom 2016: 27). She claims that Canadian
multiculturalism continues to be controlled by the dominant Anglo settler (Marom 2016: 27).
Marom (2016) and Parvin (2010) suggests that multiculturalism needs to open spaces of genuine
cultural dialogues. Gyepi-Garbrah et al. (2014), Parvin (2010), and Wong and Fong (2015)
emphasizes this idea of dialogue around differences. Building cross-cultural understandings and
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relationships influences immigration incorporation in Scarborough (Wong and Fong 2015;
Gyepi-Garbrah et al. 2014; Parvin 2010). Gyepi-Garbrah et al. (2014) suggested that rather than
celebrating diverse cultures we must embody the reality that diversity does not make the city
stronger or equal. Parvin (2010) notes that newcomers to Canada often feel excluded from
Canadian society. Parvin (2010) further suggests that multiculturalism cannot “eliminate
exclusion and marginalization” (Parvin 2010: 89). Tensions between newcomers and Indigenous
peoples surface from factors such as stigmatization and stereotypes that are transferred to
newcomers (Wong and Fong 2015; Gyepi-Garbrah et al. 2014; Parvin 2010). Strengthening
understanding and this idea of shared experiences is one way of decrease such tensions (Wong
and Fong 2015; Gyepi-Garbrah et al. 2014; Marom 2016; Parvin 2010).
The literature extensively examines the benefits of knowledge/education and
multiculturalism/interculturalism However, information on the voices of immigrants and their
individual experiences are missing. Moreover, the literature appears to provide a lot of
information on Winnipeg, and little to no information on any of the three immigrant cities in
Canada such as Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Scarborough, a subsection of Toronto, is an
important site for immigrants. Scarborough has emerged into a diverse immigrant gateway,
which has facilitated multifarious integration (Lo, Shalaby and Alshalfah 2011; Basu and Fiedler
2017). Our research with international students residing in Scarborough fills in this gap.
International students are important because they also play a vital role in the Canadian society as
they enter as “temporary” immigrants who encompass educational skills which benefits the
Canadian state. International students reflected on their experiences within the educational
curriculum. Moreover, the literature made no reference to priority being a probable reason why
immigrants to Canada are not actively engaged in learning about Indigenous communities. For
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instance, immigrants could evaluate other priorities such as family responsibilities to be more of
a concern than learning about Indigenous communities. Prioritization plays a significant role in
immigrants learning process of Indigenous histories. Our research begins to fill this gap by
providing the various priority factors that may hinder immigrant’s ability to learn about
Indigenous peoples and histories.
Methodology
Data from this project came from interviews of 8 international students who attend
University of Toronto Scarborough. The purpose of the interviews conducted was to find out
what information international students have received about Indigenous history, where and how
they obtained such information, and if this process influenced their incorporation in
Scarborough. Our 8 participants were found through Facebook or social networking. Moreover,
7 of the participants we interviewed were female and 1 participant was a male. All our
participants are in between the ages of 18 to 26. Before conducting the interview, we provided
the participants with consent forms and discussed confidentiality; one international student
wanted to use a pseudonym and everyone else wanted to use their first name. We audio recorded
interviews because we found this to be an easier method compared to taking hand notes,
although participants had the option to decline to not be recorded. After we recorded the
interviews, we thanked our participants and invited them to attend our presentation on Friday,
December 15th, 2017 so we can disclose the findings. Thereafter, we all heard the audio
recordings numerous times to transcribe the interviews. Afterwards, we translated our interview
data into meaningful themes of knowledge, multiculturalism, and prioritization. We identified
themes through discovering repeating ideas to specific questions that were asked. All three
themes identified were consistent with our research questions.
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Scarborough Context
Historically, Indigenous peoples have been in Scarborough as early as 1250 and have had
a presence in Ontario and Canada. The use of the “Toronto Passage” dates to more than 7,000
years ago. The “Toronto Passage” also known as the “Toronto Carrying Place” encompassed
Humber and Rouge rivers which served as a major shortcut between Georgian Bay and Lake
Ontario (Methot 2012; Johnson 2016; Myrvold 1997:13)). This route was desirable to First
Nations people for its stronger ‘direct inland portage’ which was important during the profitable
fur trade with Europeans (Johnson 2016; Myrvold 1997:14; Freeman 2010:56). This vital
European trade route lead to competitions between Indigenous people who wanted to establish
themselves along the Humber ‘to take full advantage of the route’ (Methot 2012; Johnson 2016;
Freeman 2010:57). The “Toronto Passage” eventually became an attraction to European settlers
(Methot 2012; Freeman 2010:56). The route became this new strategic place for the British to
“relocate loyal British subjects” (Freeman 2010:56). This lead to the land transaction of the 1787
“Toronto Purchase” (Methot 2012; Freeman 2010: 38). However, there were great confusions
over the “nature of the cession” (Methot 2012; Freeman 2010: 57). This route lead to the
Mississaugas giving up a significant amount of land to the European settlers and quickly
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becoming outnumbered (Methot 2012; Freeman 2010:56). As a result, Mississaugas were forced
to relocate from Toronto (Methot 2012; Freeman 2010:57).
Fast forwarding to the 1950s post World War II era, Scarborough was predominately
white middle-class (Cowen and Parlette 2011:3; Belshaw 2009; Stewart; Myrvold 1997: 52). The
post-World War two era lead to an economic boom in Scarborough. The World War and Great
Depression prevented many white middle-class Canadians from settling down and starting
families (Myrvold 1997:16; Johnson 2016). With the ending of the second World War veterans
started returning to settle down, many of whom started families and needed a place to live
(Belshaw 2009; Stewart; Myrvold 1997: 54). This rise of white middle-class families resulted in
a housing boom, which produced a suburban expansion that looked white and middle-class
(Belshaw 2009; Myrvold 1997:54). The increase of families resulted in a population increase and
‘suburban explosion’ (Belshaw 2009; Myrvold 1997: 117). Scarborough’s inner suburb layout
was largely influenced after the second World War (Ashton 2012:10; Belshaw 2009). The
features of inner suburbs that contained low-density and auto centric built was considered ideal
features for raising families for the white middle-class population (Ashton 2012:12). However,
as Belshaw (2009) and Ashton (2012) suggested during the post-war era white middle-class
families started to depart to what was termed the “new suburbs” as many negative connotations
surfaced the inner suburb. The transformation of the suburbs shifted and became home to lower
income families (Ashton 2012:14). The inner suburb family dream has now been characterized
by “aging infrastructure, inadequate housing choice” and poor social services (Aston 2012:54;
Cowen and Parlette 2011:4; MacDonnell, Robinson, Mikadaze, McDonough, and Meisner
2011:13). There was a requirement for an organized land utilize system which lead to joining the
provincial government known as Metropolitan Toronto in 1954, this included Etobicoke, York,
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North York, East York and Scarborough and helped include and connect services such as
highways, water, and public transit.
Moreover, changes to immigration policy in the 1960s also played a significant role in
the multicultural development of Scarborough (Belshaw 2009; Stewart). The refugee crisis that
occurred post World War II forced Canada to re-examine its racist immigration policies that
excluded folks from the global south (Myvold 1996: 96; Stewart). This resulted in the Canadian
immigration policy shifting from a racist one to a more inclusive one in the 1960s, which lead to
the emergence of a “diverse immigrant gateway” (Stewart; Lo, Shalaby and Alshalfah 2011:
471). However, Scarborough was not where most immigrants first settled (Myrvold 1997: 119).
Immigrants were mainly concentrated in the urban area of Toronto (Belshaw 2009; Lo, Shalaby
and Alshalfah 2011: 471). During the early 1960s immigrants started to move into Scarborough
(Myrvold 1997:119). Immigrants eventually “found their way into the suburban housing market”
(Myrvold 1997:119). Without the 1960s shift from racist closed-door immigration policies
Scarborough would not look the way that it does now. Currently, Scarborough consist of a
population that is made up of various ethnicities and languages. Table 1 illustrates Scarborough’s
“Top Ethnic Origin groups” and table 2 illustrates the “Top Ten Mother Tongue Languages”
(Scarborough Community Council Area Census Profile 2011).
Table 1
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(Scarborough Community Council Area Census Profile 2011).
Table 2
(Scarborough Community Council Area Census Profile 2011).
This shift from white middle class to a “diverse immigrant gateway” was influenced by
various historical events. Although Scarborough is known to be a diverse multicultural place;
Scarborough continues to be a product of colonialism, and a place where much its developments
has shifted over the years from a space characterized by the middle-class white population, to a
space that is now characterized by poverty (Ashton 2012:14; Belshaw 2009; Cowen and Parlette
2011:4; Freeman 2010:2; and Myrvold 1997:54).
Findings and Discussion
Given the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) calls to Action 93, the purpose of
our project was to identify information immigrants living in Scarborough receive about
Indigenous communities. We have also analyzed where and how they learn such information,
and how this process influences their incorporation in Scarborough. Our group focused on
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international students who are currently enrolled at University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC).
The interviews consisted of eight open-ended questions and eights participants. The interviews
revealed three emerging themes of knowledge, multiculturalism, and prioritization.
Knowledge
Knowledge reveals how aware international students are about Indigenous peoples and
their histories. Knowledge can be obtained through socialization, first-hand experience, and or
shared experiences. However, there are international students who are unaware of Indigenous
peoples and their histories because they have never been exposed to it.
Lack of Information
One sub theme we found under knowledge was the lack of information of Indigenous
peoples. All our participants said they received little to no information about Indigenous peoples
before moving to Scarborough. For example, Se Jun from Korea stated “nothing.” Alexandria
who is from Mexico stated, “I had no idea where it was, to know Scarborough was when I
moved here that is when I really got to know a little, but nothing before that.” Breanna who is
from Dominica also said how she learned “absolutely nothing [chuckle] yea, I did not know
anything about Scarborough I just moved here… did not know anything about UTSC.” Mitula
who is from India stated that she received “no information” and that it is “difficult to learn about
Canadian history when I have only been here for three years… but I hope as I live here more and
interact with more people probably I will get more information.” Finally, Uyanda who is an
international student from Mongolia stated, “um… I did not receive any information at all… I
had no information about Scarborough, the people here, the community, and nothing at all.”
However, Uyanda stated that she feels like she has not received much information because:
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“I think that also has to do with me being an international student cause from my friend’s
experiences, and my own experience as well, the people’s attitudes toward international
students, I feel is that they might think that international students are not as interested in
learning more about the histories and culture.”
As Uyana identified, status can play a role in why international students receive little to no
information about Indigenous communities prior to moving to Scarborough. Citizenship is often
defined as providing rights and responsibilities which represents an “official category of
belonging” (Bohaker and Iacovetta 2009: 427). Canadian citizenship policy has a deep racist and
gendered history that excluded the first inhabitants making them “second-class citizens” as well
as immigrants. (Bohaker and Iacovetta 2009: 428). In practice, everyone is treated differently
given their status position. International students lack formal citizenship meaning that they lack
access to certain resources and opportunities because they are not seen as Canadian citizens, and
may not ever be considered one. Therefore, the argument of “why should we invest resources on
them?” is extremely problematic as it may hinder their ability to be exposed to information on
the context and histories of Indigenous communities. As Scarborough is an important site for
both international students and Indigenous communities, it is significant for international
students to be aware about Indigenous communities as they are living on their land and using
their resources.
The portrayal of international students as temporary residents is also problematic because
it limits their Canadian experience. For instance, Uyanda went on to state,
So umm in my case umm some of my friends are trying to become Canadian citizens so
they will have to learn about the culture umm the history for example to be able to take
the test to become a citizen. Citizenship test its called, so umm there is that aspect of
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international students. But the main like preconceived like this idea like the bias about
international students is that they are not as interested in learning more about the culture
umm to know more about the history of people here so maybe that’s why I have not
received much information.
As Uyanda mentioned many of her friends are trying to become Canadian citizens, so they will
have to learn about the Canadian culture and history to pass the citizenship test. But, what does it
mean when international students are automatically preconceived to not be interested in learning
about Indigenous communities? International students such as Uyanda are often welcomed into
the Canadian society based on their valuable educational skills, which works to the interests and
benefits of the nation-state (Chatterjee 2015: 544). But, what does it mean they are excluded
from gaining access to resources within the nation-state and learning about its history? We can
think about immigration status as a static process. People transition in and out of status and some
of those transitions may lead to permanent residence or citizenship. “Noncitizens” are constantly
denied “formal and substantive right” to “access entitlements” (Landolt and Goldring 2015:
853). Here we can see the power that individuals and institutions having on dictating who has
agency to access resources (Landolt and Goldring 2015: 853).
Moreover, participants also highlighted that their lack of information also comes from
limited interaction with members of Indigenous communities, and from the failure of their
educational institutions to plan and promote a substantial amount of events pertaining to
Indigenous communities. For instance, Holly, a fourth-year Psychology and Sociology student at
UTSC questioned, “um (pause) does Aboriginal people go to UTSC?”. It is significant to note
that we do not have access to this information. We should be able to see and hold the university
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accountable. We hear of communities near UTSC that have a high Indigenous population, yet we
also hear about the small number of Indigenous students who attend UTSC.
Ashley, a second-year Neuroscience student at UTSC explained:
If more Indigenous students were enrolled in Scarborough campus like that would be a
good thing … if there were more interactions with Indigenous students then slowly the
culture will kind of like seep through and maybe like international students will get it.
Uyanda explained,
We do have that Aboriginal week but other than that, there is nothing really…but what I
know from my own experience is that the student community is like these students
groups on campus clubs they are trying (pause) well some of them to bring more
awareness towards how diverse the campus is….but it’s not going further than making
people aware.
The minimal exposure to Indigenous peoples and their histories is problematic because it
hinders chances of building relationships, as international students are often unaware that they
coexist with Indigenous peoples in Scarborough (Kasparian 2012: 6; Gyepi-Garbrah et al. 2014).
Moreover, As Uyanada mentioned student communities and groups on campus do not really go
further than making people aware. Some may argue that the Canadian Government is not
implementing enough curriculum and events pertaining to Indigenous peoples and their history,
which may also hinder immigrants from acquiring substantial information about Indigenous
community residing within Scarborough.
Source of Knowledge
Participants primarily relied on educational courses from their post-secondary institution
to receive mere exposure to the history and context of Indigenous peoples in Scarborough. For
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example, Breanna stated “prior to moving here nothing… the only information I received was
from the class we are taking right now.” Breanna later went on to add “honestly, if it was not for
this class I would know nothing, I think that is basically me saying I would have spent four years
in Canada not knowing anything about Indigenous peoples.” Sophie, a first-year Management
and Computer Science student at UTSC expressed:
I took some like North American history in high school, and they were about Indigenous
peoples and Indigenous culture … you know the farmers market? They held some events
for Indigenous peoples and like uh, so I learned some cultures about them.
Many international students may not be aware, but UTSC holds a weekly farmer’s market, which
also holds some informative events.
Mitula stated “I learned from some of my courses here at UTSC like I am doing a minor in
Women’s and Gender Studies and we learned about, you know, the various communities within
Canada, so yeah.” Finally, Uyanda stated,
“Information about [pause] umm I [pause] have not prior to moving here… I did not
receive no information what so ever. But umm within the first year that I moved here I
was able to see through different programming that the university offered and like the
departments of student life, the student union here on campus, and the different
programming that they offered gave me the sort of exposure. “
Breanna’s, Mitula’s, Sophie’s, and Uyanda’s source of knowledge was primarily
obtained from their post-secondary institution. This highlights the importance for post-secondary
institutions such as UTSC to implement information about the context and histories of
Indigenous communities in the curriculum and programs outside of the classroom. But, what
happens to those who do not come as students or to those who do not take these types of
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courses? Section 62 of TRC also calls to action “education for reconciliation” (Truth and
Reconciliation Commission of Canada 2015). Post-secondary institutions such as UTSC should
ensure that they are dedicated to fulfilling “education for reconciliation.” Educational institutions
are not only a source where newcomers can receive information but also it reinforces possible
misunderstandings and stereotypes. For example, Se Jun stated, “after taking few courses in
UTSC especially the course that related to Sociology, I was kinda getting like more interested…
some of the information that I thought about was wrong.” Within this fulfillment post-secondary
institutions should also be committed to providing substantial information that newcomers feel
they can rely on. For example, Uyanda later stated,
But still at the same time it was mere, some like very minor like this mere exposure to
different communities and like Indigenous societies here in Scarborough. Umm other
than that I have not really received substantial information that I could you know rely on,
and you know base and then base my interpretation or my umm attitudes towards
Scarborough and it’s communities.
The inability to feel a sense of reliability is problematic. What does it mean when newcomers
feel that the information they have been provided with is not reliable? This can also illustrate
how certain structures work to invisiblize certain groups.
Moreover, only one participant acquired knowledge through direct engagement with a
member of Indigenous communities. Se Jun, a fifth-year Economic student at UTSC stated:
I was neighbours with a guy, he was actually from the uh Yukon Territory, yeah and
(pause) I asked him, like I took, Sociology is my minor so I like uh had a few questions, I
was interested so I asked him a couple of questions, so yeah.
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First-hand experience is information that is obtained from original source or from individual
interactions. Se Jun, the only participant who engaged directly with a member of Indigenous
communities, was able to obtain first hand knowledge as it was coming directly from Indigenous
peoples rather than through literature. Acquiring information through first-hand experience is
much more effective compared to learning through literature because literature may incorporate
false information which may lead to producing more stereotypes (Assaf 2017). To expand, not
all sources, but many sources produce stereotypes by establishing false representations and
narratives of Indigenous peoples; the dominant ideology is being reproduced.
Also, learning about Indigenous peoples and their histories through first-hand experience
increases the chances of establishing a stronger relationship between Indigenous peoples and
international students as they may actively begin to engage in shared interculturalism. (Wilson
and Henderson 2014). Although learning through first hand experience is important as it
promotes interaction, it is problematic as international students may generalize that the
experience of one Indigenous person is the same for all Indigenous peoples.
Shared Experiences
We found that shared experiences allowed participants enabled members to additionally
understand the context and histories of Indigenous communities. Our interviewees were able to
make strong shared connections between colonization, and racism. For example, Breanna stated,
“we have also been colonized before” referring to her Caribbean community. Su Jun made
connections to his past Indigenous roommate by saying “I am pretty sure he experienced things,
worse things than I experienced, but that kinda reflected my past, like how I grew up in Canada
and what I experienced.” To expand, Su Jun experienced discrimination and racism just like
Indigenous communities as they both hold a minority position within society. Uyanda provided
23
a connection with her community and Indigenous peoples in Scarborough through experiences of
racism by stating:
Racism I will say we do experience ughh on a day to day basis…of course on a daily
basis a lot of minorities and like you know umm immigrants for example or these
international students they do experience these racism on a day to day basis and I do feel
like sometimes now I feel like from what I hear and from what I see it’s become
something that is more settle… what I’m trynna get at is racism is becoming more and
more structured in a sense and that applies to exclusion and you know the issues
surrounding inequality… So umm yea in that sense I do feel that there is a similarity in
that sense we do experience these daily ughh racism in that sense. On top of that because
our cultural practices that we have for example our cultural beliefs we are subjected to
umm different treatment for example from different people. I would not go into too much
detail, but yea because of cultural beliefs and you know our religious beliefs that are
being subjected to you know. That is the core of someone being treated differently and
umm yea so in that sense I do feel like I very much can relate to the lives of you know
Aboriginal I mean Indigenous people here in Scarborough and my own experiences.
As Uyanda identified, minorities experience racism on a day to day basis, and are subjected to
differential treatment. This goes back to our discussion of second class citizenship. In Uyanda’s
case, she is treated differently because of her racialization and her temporary immigrant” status.
Uyanda placed some of her struggles with racism and the different treatment toward her cultural
beliefs in context with Indigenous communities. Such shared experiences are significant for
influencing incorporation in Scarborough. This is an opportunity for solidarity because the idea
24
of togetherness would be promoted. To expand, to combat discrimination and racism,
international students and Indigenous peoples could work together to run social movements such
as protests to end oppression and create awareness. Being able to put yourself in other’s shoes
enables you to let go of possible stereotypes, which hinders the ability to adequately learn about
one another (Kuropatwa 2015).
Similarly, Mitula made connections between her community and Indigenous
communities through her discussion of colonization. Mitula stated,
Sometimes I tried to draw parallels of what like happened to Indians when the Britain’s
came, you know they were exploited and I feel there is a kind of a parallelism there…
India was also affected by colonization and you know [pause] I do not know if
Aboriginals were used for slavery, but in India Britishers enslaved us like took away all
of our resources even today the Queen of England has the diamond she has on her crown
is from India. It was supposed to be our most priced jewel, but it is the biggest diamond
in the world and she has it you know. I feel that is kind of a parallel in the sense that both
of our communities were exploited by like colonizers.
Drawing parallels with colonization furthered Mitula’s understanding of the histories and
struggles that Indigenous communities face. The common history of colonialism and racism
acted as prime influencer in “establishing a partnership between KNK and newcomer settlement”
(Gyepi-Garbrah, Walker, and Garcea 2014: 1805). Shared experience are great starting points for
developing cultural exchange and dialogues. It is also important for post-secondary institutions
to implement spaces where this can happen. For instance, the department of student life at UTSC
implemented the Indigenous Outreach Program to enable all students to connect with the
25
Indigenous communities through cultural exchange, and dialogues which increase knowledge
between the two groups (UTSC Department of Student Life).
Importance of Knowing
When we asked our participants about their awareness of Indigenous histories, many of
them knew that the land they reside on is the land of Indigenous peoples. For example, Se Jun
stated, “they were actually the owner of this land, but like they are treated like I don’t wanna say
any bad thing [pause] I’m trynna think of the word, badly, like worse than minority groups you
know.” Breanna stated “more important I feel like the people residing in Canada should know
more about it first…cause they’re the ones who have been here the longest.” Uyanda stated, “I
still think there is more to be done and more can be done umm to actually work with the
Indigenous societies and the cultures here in Scarborough umm so because we occupy this land
and you know.” Finally, Mitula stated
Umm Indigenous peoples I know like umm built land, the land UTSC is built on is the
land of the Indigenous people and like ummm and they were like you know exploited for
their land, they were harassed and like Aboriginals even now they face a lot of scrutiny,
they don’t receive much benefits.
The knowledge of Indigenous land expresses the responsibilities that we have as settlers to
acknowledge and learn about the current struggles that Indigenous peoples face from access to
their own land (Lawrence and Dua 2005: 132). Lack of knowledge about Indigenous land further
maintains the ongoing project of colonization (Lawrence and Dua 2005: 122). As Mitula
identified the very same land that her educational institution is built on is land of Indigenous
peoples. Being conscious of Indigenous nationhood and the process that impacts the lives of
Indigenous communities is important in beginning to understand the complexity that we hold as
26
settlers on stolen land (Lawrence and Due 2005: 130). As inhabitants of Scarborough, we not
only live on this land, but we also engage in various acts of appropriation such as property
ownership (Lawrence and Dua 2005: 134). We are provided with privileges that Indigenous
people are not (Lawrence and Dua 2005: 122). For instance, Se Jun later mentioned how
Indigenous peoples are often treated worse than minorities. This reflects how the colonial state of
Canada provides immigrant communities with more privileges, and displays more “tolerance”
toward immigrants in comparison to first inhabitants (Bohaker and Iacovetta 2009).
The responsibility that settlers have in actively engaging in learning was also reflected
when Mitula later stated “yea that is pretty much all I know, I should know more.” She
understood that Indigenous peoples are constantly exploited as they do not have equal access to
resources and opportunities on their own land (Bhatia 2013: 59). Self-awareness in lack of
knowledge signals consciousness of a responsibility to learn. Likewise, Uyanda stated in her
discussion of land that “the first step is awareness and after that if you are not doing anything
else and just being aware does not really solve anything right… so, you have to go beyond than
just being aware.” As settlers of stolen land this means that we not only have a responsibility to
acknowledge, but we also have a responsibility to be actively engaged in the deconstruction of
ongoing colonial projects (Lawrence and Due 2005: 132).
Multiculturalism/Interculturalism
Most of our participants said that multiculturalism helps eliminate exclusion and
marginalization, which influences their incorporation in Scarborough. For example, Se Jun stated
“yes, because I think multiculturalism is really important because it can work as a positive side
effect.” Breanna stated, “we are co-existing and there is a lot of interaction and I do not really see
a of how do I say it, we are just coexisting nicely for the most part.” Finally, Alexandra stated,
27
Absolutely, yes, if not only to accept the people, but once you accept them you can learn
about them and you can learn about their culture and you can get to know what they think
about other cultures, once you get to know them it is not only you, it is not only your
opinion, it’s not only the Canadian opinion, but it’s also all these different types of
cultures that have different perspectives about stuff and they can implement them to be
able to have a more broader aspect of what is to help in different stuff. So, I think it is
very important because sometimes we are completely ignorant or oblivious to what
should you should know so once we get to know and accept multiculturalism we can get
to know and stop excluding.
Alexandria identified multiculturalism as a method to further integration. The ways in
which immigrants integrate into the community of Scarborough are by having the opportunity to
learn from each other as opposed to solely learning from the Eurocentric “Canadian opinion.” On
the other hand, Uyanda did not believe that multiculturalism can eliminate exclusion and
marginalization. Uyanda stated,
Just being multicultural I do not think it will really umm help with you know people and
their experiences of inequality or marginalization… if we talk about just multiculturalism
alone that you know if people are aware if people are from different backgrounds we all
get together and we will hopefully you know eliminate those issues that sort of like this
bottom up sort of approach umm that would not necessarily really work.
As Uyanda suggested that integration will have to go beyond multiculturalism (Ghorayshi 2010).
Multiculturalism may not address or eliminate inequality. Although multiculturalism is
commonly thought of as working to increase the understandings between ethnic groups, the
implementation of multiculturalism was originally intended to provide recognition to various
28
ethnic groups of their presence and contribution to Canada (Denis 2011: 307). This process of
multiculturalism neutralized Canada as an impartial space, which further contributed to the
ongoing project of colonization. What does it mean for the relationships between newcomers and
Indigenous peoples if multiculturalism contributes to on-going colonialism, and fails to address
inequality?
Moreover, when we discussed multiculturalism, exclusion, and marginalization were
brought up multiple times. Exclusion and marginalization disrupts at the idea of togetherness and
the discrimination faced by minority groups. Sophie, a first-year Management and Computer
Science student at UTSC stressed that “people, I think they tend to form a group with uh
somebody they look like.” Ashley, a second-year Neuroscience student at UTSC described:
Even though people identify as multiculturalism usually if their parents have migrated
here then (pause) either they would not know how to speak the language or speak a little
bit about it and they would not have a lot of idea about the culture they are coming from.
Mitula, voiced:
Multiculturalism (pause) that is a tough one because there is no like simple answer, I
think for uh marginalization you know even though we go to a diverse school (pause) that
does not really guarantee that those diverse people that are in this school will get the
same opportunities after graduating you know.
For a sense of community, we can understand that multiculturalism promotes the idea of
inclusiveness, so when everyone interacts with each other on a daily basis, relationships are built.
Second, for exclusion and marginalization, a couple of participants explained how
multiculturalism does not always promote the idea of togetherness because minority groups
continue to face inequality and social injustice within society. I strongly agree with the
29
participants who stated that although multiculturalism represents the idea of inclusiveness, not
everyone is exposed to equality. The idea of inequality and harmony can be understood here
because some participants believe that multiculturalism contains inequality while others claim it
promotes harmony. Scarborough is identified as a multicultural city that promotes togetherness.
Then how come Indigenous peoples continue to have less access to resources and opportunities,
and are not voiced?
Prioritization
Some of our participants addressed priority as being one of the reasons as to why
international students as well as non-international students may not be actively engaged in
learning about the Indigenous communities in Scarborough. For example, Mitula stated,
There is a lot of opportunities for me to learn about them but I guess, I do not really take
out my time from my schedule to go out of my way and learn Canadian history… I guess
uh it is going to take me a while to learn about Canadian history because I have just been
here three years and it is kind of difficult like managing you know coursework.
Holly stated, “like it would be interesting to know it, but like I really feel, at this period of time I
do not want to learn about it.” Se Jun stated, “to be honest I was not really interested in them at
first, but after taking few courses in UTSC especially the course that related to sociology I was
kinda getting like more interested.” When we asked our participants if they believe UTSC is
providing enough information, Se Jun later said, “well university it is hard to say because it is
your option to pick the course whatever you are interested in you want to learn about it.”
Similarly, Mitula said, “I will say it depends on the individual… if people want to learn about
them they will, and if people are not interested in hearing about indigenous peoples.” Finally,
Uyanda stated,
30
We are all students and you know the last thing on your mind would be to learn more
about someone else’s culture cause you are so preoccupied with your own, like the stuff
that you have to do for school, but at the same time it is very integral that you learn about
their culture as Canadians.
Material relations have profound influence on how people live their lives (Gyepi-Garbrah et al.
2014: 1801). We must be attuned to the material relations that restrict international students the
opportunity to learn about Indigenous communities. What does it mean when international
students do not place priority in learning about the context and histories of Indigenous peoples?
This places more importance on the role of educational institutions such as UTSC to ensure that
they are implementing information about Indigenous communities and information on Canada’s
colonial context into the curriculum.
Although this is a step towards creating more awareness, we can see that participants
only chose to learn about Indigenous peoples and their histories when their assignments and/or
exams are based on the Indigenous community. However, this is problematic because
immigrants reside on stolen land and engage in activities that contribute to colonization of
Indigenous peoples. As settlers they have more access to resources and opportunities compared
to Indigenous peoples, so they should demonstrate empathy and a responsibility to learn
(Kasparian 2012: 4; Lawrence and Dua 2005). If international students are uninterested in
Indigenous histories and communities, then they will most likely be uninterested to learn about
Indigenous community.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The themes of knowledge, multiculturalism, and prioritization which were illustrated
throughout the eight interviews helped us to answer the wider research question as it disclosed
31
what, where, and how immigrants learn about Indigenous peoples and their histories. We
concluded that many immigrants are not aware of Indigenous communities in Scarborough
despite co-existing with them. If immigrants knew more about Indigenous peoples and their
histories, Interculturalism could be established through a sense of togetherness as they would
realize they both share similarities. The limited context through courses within universities has
played a great factor on influencing the amount of knowledge consumed about Indigenous
communities. Therefore, if universities adjusted and enhanced their curriculum to more
widespread topics on Indigenous histories, it will create an environment for students to further
understand Canada’s colonial context and Indigenous communities. Ironically, many
international students who have settled in Scarborough to study are not given adequate education
on the deeper roots and backgrounds of Indigenous community. It is ironic because Canada
preaches to be a country that is full of freedom and unity, yet first inhabitants of the country
continue to be marginalized in society.
Nevertheless, empathy and reconciliation are two significant factors as it helps promote
diversity and appreciation for various culture by establishing a sense of togetherness. If
international students acquire and build up the learning of why societies are distinctive, it will
help create compassion and empower an appreciation for diversity and ideally, undermine the
development of racist perspectives. Education is an important form of socialization as it brings
awareness to develop a better understanding, which can give individuals a more comprehensive
appreciation for humanity. Not only should schools increase their context of Indigenous
communities through course content, they can also promote awareness through kinesthetic
learning approaches such as going on a field trip to Muskeg Lake Cree Nation to learn more
about Indigenous peoples through first-hand experience. This is significant because oftentimes
32
literature contains prejudice, so by building relationships with Indigenous communities one
would deconstruct negative stereotypes (Gyepi-Garbrah et al. 2014). For instance, UTSC could
implement Indigenous related events during frosh week to expose new and continuing students
to Indigenous culture. All in all, Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents
residing in Scarborough and Canada must acquire knowledge of Indigenous communities as they
are residing on their land and using their resources. By acquiring information such as social
challenges they continue to face, people can collectively work together to fight for their rights as
they have been exploited for countless years.
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