Georgian College

GLOSSARY OF IMPORTANT TERMS Note on terminology: The following definitions are meant to provide a general descriptor. Many of these terms are defined in different ways by different nations. • Indigenous people – refers to First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. • First Nations – The original inhabitants of this land. The First Nations located in the Georgian catchment area are of Anishnaabeg and Onkwe hón:we ancestry. • Métis – A specific cultural group of people of historic Métis Nation ancestry who are accepted by the Métis Nation. • Inuit – The original people of the Arctic region of Canada and other polar countries. • Anishnaabeg – The collective named used for Odawa, Ojibwe, and Pottawatomi nations as well as other Anishnaabeg nations. • Three Fires Confederacy – A longstanding allegiance between the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Pottawatomi nations. • Colonization – The action of occupying and establishing control over Indigenous land and people of an area. Colonization is a structure that persists, not an event of the past. • Decolonization – The restoration of land, languages, systems of governance, cultural and traditional ways and all else that has been taken away by the process of colonization. • Reconciliation – According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, reconciliation is "about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between [Indigenous] and non- [Indigenous] peoples in this country. In order for that to happen, there has to be awareness of the past, an acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behaviour." • Truth – Refers to the truth that Canada has a history and legacy of colonialism. One of the tenets of colonialism being the Indian residential school system. • Indigenization – Refers to the meaningful integration of Indigenous ideas, values, peoples, knowledges, symbols, esthetics, and procedures. It means infusing authentic Indigenous histories and present-day perspectives into an organization so that it embodies Indigenous imaginations and aspirations. • 2SLGBTQQIA+ – An acronym for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual people. INDIGENIZATION STRATEGY | LET'S MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER 6 GeorgianCollege.ca

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