On behalf of The Journal Editorial Board, I would like to apologize for an article posted earlier this morning.
At The Journal, we strive to give an accurate account of news and events relevant to the University, students and alumni.
This morning, we failed to do that.
In the story “ASUS petitions for Indigenous land recognition on Queen’s sign,” we didn’t seek out all parties relevant to the story. Instead of looking to hear from different voices, we stuck with one source.
For not doing all the diligence possible, and more importantly, for not being an effective ally, I am sorry.
During my time as a member at The Journal, I’ve witnessed the lack of diversity and inclusivity at Queen’s and how student leaders, particularly student leaders of marginalized identities, have worked tirelessly to combat this. I validate the students who have voiced their frustration with this morning’s article and I recognize the effect they have in perpetuating the paternalism and oppression of Indigenous members of our community.
As a student newspaper, our role is to cover the experiences of Indigenous students on campus from a wide range of perspectives. We must approach this with humility, learning to listen to, to engage and ultimately elevate those experiences. Rather than talking over Indigenous students, we must use silence not to deny those experiences, but to make space for their voices to revitalize Indigenous sovereignty. We are committed to bringing in Indigenous voices more frequently across all sections of our paper and to act in solidarity with Indigenous students.
Our News section will continue to publish stories on the Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s 2017 report and the implementation of these recommendations to the best of our ability. As a small team, we appreciate any information or assistance the community is willing to provide.
Any tips, information or concerns can be sent to journal_news@ams.queensu.ca.
We also encourage members of the Queen’s community to have their own voices heard in our paper by submitting a letter to the editor. This space operates as a service to the community for public dialogue, one that we will continue to operate throughout the school year.
Any letters to the editor can be submitted to journal_letters@ams.queensu.ca.
Sincerely,
Joseph Cattana,
Editor in Chief
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All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.
