Calls for action and integration rather than symbolism anchored the first Faculty Board meeting of the winter semester.
The first Arts and Science (ArtSci) Faculty Board of the year took place on Jan. 16 at 2:30 p.m. in Jeffery Hall. The meeting lasted only 30 minutes and postponed the hearing of two motions concerning academic integrity moved by Member Dorit Naaman, who couldn’t attend due to weather-related setbacks. The board did include a special land acknowledgment by Engineering Professor and NSERC Scholar in Residence for Indigenous collaboration, Mark Green.
Green, who is a part of the Mohawk Nation in the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, delivered a land acknowledgement and reflection on the Dish With One Spoon Treaty and the Two-Row Wampum Belt.
ArtSci Interim Dean, Bob Lemieux, also presented his dean’s report to the board, alongside reports from the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS) and the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS).
Opening Remarks
The Dish With One Spoon Treaty, Green explained, outlines how communities in the Great Lakes region agreed to share resources.
“The idea of Dish With One Spoon [is] […] that the resources are finite within a dish and there’s one spoon, and so you can take, but you should only take what you need so that there’ll be more left for others […] in a way of sharing,” Green explained.
Green also brought a replica of the Two-Row Wampum Belt, describing it as one of the earliest treaties between Indigenous peoples and Europeans. The belt symbolizes the idea of two people travelling side-by-side without interfering with each other’s paths.
He explained that the Two-Row Wampum Belt is a 1613 treaty between the Haudenosaunee and the Dutch and symbolizes two nations travelling side-by-side in peace and mutual understanding.
He emphasized the importance of remembering these treaties and reflecting on them during land acknowledgements. Cautioning against treating land acknowledgements as symbolic gestures without meaningful follow-up or action.
Deans Report
In his Dean’s Report, Lemieux highlighted a new Canada-China trade agreement announced that same morning. The new deal includes lowering Chinese tariffs on Canadian goods such as canola seeds, while China will be able to export 49,000 electric vehicles per year at a 6.1 per cent tariff rate. He framed the news as a positive development for international academic collaboration.
“Clearly, this is going to further lower the temperature and improve our ability to develop partnerships in China,” Lemieux continued, “this really is good news for us.”
He pointed to Queen’s ongoing work with Chinese and Hong Kong universities in fields like digital content, heritage education, and creative industries, areas that align with the new agreement’s emphasis on arts and culture.
Lemieux noted China’s decision to ease visa restrictions for Canadian travellers as a further sign of goodwill, while cautioning that research security, particularly around dual-use technologies, remains a concern.
“We need to go in with our eyes wide open when we deal with China,” he added.
Question Period
During question period, faculty raised concerns about how departments are ensuring Indigenous content is meaningfully included in curricula. Board Member William Nelson noted the use of feedback through quality assurance but recognized that it’s a “very slow process.”
Board Member Petra Fachinger followed up by asking specifically how the university’s science and math programs are integrating Indigenous learning and lessons, citing that the social sciences and humanities are already doing “fairly well.”
In response, Lemieux mentioned hoping to integrate Indigenous learning circles into science classes. Board Member Nelson followed up by stating that different science departments, such as biology, are incorporating Indigenous knowledge into their curricula and teaching through Indigenous-focused learning spaces and methods.
“There’s a tremendous amount of work that goes into the sciences that maybe is not very visible,” Nelson stated.
The next Faculty Board meeting will be held on Feb. 27 in Jeffery Hall, room 128.
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ArtSci, ArtSci Faculty Board, Faculty Board Meeting, Indigenous
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