Queen’s has barred an individual from university property following an investigation into residential school denialism found in at least two locations on campus.
The development follows an Aug. 27 statement from the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII), reporting residential school denialism stickers had been placed on the entrances of both buildings comprising the Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre.
A separate sticker referring to transgender participation in sports was also found on the Queen’s University sign next to the Union Street entrance of the JDUC. The sticker was partially scratched, and The Journal was unable to obtain an image or record of the sticker before its removal.
Neither Queen’s nor the AMS acknowledged the transphobic stickers in their statements to The Journal, despite specific questioning. There is no confirmed connection between the residential school denialism stickers and the transphobic one.
In a statement to The Journal, Kingston Police Media Relations Officer, Anthony Colangeli, confirmed an investigation remains ongoing and said police wouldn’t release further information to protect its integrity.
In a statement to The Journal, The University said it reported an incident to Kingston Police in August and cooperated with the investigation. An individual was identified, and Queen’s subsequently issued them a Notice of Prohibition (NOP).
“An NOP means the recipient can be charged with trespassing if they enter university property in the future,” the statement said.
The stickers targeted a space intended to be safe for Indigenous students and described denialism as dismissing the experiences of residential school survivors, Student Affairs and the OII said in a joint statement to The Journal.
“Check your sources and do your research through reputable ones, because a lot of misinformation is circulating right now,” the statement read. “Seek out people who are different from you and have a conversation. Be curious and come with an open mind and heart.”
The AMS also condemned the stickers in a statement to The Journal, saying it remained in contact with the University campus equity centres, and other partners after learning discriminatory materials had appeared in the community.
According to the statement, an employee discovered one of the stickers around the JDUC — although not specifying what the content of the sticker was — and contacted Campus Security to document and report it.
“Understanding the realities Indigenous Peoples face today requires understanding the historical systems and policies that produced lasting harms,” the statement said.
The AMS said its response extends beyond removing discriminatory materials and includes supporting Indigenous-led initiatives and incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing into its governance.
Tags
Residential Schools, transphobia, Vandalism
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