Every year following Fleming convocation, I am always engaged in conversations about the presence of ethno-culture in the ceremonies. By "ethno-culture", I mean cultural norms (how we behave based on what we value and believe) and cultural representations (such as music and dress) that are identified with a particular ethnic or national group. There are many kinds of culture - in our PD session we talked about deaf culture or hip hop culture (or sub-cultures) - and of course there is organizational culture. But I am talking about ethnic identity here.
This year one of the Fleming students from India commented to me that they had never experienced Scottish bag pipe or Aboriginal hand drum music before. If you have never attended convocation, you might not know that Fleming ceremonies open with a First Nations honour song, and that student and faculty processions are led by bag pipe players. These have been long-standing traditions here, with the bag pipes honouring the origins of our name sake, Sir Sandford Fleming, and the Aboriginal drumming and prayers honouring the First Nations indigenous to this area.
The student asked if I was Scottish, and if most Fleming employees came from Scotland ( a logical assumption). He understood the meaning quickly when I told him Sir Sandford Fleming was born in Scotland. But it was not at all surprising to him that culture would be displayed at a ceremony like this. In India, public institutions are still highly associated with ethnic and religious values and symbols.
By and large, most students I speak to (from many backgrounds) feel the ceremonies are dignified and interesting because of the cultural elements, and they enjoy them. However, some Canadian students (and staff) have questioned our display of ethno-culture at convocation. Some see it as an insult to other cultural groups who may feel less valued by not having their ethnic culture represented. Others feel public colleges have no business using cultural symbols at all and that they should be "civic" ceremonies, completely devoid of "culture". Is this even possible?!
My very personal view is that the dominant culture that operates in this public institution is neither Scottish nor Anishnabe. It is clearly descended from the Anglo/Celtic people that settled this area but it has powerful dominant values from a professional middle-class culture that has evolved in Canada. I am more concerned about how that culture excludes or marginalizes others than whether bag pipes are played at convocation. I believe that is where the heart of equity lies, in the ability of the college to respond positively to the many different cultural norms that each of us cherishes and operates by.
How do you feel about this issue? Do you think your identity is affected by dominant cultural norms here? Which values stand out for you? Do you observe some students being exluded? How do they react to this?
This week I am posting the recently approved Inclusive College Action Plan that outlines how Fleming College will address diversity this year. This plan is developed by the Inclusive College Committee, a group of administrators, faculty and other department representatives who are responsible to oversee the development of an inclusive environment at Fleming. You will note there are some interesting educational opportunities coming up this year, with Aboriginal Cultural Safety Training, as well as the LGBTQ Positive Space program.
Upcoming posts in July and September will be exploring these areas of interest.
I will be off the first 2 weeks of August. Enjoy your summer vacation!
