Members Present: Eugenia Zuroski (Co-Chair), Amber Dean, Andy Crowell, Rodrigo Narro Perez, Catherine Booker, Elisabet Service, Shemar Hackett, Adriana Michell, Alex Lee, Ange Bitwayiki, Arlene Fajutrao Dosen, Carrie McMullin, Faiza Hirji, Grace Pollock, Joanne Buckley, Kaitlin Debicki, Karen Sutton, Kelsea McCready, Krista Jamieson, Tanya Rumble, Yimeng Wang, Melanie Garaffa
Member Regrets: Arig al Shaibah, Faith Ogunkoya (Vice-Chair), Jordan Carrier, Jim McAndrew, Sashaina Singh, Ameil Joseph, Bernice Downey, Dilyana Mincheva, Nya Wuol, Sarah Brophy, Megan Cheng, Wanda McKenna,
Equity and Inclusion Office: Kate Brown, Craig Foye, Joan Johnson (minutes), Pilar Michaud, Tolulope Ojo, Khadijeh Rakie, Marla Brown
Community Members Present: Celeste Licorish, C.A. Klassen, Amanda Ramkishunar, Ayo Osinowo
1. Welcome and Introductions
Gena Zuroski opened the meeting by acknowledging that McMaster University sits on the traditional territories of the Mississauga and Haudenosaunee Nations, and within the lands protected by the Dish with One Spoon wampum agreement (ref: IEC May 2016).
Participants were then invited to introduce themselves and their affiliation with the University. Gena invited an introductory round and welcomed new, returning, and community members.
2. Adoption of May and October 2019 Minutes
The minutes of May 7, 2019, and October 2, 2019, were approved.
3. December 6 Commemorative Event – Amber Dean, Alexis Silverstein, Amanda Seeds
Information and two short videos regarding the upcoming December 6 Commemorative Event in MUSC 319 – CIBC Hall from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 pm. were presented. The events keynote speaker is Jaime Black creator of The REDress Project. The presentation was followed by smaller group discussions about Dec 6 and its meaning. Amber noted the online resource: Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/
Andy provided information about the Men’s Walk that will take place on Friday, December 6 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. in the Student Memorial Garden
The Faculty of Engineering will commemorate the 30th anniversary of December 6, 1989, by lighting up the sky along with 13 other engineering schools across the country. The event will be from 4:00-5:30 p.m. in the JHE Front patio and lobby.
4. Post-its: Hopes, Expectations, ongoing discussion
Gena recapped the discussion from the October 2, 2019 meeting. The committee broke out in smaller groups to continue the discussion:
5. One group suggested that item (l) “Maintain the confidentiality of group members” may create a false sense of confidentiality for PACBIC members and other attendees since it is unlikely that any McMaster policy would necessarily prohibit the sharing of information from PACBIC meetings. As an alternative, the group offered the following for consideration: “Although we ask participants to please be respectful of the privacy of others, we also ask you to keep in mind when sharing that the meeting is not a confidential meeting.” Another group asked whether any discussion of “intentions” should also acknowledge impacts, which are often significant regardless of intentions. Another suggested that the statement about being aware of one’s emotions be nuanced or supplemented to acknowledge that emotional reactions are not bad in and of themselves (in fact, often inevitable), and also that the dynamics of emotion are often complicated and politically conditioned in ways that also require reflection and understanding. One group turned in their written comment that thoughtful participation in group discussion should always consider how one’s comments are situated in the broader contexts of colonialism, racism, etc. We ran out of time before all groups reported back; we agreed that we needed more time to devote to this conversation and that it would be good to take it up again at a later meeting.
6. PACBIC Members & Working Groups – Updates
a) Race, Racism and Racialization (R3) Working Group: Rodrigo Narro Perez (Convenor) reported that next R3 meeting will take place on November 15 from12:00-1:30 p.m. The next Let’s Talk about Race Session will be on November 28 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. facilitated by Ameil Joseph. The topic: “the erasure of experience and the subjects of oblivion; speaking back to the obliviousness of whiteness”
b) Interfaith Issues Working Group: Andy Crowell (Convenor) stated that there is ongoing work at the Chaplaincy re: spiritual care, and to bring together a wider spectrum of people. The Interfaith group along with the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), Hillel and the Chaplaincy centre will be participating in McMaster Global Week.
c) Gender and Sexuality Working Group: Amber Dean (Convenor) stated the next meeting will be November 18, 2019 at 1:30-2:30pm in mUsC 213, The group will be focusing on the decentering of whiteness in their planning. They will discuss bringing the collective Marvelous Grounds to campus. MacPride events will be from November 11-15. Transforming Mac events from November18-22. The Transgender flag will be flown to honour Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20.
d) Accessibility, Disability & Ableism and Madness/Distress, Eugenics, Discrimination & Saneism (ADA/MEDS) Working Group: Anne Pottier (Convenor) stated that the group will be giving a call out for a working group meeting. Indigenous Disability Month is in November.
e) First Nations, Metis, and Inuit (FNMI) Priorities Working Group: Update deferred.
7. Announcements
H.E.A.R.T. workshops start next week November 18, 2019.
8. Adjournment and Next Meeting
The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 pm. The next meeting be:
Thursday, December 12, 2019, from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., please note the location.
change: L.R.Wilson Room 1003 (Community Room)
Please send regrets to pacbic@mcmaster.ca