On September 30, a press conference was held on the tabling of the report of the Public Inquiry Commission on Relations between Indigenous Peoples and Certain Public Services in Quebec: Listening, Reconciliation, and Progress (CERP) at the First Peoples Pavilion on the Val-d'Or campus of Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT). UQAT wishes to highlight the extensive work of the Commission in general, and particularly of Commission members from the university community.
UQAT is proud to have contributed to the process by encouraging, among other things, the lending of resources and the sharing of expertise by its members.
2019-2024 Action Plan: UQAT and Indigenous Peoples
By adopting an action plan on Indigenous issues and realities, UQAT is upholding its commitment to serve as a model for teaching, research, and innovation as well as community services. UQAT is the only university in Quebec to make Indigenous students a priority in its mission: they are the focus of one of the six issues in its 2015-2020 Development Plan.
As a leader on Indigenous issues, UQAT is committed to following up on the CERP report by responding to the calls for action that affect it, notably by implementing the 2019-2024 Action Plan: UQAT and Indigenous Peoples. "Higher education is a key vehicle for bringing people together and improving their collective well-being," said UQAT rector Denis Martel. "It's an investment that is useful for individuals, but also for the community as a whole. Through its mission, UQAT wants to play an active role in improving the living conditions of Indigenous individuals, families, and communities."
By making Indigenous realities central to its strategic planning, notably through the creation of the School of Indigenous Studies, UQAT has already demonstrated its determination and motivation to consolidate and develop new partnerships with Indigenous peoples and communities.