Concordia student to present decolonization research at national communications conference

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) released its 94 Calls to Action in 2015 – including one calling on Canadian journalism schools to educate all students about the history of Indigenous Peoples.

Call to Action #86 specifically mentions the legacy of residential institutions, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Indigenous rights, Indigenous law, and Indigenous-Crown relations.

A decade after the TRC’s final report was released, a student in the Department of Journalism is examining how the department is responding to Call to Action #86 for her MA thesis research. She will be presenting her findings at this year’s Canadian Communication Association (CCA) annual conference in Windsor, Ontario in June.

“Concordia’s Department of Journalism has definitely made progress when it comes to decolonization,” Orisa Thandi, a graduate student in the MA in Digital Innovation in Journalism Studies program, said.

Thandi points to current work by Associate Professors Kristy Snell and Aphrodite Salas.

“(Their) work already reflects several themes of Call 86, such as Indigenous Rights, Laws and the history and legacy of the Residential School system,” Thandi said.

Snell leads the Institute for Inclusive, Investigative, and Innovative Journalism (I3J), and teaches a decolonizing journalism course which includes a collaboration where her students mentor secondary students at Kahnawà:ke Survival School as they produce original journalism about their community for CBC Montreal.

Salas has created experiential learning opportunities for students aimed at decolonizing the way journalism is practiced, taking students to Inukjuak, Quebec to work on a collaborative project with the Inuit community on exploring the first hydroelectric dam in Arctic Quebec.

Additionally, the department launched its BA in Journalism through the Kaié:ri Nikawerá:ke Indigenous Bridging Program in 2025. The program provides a pathway for First Nations, Inuit and Métis students who had paused their educational journeys to return to post-secondary studies at Concordia. The BA in journalism is one of five degrees currently offered through the Bridging option.

Thandi’s work involves a survey of faculty and staff within the department, to see how the current undergraduate curriculum aligns with themes outlined in Call to Action #86.

Snell is Thandi’s MA thesis supervisor, and says she’s looking forward to seeing the results.

“Orisa’s work is unique in that while we do have a strong understanding of what the department is doing and where there are opportunities for growth, there’s no single document clearly outlining those efforts. So her thesis will provide that, which is great.”

Thandi will also be speaking with undergraduate students to get their perspectives on how Indigenous history and content are taught in their courses. Snell says it’s an opportunity to gain insight from students about what they are learning.

“I hear from my own students regularly about this, but my Indigenous Journalism course is an elective so I know they’ve chosen to be there to learn more. It will be good to hear from students in a more general way about the impact of what we’ve been teaching, and where they see room for improvement”.

Thandi holds a BA in History and Politics of the Americas from University College London (UCL), and says she has always been interested in the legacies of colonization, noting her grandparents left Punjab for the U.K., following the aftermath of the Partition of India in the 1950s and 60s.

“I’ve always liked the idea that journalism is a watchdog for society, keeping people informed and holding those with power accountable. I think this can be applied to research within journalism too, and that’s what I aim to do with this work.”