Visitors to Queen’s University now have a new resource to educate them about the traditional inhabitants of what we know today as the Kingston area.

On Monday afternoon, Principal Daniel Woolf and senior executives; Indigenous leaders including Kanonhsyonne (Janice Hill) and Marlene Brant Castellano; and members of the Queen’s, Kingston, and local Indigenous communities gathered to unveil a plinth dedicated to the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee peoples. The plinth, which includes a concrete base and a six page book, is the first in a series of monuments to be unveiled across campus as part of the “Queen’s Remembers” initiative led by Principal Woolf.

“This is a heartfelt recognition that, before these limestone buildings were here and before the first class sat, these were the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples,” says Principal Woolf. “For too long, our country’s misrepresentation of history and mistreatment of Indigenous Peoples has been hidden from view, only to perpetuate and contribute to their suffering. To move forward in healing, we must again acknowledge Queen’s own history as an institution that participated in a colonial tradition that caused great harm to Indigenous people.”

As part of today’s launch, a Queen’s Encyclopedia page has been launched regarding the Queen’s Remembers initiative.

Please stay tuned for news about future Queen’s Remembers plinths to be unveiled in the coming months.