Discussing the abuse, deaths, and systematic attempts at assimilation for students at Kuper Island Indian Residential School, renowned CBC broadcaster and educator Duncan McCue delivered a powerful and emotional lecture as the 2023 Jack Matthews Fellow.  

During the Community Speaker Series event , the Anishnaabe journalist discussed his time in the west-coast community where the school used to stand and his conversations with survivors who discussed painful memories and the generational ripple effects on families determined to heal. His lecture, which drew 160 guests made up of alumni, students, staff, faculty, and community members, ended on a hopeful note discussing the current Kuper Island school that is home to a new generation of children who display Indigenous artwork, learn Indigenous languages, and proudly perform Indigenous dances.  

McCue encouraged the audience to go beyond land acknowledgements, by learning more about Indigenous history and culture, and supporting Indigenous peoples and communities, to truly advance Reconciliation.  

“We have our work cut out for us but, together, we can make a stronger country for everyone,” said McCue, whose father Harvey McCue C.M. ’66 co-founded Trent’s Indigenous Studies department.  

Titled Beyond Land Acknowledgements: A Journalist’s Reflections on Truth and Reconciliation, McCue’s talk drew upon more than two decades of his reporting on Indian residential schools and was informed by his CBC podcast Kuper Island.  

At one point in the lecture, McCue invited the audience to upload images of their own children to be shared onto the large screen at the front of Stohn Hall. He then asked them to delete the photos, alluding to the deaths of children at residential schools, noting how painful that would be.  

That was a powerful way to humanize reports of unmarked graves found at former residential school sites across the country, noted attendee Nick Weissflog, a Trent Masters student in Environmental Life Science.  

Community member Katie McCall said she appreciates Trent hosting this lecture, noting that the University is a leader in Indigenous Studies and incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing and doing into the Trent experience. “Trent brings Indigenous culture to the forefront and it’s phenomenal that Trent ensures all students must take a course in Indigenous studies.”  
 

Join Upcoming Community Speaker Series Events  

Sharing knowledge is one of the ways Trent University gives back to the community and provides lifelong learning experiences to alumni. Made possible thanks to generous donor support, the Community Speaker Series offers lectures featuring visiting faculty and experts, sharing ideas on a variety of subjects. Upcoming lectures include: 

•  New Directions for Environmental Justice: Treaty Relations and Artistic Movements for Decolonial Futures - The Elaine Stavro Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Theory, Politics & Gender Studiess
  Monday, October 30, 20233

• The Right to a Meaningful Old Age: How Integrating Arts and Culture into Health and Social Services can Transform Aging - The Stephen Katz Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Interdisciplinary Aging Studies: Monday, November 6, 2023

• Stories, Puzzles, and Problems: Applying Computational Thinking Principles - The David Poole Lecture in Mathematics: Friday, November 10, 2023

View the full line up and register for upcoming Community Speaker Series lectures. Be sure to update your alumni contact information by emailing alumni@trentu.ca so you don’t miss out on future events.