As Canada marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we are called not only to remember the colonial policies that sought to eradicate Onkwehón:we (Indigenous) cultures and identities, but also to recognize, affirm and celebrate Onkwehón:we peoples and their perseverance.

With this important day of acknowledgement and remembrance, a question merits consideration: What might be meant by Onkwehón:we identity?

As universities across Canada develop policies to address erroneous claims of Onkwehón:we identity, and as recent cases of, misrepresentation of Onkwehón:we identity are scruntinized, this question reverberates in challenging ways.

Knowledge, heritage, consciousness

Identity may be best regarded as that which makes a person or thing remain the same over time. For philosopher John Locke, personal identity rests primarily on continuity of consciousness, rather than simply having the same body or soul. We remain the same person insofar as our present consciousness connects us with our past experiences.

Reflecting on Onkwehón:we identity, education scholar Marie Battiste and lawyer and educator James (Sa'ke'j) Youngblood Henderson focus on the unique manifestations of Onkwehón:we knowledge, heritage and consciousness. These aspects of Onkwehón:we identity are passed down through intergenerational transmission.

Ancestry matters within this understanding of Onkwehón:we identity, but it’s important to acknowledge that ancestry is not simply a genetic claim.

However, an emerging reliance on citizenship or membership as the principal means of verification presents another problem.

Citizenship may be an important aspect........

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