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Indigenous Substantiation

Indigenous Substantiation2025-12-09T15:46:05-04:00

December 9, 2025

To uphold the integrity of material benefit and opportunities designated for Indigenous Peoples, the University of Toronto is introducing a new Indigenous Substantiation (IS) framework.

Developed in consultation and partnership with Indigenous communities, the IS process will ensure that individuals who are recruited, employed, celebrated, or receiving material benefit in opportunities where Indigenous Membership, Citizenship, or Enrolment (M/C/E) is preferred, or a determining factor for access or eligibility, can substantiate their claims.

Central to this commitment is the recognition that Indigenous substantiation is complex and shaped by specific histories, kinship systems, and community connection among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples.

The IS framework follows on the recommendations of the Indigenous Identity Substantiation Committee, which comprised Indigenous senior leadership, staff, faculty members, librarians and students from across the University.

The process will launch Spring 2026 with the establishment of the IS portal, and will entail three main parts:

  1. Initial identification
  2. Indigenous substantiation
  3. Attestation

Substantiation will be managed by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, which will work collaboratively with academic divisions, administrative units, and student services to ensure the process remains context-specific, culturally grounded, and responsive to the evolving needs of both Indigenous communities and the University community.

For more information on the IIS framework, please see our FAQs below.

For general procedural or administrative questions related to this process, you may contact: indigenous.substantiation@utoronto.ca. Please note that this inbox is limited to clarifying the information provided on this page and cannot review individual cases or documentation. Due to volume, case-specific inquiries will not receive a response.

To read the Indigenous Substantiation Recommendations Report click here.

Indigenous Substantiation Process

Step 1 – Initial Identification:

Applicants declare their Indigenous M/C/E.

Step 2 – Indigenous Substantiation:

Candidates provide either formal evidence of M/C/E (Option A) or a personal declaration (Option B) with supporting materials.

Step 3 – Attestation Form:

Successful candidates attest to accuracy and acknowledge limitations (e.g., self-identification alone not accepted), and indicate their consent to share substantiation materials with their declared community for cross-verification purposes.

This process applies to both prospective and current members of the University community, including students, staff, faculty members, and librarians, who identify as Indigenous in contexts where M/C/E is preferred or a determining factor for access or eligibility.

The Indigenous Substantiation process is intended to apply in, but not be limited to, the following contexts:

  • Student admission pathways
  • Employment opportunities, including internal promotions, transitions, short-term, or contractual employment
  • Research funding
  • Scholarships, awards, grants, and financial aid
  • Distinctions and other recognitions such as Eagle Feather Bearing
  • Procurement or commissioned projects, including design, writing, and facilitation
  • Honoraria for guest lectures, panels, teaching engagements, and other participatory contributions
  • External services involving Indigenous identity as a factor

Frequently Asked Questions

Indigenous substantiation is a process that ensures accountability when individuals seek to access material benefits, opportunities, or recognition designated for Indigenous Peoples. The University of Toronto adopts the term “substantiation” rather than “verification” because it reflects a respectful and contextually appropriate approach that emphasizes affirmation and understanding rather than external validation.

The University does not determine or verify Indigenous identity. It accepts claims that are supported by evidence, based on criteria developed through community engagement and guided by Indigenous-led oversight regarding their respective approaches to Membership, Citizenship, and Enrolment (M/C/E).

The rise in Indigenous identity fraud across Canada has created significant concern among Indigenous Peoples, institutions, and communities. As an institution with power, privilege, and responsibility in shaping access to material opportunities, the University must take meaningful steps to protect the integrity of Indigenous spaces, resources, and sovereignty.

This process ensures accountability and supports the fair allocation of opportunities that are intended for Indigenous Peoples.

The process applies to both prospective and current members of the University of Toronto community, including students, staff, faculty members, and librarians who identify as Indigenous in contexts where M/C/E is preferred or a determining factor for access or eligibility.

The Indigenous Substantiation process is initiated Indigenous M/C/E is a determining factor for access, eligibility, or prioritization. This includes:

  • Student admission pathways
  • Employment opportunities, including internal promotions, transitions, short-term, or contractual employment
  • Research funding
  • Scholarships, awards, grants, and financial aid
  • Distinctions and other recognitions such as Eagle Feather Bearing
  • Procurement or commissioned projects involving Indigenous identity as a factor
  • Honoraria for guest lectures, panels, teaching engagements, and other participatory contributions

Full oversight and administration of the Indigenous Substantiation process rest with the Office of Indigenous Initiatives.

The process is Indigenous-led to maintain consistency and ensure that it reflects the values, perspectives, and lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples. The Office ensures the process is conducted with cultural integrity, confidentiality, and care.

The Indigenous Substantiation Panel operates alongside the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. It can include Indigenous Elders, community leaders, Knowledge Holders, staff, faculty members, and librarians.

The panel reviews claims that fall outside the scope of Options A or B or that require further consideration. Reviews are approached with cultural sensitivity and awareness of the historical and cultural complexities surrounding Indigenous M/C/E.

Where applicable, the panel may include representatives from the Nation to which the applicant claims connection.

Candidates can submit either Option A: Evidence of M/C/E or Option B: Personal Declaration.

  • Option A includes a Certificate of Indian Status, written confirmation of Membership, Citizenship, or Enrollment from a Canadian rights-bearing Nation, a Métis Nation Citizenship card from one of the recognized governing bodies, an Inuit Enrolment card from one of the recognized governing bodies, or documentation from a federally recognized American Tribal Nation or Alaska Native entity.
  • Option B supports those impacted by colonialism that led to disconnection from their communities. Candidates submit a Personal Declaration, Supporting Evidence, and a Letter of Reference from an Indigenous Elder, Knowledge Holder, community, or government confirming their connection to a rights-bearing Nation that claims them.

Individuals who have been affected by colonialism that led to disconnection from their communities may provide a Personal Declaration.

This declaration allows candidates to outline their lived experience, kinship, and connection to a rights-bearing Nation, supported by evidence and a letter from an Indigenous Elder, Knowledge Holder, or community reference.

All successful candidates for any material benefit must complete an Attestation Form.

The form includes attestation that the individual has provided truthful information and acknowledges that the University has relied on this information. It also confirms that any misrepresentation may be treated as grounds for rescission of the material benefit or other corrective action.

The form also includes an acknowledgment of the responsibility to inform the University if membership changes and an understanding that claims must reflect genuine connections to an Indigenous Nation through ancestry, culture, kinship, and lived experience.

Finally, individuals attest to their understanding and consent for the University to share substantiation materials with their declared Nation for the purposes of cross-verification.

The University will not accept:

  • Claims based on self-identification or family lore
  • Claims based on marital affiliation or “cultural adoption”
  • Memberships, citizenships, or enrollments that are not rights-bearing
  • DNA test results
  • Genealogies conducted by individuals who are not certified by the Board fof Certification of Genealogists or who are not members of the Association of Professional Genealogists
  • Affidavits
  • Expired documentation

These standards ensure respect for the integrity and sovereignty of Indigenous governments.

All substantiation materials will be received and managed through a centralized digital portal administered by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives.

The system will include robust data security measures to safeguard personal and community-based information. This approach upholds Indigenous data sovereignty, protects the dignity of applicants, and reinforces the University’s accountability to Indigenous communities.

The Office of Indigenous Initiatives will work respectfully and collaboratively with the following Indigenous Nations, recognizing that additional Nations may be added as future partnerships are established:

  • Mississauga First Nation
  • Six Nations of the Grand River
  • The Mississaugas of Alderville First Nation
  • The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
  • Hiawatha First Nation
  • The Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation
  • The Métis Nation of Ontario
  • The Manitoba Métis Federation
  • Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

Evaluation of this process will be relational and rooted in continued dialogue with Indigenous communities rather than fixed metrics alone.

The Office of Indigenous Initiatives will remain responsible for ongoing engagement to assess how the substantiation process is working in practice and commits to revising and adapting the framework as needed.

A full review of the framework and its implementation will take place after two years.

By adopting this process, the University affirms its commitment to reconciliation, accountability, and Indigenous sovereignty.

It strengthens the University’s relationships with Indigenous communities and upholds the integrity of Indigenous-specific material benefit within the institution.

Through transparent consultation and collaboration, the University supports fairness, accountability, and alignment with Indigenous ways of knowing and doing.

Recognizing that Indigenous substantiation from communities outside of Canada and the continental United States (including, for example, Indigenous Peoples of Mexico, Hawaii, Aotearoa [Māori], and Australia) varies from Nation to Nation, candidates from these communities must submit a Personal Declaration as outlined in Option B. These submissions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, with care and consideration for the diverse contexts of international Indigenous communities.

Related Documents & Resources:

 

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