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Indigenous Substantiation

Indigenous Substantiation2026-08-27T17:12:38-04:00

To ensure that material benefits and opportunities intended for Indigenous Peoples are directed to those for whom they are intended, the University of Toronto is introducing a new Indigenous Substantiation (IS) framework.

 

Developed in consultation and partnership with Indigenous communities, the IS process will apply wherever Indigenous Membership, Citizenship, or Enrolment (M/C/E) is a designated requirement, is preferred, or is a determining factor in access to employment, opportunities, recognition, resources, material benefits, or other forms of eligibility. The IS process will ensure that individuals who are recruited, employed, celebrated, recognized, or otherwise receive access or benefit on this basis 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, comprised of Indigenous senior leadership, staff, faculty members, librarians and students from across the University.

 

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 IS 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.

 

Indigenous Substantiation Process

Step 1 – Initial Identification:

 

Applicants declare their Indigenous Membership/Citizenship/Enrolment (M/C/E) where applicable.

 

Step 2 – Indigenous Substantiation:

 

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

 

Evidence of M/C/E (Option A)

 

To substantiate M/C/E recipients must submit at least one of the following forms of evidence:

 

  • A Certificate of Indian Status.
  • Written confirmation of Membership/Citizenship/Enrolment from a Canadian rights-bearing nation.
  • A copy of a Métis Nation Citizenship card from one of the following groups: Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, the Métis Nation British Columbia, Metis Settlements of Alberta, the Northwest Territory Métis Nation, the Métis Nation of Ontario or a Manitoba Métis Federation Citizenship card.
  • A copy of an Inuit Enrolment card issued by any one of the four Inuit modern treaty bodies— Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Makivvik, Nunatsiavut Government, and Inuvialuit Regional Corporation
  • A copy of an Enrolment card or written confirmation of Membership/Enrolment from a United States federally recognized Tribal Nation or Alaska Native entity/Villages.

 

Personal Declaration (Option B)

 

B. Personal Declaration

 

Alternatively, to support those impacted by colonialism that led to disconnection from their communities, recipients without evidence listed in “Option A: Evidence of M/C/E” must submit a Personal Declaration.

 

This declaration, with supporting evidence and references outlined in this section, can attest to their lived experience being a claimed member of an Indigenous rights-bearing Nation.

 

To complete the Option B: Personal Declaration requirements, candidates must submit the following three components:

 

  1. Declaration
  2. Supporting Evidence
  3. Letter of Reference

 

Declaration

 

Recipients must provide a detailed statement outlining their individual circumstances and include evidence related to their First Nation, Métis, or Inuit M/C/E. The statement must explain their lived experience, kinship, and connection to a rights-bearing Nation that claims them. The Office of Indigenous Initiatives may request clarification if the declaration is insufficient.

 

Supporting Evidence

 

The declaration must be supported by at least one of the following:

 

  • Evidence of a parent’s or grandparent’s Indigenous Membership, Citizenship, or Enrolment (M/C/E), together with documentation establishing the direct lineal relationship to the individual. This may include a valid M/C/E card or other recognized M/C/E documentation belonging to the parent or grandparent, accompanied by long-form birth certificate(s) or equivalent official records that establish the individual’s relationship to that parent or grandparent.
  • Historical or genealogical evidence establishing a direct and lineal family connection to an Indigenous rights-bearing Nation where contemporary M/C/E documentation for a parent or grandparent is not available. Evidence that may be reviewed and considered includes but are not limited to: historical band lists, scrip records, treaty annuity paylists, census records, archival records, certified genealogical records, vital statistics records, or other relevant historical or genealogical documentation.

 

Letter of Reference

 

A supporting letter must be provided from an Indigenous Elder, Knowledge Holder, community, or government confirming the candidate’s connection to an Indigenous rights-bearing Nation. The letter must include the affiliation and contact details of the referee. The referee must be from the same community as the recipient and able to articulate the recipient’s Indigenous M/C/E. The University will contact referees to verify the authenticity of the letter and the recipient’s connection to the stated community.

 

 

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-substantiation 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 a designated requirement, is preferred, or is 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 and misrepresentation 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.

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 Indigenous Membership, Citizenship, or Enrolment (M/C/E) is a designated requirement, is preferred, or is 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 rests 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: Evidence of M/C/E requires candidates to submit at least one recognized form of evidence of M/C/E. This may include a Certificate of Indian Status; written confirmation of Membership, Citizenship, or Enrolment from a Canadian rights-bearing Nation; a Métis Nation Citizenship card from a recognized Métis governing body; an Inuit Enrolment card from a recognized Inuit modern treaty body; or an Enrolment card or written confirmation of Membership or Enrolment from a United States federally recognized Tribal Nation or Alaska Native entity or Village.
  • Option B: Personal Declaration is available to candidates who do not have the evidence identified under Option A, including those who have experienced colonial circumstances that have contributed to disconnection from their communities. Candidates must submit three components: (1) a Personal Declaration, (2) Supporting Evidence, and (3) a Letter of Reference. The Supporting Evidence must establish a direct and lineal connection to an Indigenous rights-bearing Nation, as outlined in the IS process.

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 of Certification of Genealogists or who are not members of the Association of Professional Genealogists
  • Affidavits
  • Family photos
  • Expired documentation

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

The system includes 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.

The University recognizes that Indigenous Peoples exist throughout the world and that Indigenous identities, relationships, and systems of belonging extend beyond Canada and the United States.

Under the Indigenous Substantiation (IS) process, material benefits where Indigenous Membership, Citizenship, or Enrolment (M/C/E) is a designated requirement, is preferred, or is a determining factor for access or eligibility are prioritized for First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and Indigenous Peoples connected to communities within what is now Canada and the United States.

As a result, individuals whose Indigenous Membership, Citizenship, or Enrolment is connected to Indigenous Nations or communities outside of Canada and the United States may not be eligible for these specific material benefits under the IS process.

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