The following message was sent on behalf of the WLUFA Executive Committee.
“As many of you know, and as recently reported in the media, our campus is once again embroiled in controversy over the speaker that has been invited to the University by the group known as the Laurier Society for Open Inquiry (LSOI). The LSOI is not a recognized group at Wilfrid Laurier University but has been booking space through certain faculty partners in order to invite speakers to campus.
“At this time, the WLUFA Executive believes that it is important to re-emphasize our support for the process of reconciliation, and to offer whatever support we can to our Indigenous colleagues, staff, students and their allies.
“In addition, the Executive wishes to express its endorsement of the HAWKstarter campaign in support of the Indigenous Knowledge Fund that has been initiated by the WLUFA Diversity and Equity Committee. The Indigenous Knowledge Fund (IKF) is an important resource for all faculty interested in enhancing the Indigenous content of their courses. We encourage members to take a few moments to read over the request for support for the IKF sent out yesterday by the Diversity and Equity Committee. (Here is a link to the HAWKstarter campaign for the IKF http://www.laurieralumni.ca/IKF.)
“The WLUFA Executive recognizes that recent actions by the LSOI are not, in fact, promoting intellectual debate on our University campuses but seem, instead, to be manufacturing a free speech “crisis” at Laurier where none exists. WLUFA will not engage in this game: just as with LSOI’s previous speaker, we will not advocate to have this talk shut down.
“WLUFA members work on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnawbe and Haudenosaunee people.”