Stand Up: Why Being an Ally Now is Important, by Ann Pegoraro & Tammy Eger

As the verdict was handed down in the trial of Gerald Stanley acquitting him of the murder of Colten Boushie, we immediately thought of our Indigenous colleagues, friends and students. And as one does in these times, we turned to social media to see how the country was reacting.

This tweet struck a chord with us - so true that Canadians have been smug about our tolerance, hiding behind being the 'nice' country, even putting out a campaign that says the world needs more Canada. But in reality we have a lot of hate and racism within our borders and the Gerald Stanley verdict showed Canada's true colours.

So reflecting on all of this, we realize this is an important time for us to be allies, to be visible allies, to acknowledge our white privilege and use it to support Indigenous Peoples. We are sure many of you are thinking the same but are wondering how you can be an ally.

By no means are we experts, but a first step is joining a movement started by Indigenous faculty and allies. This is an easy first step - then lend your digital support by sharing this on Facebook and Twitter. But we can't stop there, it is easy to tweet, like and share and hide behind social media. We need to do the hard stuff.

You need to be there for your students as they negotiate this. Check the supports at your institution for students, be ready with information to share with any student who may come to you. And if students do - you need to listen and provide first level of support. Be prepared for students in your classes to not be themselves and if necessary step away from the syllabus and open the class to discussion, providing a safe space for sharing and support.

Be visible in your support - attend rallies, donate to support and stand up. Stand up in meetings, be vocal, hold your institution and colleagues accountable. Stand up and support your Indigenous students and colleagues. Stand up and say enough - we need real change.

Read the JUSTICE FOR COLTEN OPEN LETTER FROM INDIGENOUS FACULTY AND ALLIES letter and add your voice and actions to their call for a review of your institution's relationships with Indigenous people and communities. As they state "In the current era of reform called ‘reconciliation’ we are holding our respective educational institutions to task. We expect post-secondary institution leadership to respond to the Stanley verdict, to address the impact it has on Indigenous students and campus communities, and to be prepared to address systemic and structural racism within its educational systems and practices."

It is time we all got out of our comfort zone - and actually did the hard work to make Canada a truly accepting country. It's time to Stand Up.