Nipissing University students protest former Premier Mike Harris, calling for library name change
By Kelly Anne Smith
NORTH BAY—Students and supporters rallied behind Nipissing University student Cheyenne Sego at the Break the Chain Student Protest.
Drivers honked in support as about 30 protesters braved the wet, windy weather on April 3 at the roundabout at Gormanville Road and College Drive in North Bay, Ontario.
“It’s never too late to change the name of the library,” one protester was adamant while referring to the Harris Learning Library used by both Nipissing University and Canadore College students.
Nipissing University’s library is named after former Ontario Premier Mike Harris. Now, the university is investigating an interaction between Harris and a student at the Donor Social Event held on March 20.
Cheyenne Sego, from Sagamok First Nation and Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, is a fourth-year undergraduate student in Gender Equality and Social Justice and Indigenous Studies. Sego received the Ron Marlow Award at the event. The award recognizes student activism in the community and on campus. Former Premier Mike Harris made a speech.
“I was just really heated,” says Sego. “I was given this award and I brought my dad and my daughter. This was supposed to be a day of celebration. Instead, I was caught off-guard to hear Mike Harris receiving a warm welcoming…I’d only seen him in documentaries in class and in news articles. I thought, I’ve got to ask the question because whenever else will I have this opportunity to ask him? As soon as the closing person said everyone is ok to go for their refreshments, I went straight up to him—to Mike—at the front of the room. He was talking to someone, but I let him finish. And I said, hi Mike Harris, looking at his name tag. I said, my name is Cheyenne Sego. I’m the recipient of the Ron Marlow award. I wanted to thank you for your donation. He said, ‘Oh, yeah. You’re welcome.’ I said, in your speech you said that your donation is about supporting youth. And he said, ‘Yes, that’s correct.’ And I said, what are you doing to support Indigenous youth? And he’s like, ‘Well, I just made this donation towards northern communities.’ I said, yes, that’s northern communities. What are you doing specifically to reconcile your relationship with Indigenous peoples after what you said? And he was just like, ‘What did I say?’ I said, ‘I want the f*****g Indians out of the park.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, I wanted them out of the park.’ I was just like, Well, we’re not Indians. And he’s just like, ‘Well, you guys are saying you’re on Indian land.'”
“I asked him what he is going to do to reconcile his relationship with Indigenous youth because I don’t feel welcome anytime I step foot in that library knowing what he said about my people and about who I am. He said, ‘Alright, excuse me.’ And he put his hands on me with a pamphlet. And he brushed me aside. And then I said, get your hands off me. Don’t ever touch me again. And he scoffed and he walked away. Unfortunately, I was looking around for support, but all of my support people walked out as soon as Mike came on because the president and the university decided not to tell people; to keep it hush-hush and not cause a scene but look where we’re at.”
Sego says it’s unacceptable that former Premier Harris was given an honourary degree from Nipissing University after the Ipperwash crisis and inquiry. She says there is still a fight for reconciliation and a fight to honour Dudley George, unarmed protester killed by an OPP officer on September 6, 1995, at the former Ipperwash Provincial Park.
“We are not forgetting and we are still going to hold this institution accountable. And that it’s us against the problem, it’s not me against the school. It’s me and the school against the issue of the name. The name. And I think we should all be working together towards that.”
In the Nipissing University Gift Acceptance Policy, it states: “The University will not accept gifts that could reasonably compromise its public image, reputation or commitment to its objects, strategic plan, values, mission and priorities.”
In response to Anishinabek News, Nipissing University explained that a $2M gift from The Joyce Family Foundation will establish an endowed bursary fund. As a Trustee of The Joyce Family Foundation, Mike Harris was asked by the Foundation to make the gift announcement.
“Prior to the Donor Social event, conversations were had with members of Nipissing University’s Board of Governors as well internal and external Indigenous leaders regarding Mr. Harris’ attendance at the event as a Trustee of The Joyce Family Foundation. Attendees of the event were not made aware in advance of the guest list, which included Mike Harris. President Wamsley met immediately with individuals who raised concerns following the event to listen to their concerns, offer support, and apologize for not engaging them in a conversation prior to the event.”
On April 4, the North Bay Nugget reported in their Nipissing University investigating interaction between student, former Ontario premier article that Mike Harris said it was unfortunate that Sego was left with an unfavourable impression of their interaction.