L’université comme lieu de discrimination et espace de rencontres : les étudiants autochtones face au racisme systémique
Abstract
In Canada, inequalities in access to post-secondary education between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals persist despite efforts at institutional openness. This article, the result of qualitative research conducted between 2014 and 2019, analyzes the testimonies of 21 First Nations students who studied at French-language universities in Montreal. Drawing on the analysis of systemic racism and microaggressions, the analysis highlights several dimensions of the participants' experience: in addition to explicit and implicit prejudice on the part of some professors and students, they express a sense of isolation, the burden of awareness and the weight of stigmatization.
Despite these difficulties, participants also stressed the importance of support and recognition. The university thus appears both as a place where racism is reproduced and as a possible space for dialogue and transformation. These findings confirm the need to “analyze power imbalances, institutional discrimination (...) and colonial relations” (NAHO, 2008, p. 4), in order to put in place truly inclusive and equitable university policies.
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Published
2026-07-11
Keywords
autochtones, racisme systémique, inclusion, université, éducation, Premières Nations
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Copyright (c) 2026 Léa Lefevre Radelli
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