AMS Assembly opened the fall semester with a four-hour session, leaving several motions unresolved.
In line with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, the first AMS Assembly of the school year convened on Sept. 23 in Goodes Hall, focusing discussions on Truth and Reconciliation.
After a land acknowledgment, the session began with a Tobacco Tie Teaching, one of the four sacred medicines in many First Nations cultures. Guest speaker Cameron Hare, Kin ’25, a Métis student with Red River Settlement ancestry and member of the Métis Nation of Ontario, delivered a presentation centred on reciprocity and what it looks like in the Truth and Reconciliation process.
“To every student leader in this room, it’s important to reflect on your role, your privilege, and your obligations,” Hare said, addressing Assembly. “It’s importance to recognize while Indigenous people have inhabited this land for generation upon generations […] on Turtle Island now, we’re all here. […] As we’re all existing here, it’s important that we have a good relationship in a way we can co-exist and in a way of mutual understanding and reciprocity.”
“Although none of us are individually responsible for colonization, the cultural genocide itself, and the residential school systems, we’re living in a world where actions that happened against Indigenous people still affect Indigenous people today and if you want to be in that reciprocal relationship, we need to recognize that [injustices of the past],” Hare said.
Following Hare’s presentation, executives and leaders from different faculties proceeded to update Assembly on their reports, projects, and budgets for the 2024-25 school year.
AMS President Owen Rocchi emphasized Assembly is the highest governing body of the AMS, which comes with the unique responsibility of shaping the future of the society and addressing past inactions and barriers that have been overlooked. Assembly serves as a platform to amplify the voices of Indigenous people, and advocate for a future that doesn’t overlook the tragedies of the past, Rocchi said.
After executive reports, President of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) Michelle Wodchis-Johnson and Executive Director Malika Dhanani ed Assembly in-person to present an overview of the organization, outlining their priorities for student advocacy. Key issues include investing in post-secondary education, addressing housing concerns, and responding to hate-motivated attacks.
The AMS was a founding OUSA member in 1992 and has been a full member since 2004. OUSA represents the interests of 160,000 university students across nine student associations in Ontario, working to influence provincial legislation and policy on behalf of its .
READ MORE: Queen’s hosts OUSA General Assembly
Assembly motions, including commission budgets and member ratifications, ed unanimously. Assembly made it through 16 out of the 23 motions on the agenda before adjourning due to time constraints, with the livestream cutting out just before the session concluded. This left several key policies, including the Election and Referenda Policy, Awards, Grants, and Bursary Policy, and Appointments Policy, uned.
The Election Policy Review Committee, led by Chair Jana Amer (commissioner of social issues), Vice-Chair Sylvie Garabedian and secretariat, along with other leaders, is working on proposed election changes following the decision to de-slate elections.
READ MORE: AMS executive election de-slated
Unlike previous September Assemblies, where a speaker is selected, this year’s speaker and deputy speaker have yet to be chosen due to time constraints. Ruth Osunde, vice-president (university affairs) explained postponing the remaining motions would lead to a busier agenda at the next Assembly.
Assembly is overseen by the secretariat, who works with the chief governance officer and Assembly speaker, to ensure Assembly follows the rules of order, and operates efficiently under the AMS Constitution.
It remains unclear whether the policy motions will be reintroduced at the next Assembly on Oct. 21.
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