Indigenous Admissions Access Category - Undergraduate Admissions

List of Approved Modes of Affirmation

(As per Western’s DRAFT Policy for Affirming Declarations of Indigenous Citizenship or Membership)

Indigenous identity documentation includes but is not limited to the list below:

• A copy of a federal/ national/ state recognized citizenship card or official documentation belonging to the applicant’s biological parent or grandparent – together with proof of connections to the community.
• Letters of reference provided by Indigenous relatives or members of a national/federal/state recognized community who are familiar with the applicant’s lived experiences and relational positionality.
• Letter of reference or documentation provided by a state-recognized Indigenous membership authority (e.g., letter from Band Membership Officer).
• Letters of reference from community-recognized Traditional Community leaders (e.g., Clan mothers, Lodge Keepers).
• Certificate of Indian Status from First Nations who are federally recognized and those listed on the Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada website.
• A copy of Certificate of Indian Status (i.e., status card) of the applicant’s biological parent or grandparent who also has federally recognized Indian status – together with proof of lineal family connection.
• An affirmation letter from a national/federal/state recognized governance entity indicating that the applicant is a ‘Non-Status’ First Nation person.
• Membership proof from a list of federally or state recognized Métis organizations in Canada, specifically:
  • Manitoba Métis Federation
  • Métis Nation British Columbia
  • Métis Nation of Alberta
  • Métis Nation of Ontario
  • Métis Nation-Saskatchewan
  • Northwest Territory Métis Nation
• American Indian, Alaskan Native, or Native Hawaiian citizenship document from tribes that are state or federally recognized.
• A Nunavut Trust Certificate card, Inuit roll number, Inuit Beneficiary Card, or any other proof accepted by state-recognized Inuit communities/organizations.
• Written confirmation letter of Indigenous ancestry from the Department of Indigenous Services Canada.
• International or Global Indigenous peoples (as defined by UNDRIP) with accepted membership cards and documentation supporting the individual’s claimed relational positionality.
• Other membership cards or letters by state recognized Indigenous communities/organizations.
• Copy of Birth certificate – together with a copy of your parents’ or grandparents’ documentation that affirms claims to Indigeneity.
• Genealogy trees that contain certified information to confirm lineage.

If you have any concerns about the affirmation requirement or face circumstances that have prevented you from obtaining the identification mentioned above, please contact indigenous.affirmation@uwo.ca with the subject line "Assistance Required with citizenship or membership Affirmation."