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On January 25, Mariana Valverde \u2014 a professor emeritus with U of T\u2019s Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies \u2014 and Brian Gettler \u2014 an associate professor at UTM\u2019s Department of Historical Studies \u2014 presented their research on the material history of U of T\u2019s lands at a public lecture held at the Canadiana Gallery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Their research found that the university acquired almost 226,000 acres of land from the Crown in 1827, which they sold for almost $43 million in today\u2019s currency. In addition, U of T\u2019s efforts to develop the lands allocated to UTM sparked disputes between the university and local homeowners.<\/span><\/p>\n Valverde and Gettler\u2019s research is part of a nationwide effort to investigate how settlers used dispossessed, stolen, and unceded Indigenous lands to finance the development of universities in Canada.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Their lecture is part of the <\/span>CrimSL Speaker Series<\/span><\/i>, hosted by U of T\u2019s Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies. According to the centre\u2019s <\/span>website<\/span><\/a>, the speaker series aims to expose students to topics, research methodologies, and theoretical perspectives in criminology and sociolegal studies.<\/span><\/p>\n U of T\u2019s original endowment lands<\/b><\/p>\n Valverde\u2019s research focuses on U of T\u2019s original endowment lands and how much U of T profited from the sale of these lands. Endowment capital refers to money or property given to U of T, which U of T typically invests to generate income.<\/span><\/p>\n Valverde explained that the governments of most settler-colonies such as Canada were \u201ccash poor but land rich,\u201d meaning that they did not have enough money to directly finance educational institutions but possessed an abundance of land. \u201cOf course,\u201d Valverde said, \u201cthese lands were taken from Indigenous peoples.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Valverde found that, in 1828, the government gave King\u2019s College \u2014 the precursor to U of T \u2014 almost 226,000 acres of land that the Crown had seized. It repeatedly instructed U of T to sell these lands \u2014 particularly to settler farmers \u2014 as a way to generate revenue and fund the university.<\/span><\/p>\n These lands did not come in one piece, Valverde found. At the lecture, she presented historic maps showing that U of T\u2019s original endowment included land in the townships of York, Monaghan, and Haldimand, among others.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Valverde said that U of T\u2019s current endowment lands are not likely from the original endowment package. By 1861, U of T had already sold the majority of these original lands, generating almost $1.4 million \u2013\u00a0 amounting to almost $43 million in today\u2019s currency.<\/span><\/p>\n Valverde cited a 1906 report from the Royal Commission on the University of Toronto, which stated that, \u201cthroughout North America little in the financial history of universities has been more noticeable than the good effect of large grants of wild land.\u201d As such, the commissioners recommended that the government give U of T a total of at least one million acres of land.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While Valverde could not determine whether this additional endowment ever took place, she wanted to illustrate \u201cthe sense of entitlement\u201d settlers felt toward Indigenous lands.<\/span><\/p>\n Disputes over UTM land development<\/b><\/p>\n Gettler\u2019s research explored UTM\u2019s founding during the postwar boom of university-building. He found that, in the 1960s, U of T\u2019s board of governors passed a bylaw granting them the ability to expropriate or seize property. U of T tried to expropriate homeowners near UTM\u2019s lands in order to develop the UTM campus. However, on June 28, 1965, U of T cancelled its expropriation plans due to pushback from local homeowners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Gettler also found that the U of T committee in charge of planning the satellite campuses had conflicts of interest. For instance, the committee included land and property developers who U of T later hired to develop newly bought lands for the satellite campuses.<\/span><\/p>\n In an interview with <\/span>The Varsity<\/span><\/i>,<\/span> Gettler noted the \u201ctightly knit connections between for-profit corporations and the university\u201d that he found in his research. He also explained that the news at the time often reported on the disputes over UTM\u2019s development. \u201cYet, we don\u2019t know about them [now],\u201d Valverde said.<\/span><\/p>\n A nationwide research effort<\/b><\/p>\n Valverde told <\/span>The Varsity <\/span><\/i>that their work is part of a nationwide research project that aims to create a public history website documenting how Indigenous dispossession funded Canadian universities. According to Valverde, the project started \u201cvery informally,\u201d right before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She began working with two other professors based in Vancouver and estimates that the effort now includes around 12 to 15 researchers from institutions including the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, and Saint Mary\u2019s University.<\/span><\/p>\n Currently, the research team is preparing to apply for a grant so they can create the website. Valverde said that the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation in Winnipeg already agreed to host the website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Along a similar vein, historian Robert Lee and journalist Tristan Ahtone conducted the US <\/span>Land-Grab Universities<\/span><\/a> investigation. They examined how the US funded 52 universities with nearly 11 million acres of dispossessed Indigenous lands.<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond the website, Valverde said, \u201cIt\u2019s up to Indigenous students, faculty, and nations that have been affected by the land grab to think about\u2026 what they might need or want.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n